Daniel 4

Nebuchadnezzar Announces What the Most High Has Done

1King Nebuchadnezzar, to all peoples, nations, and languages who dwell in all the earth:

May your peace increase. 2It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done toward me. 3How great are his signs,
and how mighty are his wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and his rule is from generation to generation.

The King Dreams of a Great Tree

4I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace. 5I saw a dream, and it frightened me. The thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head terrified me. 6So a decree went out from me to bring before me all the wise men of Babylon so that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7Then the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners came in, and I told the dream before them, but they did not make its interpretation known to me. 8At last Daniel came in before me, whose name is Belteshazzar according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. I told the dream before him: 9“Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and its interpretation. 10These were the visions of my head upon my bed:

I was looking,
and behold, a tree
was in the midst of the earth,
and its height was great. 11The tree grew
and became strong;
its height reached to the heavens,
and it was visible
to the end of the whole earth. 12Its leaves were beautiful,
and its fruit was abundant,
and in it was food for all.
The animals of the field
found shade under it,
the birds of the heavens
dwelt in its branches,
and all flesh
was fed from it.

A Watcher Commands the Tree to Be Cut Down

13“I was looking in the visions of my head upon my bed, and look, a watcher, a holy one, came down from the heavens. 14He called with strength and said thus:

‘Cut down the tree
and cut off its branches;
strip off its leaves
and scatter its fruit.
Let the animals flee
from under it
and the birds
from its branches. 15But leave the stump of its roots
in the earth,
with a band of iron and bronze,
among the grass of the field.
Let him be wet
with the dew of the heavens,
and let his portion be with the animals
in the grass of the earth. 16Let his human heart be changed,
and let the heart of an animal
be given to him,
and let seven times
pass over him. 17The sentence is by decree of the watchers,
and the matter by command
of the holy ones,
so that the living may know
that the Most High rules
over the kingdom of humanity
and gives it to whomever he wills
and sets over it
the lowliest of people.’

Daniel Is Alarmed by the Dream

18“This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, Belteshazzar, tell the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make the interpretation known to me, but you are able, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.” 19Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was appalled for a moment, and his thoughts terrified him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation terrify you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you, and its interpretation for your enemies!

You Are the Tree

20“The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens and was visible to all the earth, 21whose leaves were beautiful and fruit abundant, in which was food for all, under which the animals of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived— 22it is you, O king. You have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, and your rule to the end of the earth. 23And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from the heavens and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, with a band of iron and bronze, among the grass of the field; let him be wet with the dew of the heavens, and let his portion be with the animals of the field until seven times pass over him’— 24this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High that has come upon my lord the king: 25You will be driven away from humanity, and your dwelling will be with the animals of the field. You will be made to eat grass like cattle, and you will be wet with the dew of the heavens. Seven times will pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of humanity and gives it to whomever he wills. 26And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the tree’s roots, your kingdom will be established for you after you know that the heavens rule.

Break with Your Sins by Doing Righteousness

27“Therefore, O king, let my counsel be pleasing to you: break with your sins by righteousness and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, so that perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.”

The Dream Is Fulfilled

28All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29At the end of twelve months he was walking upon the royal palace of Babylon. 30The king answered and said, “Is this not great Babylon, which I myself have built as a royal house by the strength of my power and for the glory of my majesty?” 31While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from the heavens: “To you it is spoken, King Nebuchadnezzar: the kingdom has departed from you. 32You will be driven away from humanity, and your dwelling will be with the animals of the field. You will be made to eat grass like cattle, and seven times will pass over you until you know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of humanity and gives it to whomever he wills.” 33Immediately the word was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven away from humanity and ate grass like cattle. His body was wet with the dew of the heavens until his hair grew like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Reason Returns

34“At the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to the heavens, and my reason returned to me. I blessed the Most High and praised and honored the one who lives forever:

For his rule
is an everlasting rule,
and his kingdom
from generation to generation. 35All the inhabitants of the earth
are regarded as nothing,
and he does according to his will
among the army of the heavens
and the inhabitants of the earth.
There is no one
who can strike his hand
or say to him,
‘What have you done?’ 36At that time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles sought me, and I was established over my kingdom, and extraordinary greatness was added to me. 37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and honor the King of the heavens, for all his works are truth and his ways are justice, and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”