Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Dream

4 ^[a]King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages that live throughout the earth: May you have abundant prosperity!^{(A) 2} The signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me I am pleased to recount.^(B)

^4 [b]I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living at ease in my home and prospering in my palace.^{(D) 5} I saw a dream that frightened me; my fantasies in bed and the visions of my head terrified me.^{(E) 6} So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, in order that they might tell me the interpretation of the dream.^{(F) 7} Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not tell me its interpretation.^{(G) 8} At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god and who is endowed with a spirit of the holy gods^[c]—and I told him the dream:^{(H) 9} “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that you are endowed with a spirit of the holy gods^[d] and that no mystery is too difficult for you. Hear^[e] the dream that I saw, and tell me its interpretation.^(I)

¹³ “I continued looking, in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and there was a holy watcher coming down from heaven.^{(L) 14} He cried aloud and said:

¹⁸ “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, since all the wise men of my kingdom are unable to tell me the interpretation. You are able, however, for you are endowed with a spirit of the holy gods.”^[g](P)

Warning against Partiality

2 My brothers and sisters, do not claim the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory while showing partiality.^{(A) 2} For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, ³ and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here in a good place, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit by my footstool,”^{(B) 4} have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? ⁵ Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?^{(C) 6} But you have dishonored the poor person. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into the courts?^{(D) 7} Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?

⁸ If you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.^{(E) 9} But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. ¹⁰ For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.^{(F) 11} For the one who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but you murder, you have become a transgressor of^[a] the law.^{(G) 12} So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.^{(H) 13} For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.^(I)

Daniel Interprets the Second Dream

¹⁹ Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was severely distressed for a while. His thoughts terrified him. The king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or the interpretation terrify you.” Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies!^{(A) 20} The tree that you saw, which grew great and strong so that its top reached to heaven and was visible to the whole earth,^{(B) 21} whose foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and which provided food for all, under which animals of the field lived and in whose branches the birds of the air had nests— ²² it is you, O king! You have grown great and strong. Your greatness has increased and reaches to heaven, and your sovereignty to the ends of the earth.^{(C) 23} And whereas the king saw a holy watcher coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, and let him be bathed with the dew of heaven, and let his lot be with the animals of the field, until seven times pass over him’^(D)— ²⁴ this is the interpretation, O king, and it is a decree of the Most High that has come upon my lord the king: ²⁵ You shall be driven away from human society, and your dwelling shall be with the wild animals. You shall be made to eat grass like oxen, you shall be bathed with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, until you have learned that the Most High has sovereignty over the kingdom of mortals and gives it to whom he will.^{(E) 26} As it was commanded to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be reestablished for you from the time that you learn that Heaven is sovereign.^{(F) 27} Therefore, O king, may my counsel be acceptable to you: atone for^[a] your sins with righteousness and your iniquities with mercy to the oppressed, so that your prosperity may be prolonged.”^(G)

Nebuchadnezzar’s Humiliation

²⁸ All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.^{(H) 29} At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, ³⁰ and the king said, “Is this not magnificent Babylon, which I have built as a royal capital by my mighty power and for my glorious majesty?”^{(I) 31} While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came down from heaven: “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: The kingdom is taken from you!^{(J) 32} You shall be driven away from human society, and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like oxen, and seven times shall pass over you, until you have learned that the Most High has sovereignty over the kingdom of mortals and gives it to whom he will.” ³³ Immediately the sentence was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven away from human society, he ate grass like oxen, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers and his nails became like birds’ claws.^(K)

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

³⁴ When that period was over, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me.

³⁶ At that time my reason returned to me, and my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom. My counselors and my lords sought me out, I was reestablished over my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me.^{(N) 37} Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven,

Faith without Works Is Dead

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Surely that faith cannot save, can it?^{(A) 15} If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food^{(B) 16} and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? ¹⁷ So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from works, and I by my works will show you faith.^{(C) 19} You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder.^{(D) 20} Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is worthless?^{[a] 21} Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?^{(E) 22} You see that faith was active along with his works, and by works faith was brought to completion.^{(F) 23} Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,”^[b] and he was called the friend of God.^{(G) 24} You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵ Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers^[c] and sent them out by another road?^{(H) 26} For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.