Daniel 4
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
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)
3 How great are his signs,
how mighty his wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and his sovereignty is from generation to generation.(C)
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)
10 [f]Upon my bed this is what I saw:
there was a tree at the center of the earth,
and its height was great.(J)
11 The tree grew great and strong,
its top reached to heaven,
and it was visible to the ends of the whole earth.
12 Its foliage was beautiful,
its fruit abundant,
and it provided food for all.
The animals of the field found shade under it,
the birds of the air nested in its branches,
and from it all living beings were fed.(K)
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:
‘Cut down the tree and chop off its branches;
strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit.
Let the animals flee from beneath it
and the birds from its branches.(M)
15 But leave its stump and roots in the ground,
with a band of iron and bronze,
in the tender grass of the field.
Let him be bathed with the dew of heaven,
and let his lot be with the animals
in the grass of the earth.
16 Let his mind be changed from that of a human,
and let the mind of an animal be given to him.
And let seven times pass over him.(N)
17 The sentence is rendered by decree of the watchers,
the decision is given by order of the holy ones,
in order that all who live may know
that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of mortals;
he gives it to whom he will
and sets over it the lowliest of human beings.’(O)
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)
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!(Q) 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,(R) 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.(S) 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’(T)— 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.(U) 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.(V) 27 Therefore, O king, may my counsel be acceptable to you: atone for[h] your sins with righteousness and your iniquities with mercy to the oppressed, so that your prosperity may be prolonged.”(W)
Nebuchadnezzar’s Humiliation
28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.(X) 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?”(Y) 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!(Z) 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.(AA)
Nebuchadnezzar Praises God
34 When that period was over, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me.
I blessed the Most High
and praised and honored the one who lives forever.
For his sovereignty is an everlasting sovereignty,
and his kingdom endures from generation to generation.(AB)
35 All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
and he does what he wills with the host of heaven
and the inhabitants of the earth.
There is no one who can stay his hand
or say to him, “What have you done?”(AC)
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.(AD) 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven,
for all his works are truth,
and his ways are justice;
he is able to bring low
those who walk in pride.(AE)
Daniel 4
International Standard Version
Nebuchadnezzar’s Testimonial
from Nebuchadnezzar
the King
To the people of all nations and languages who live on earth.
Peace and prosperity to you!
2 It gives me great pleasure to tell about the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.
3 How great are his signs!
How powerful are his wonders!
His kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and his dominion lasts from generation to generation.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
4 [c]I, Nebuchadnezzar, was resting in my home and prospering in my palace. 5 I had a dream that made me afraid. The thoughts that went through my mind while in bed and the visions in my head terrified me. 6 So I gave an order to bring in all of the advisors[d] of Babylon so they would tell me the interpretation of the dream.
7 Then the diviners, enchanters,[e] Chaldeans, and astrologers[f] came in, and I told them the dream. But they could not reveal its interpretation to me. 8 Eventually, Daniel appeared before me. (He is called Belteshazzar, in accordance with the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is within him.) I told him my dream:
9 “Belteshazzar, chief of the diviners, since I know that the spirit of the holy gods is within you, and no mystery too difficult for you, explain to me the vision of my dream that I saw, along with its interpretation. 10 This is what I saw in the visions of my head while I was in bed: I was looking and—listen carefully!—I saw a tree in the middle of the earth, the height of which was very great. 11 The tree grew large, became strong, and its top reached the sky. It could be seen to the ends of the earth. 12 Its foliage was beautiful, its fruit bountiful, and its food sufficient for everyone. The animals of the field found shade under it, the birds of the sky lived in its branches, and every creature was fed from it.
13 “Then I saw in the visions of my head while I was in bed—and take careful notice!—I saw a holy observer descend from heaven. 14 He called out aloud:
‘Cut down the tree and cut off its branches. Strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit. Let the animals get out from under it, and let the birds leave[g] its branches. 15 Nevertheless, leave the stump and its roots in the ground, but bind it with iron and bronze in the field grass. Let him be drenched with dew from the sky, and let him graze with the animals in the grass of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man, and let him be given the mind of an animal until seven seasons of time pass by for him. 17 This order is announced by the observers, and the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires, and he places the least important of men over them.’
18 “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Belteshazzar, tell me its meaning, since none of the advisors[h] in my kingdom can tell me its interpretation. But you are able to do so[i] because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
Daniel’s Interpretation
19 Then Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) was greatly troubled for a while and was terrified by his thoughts. The king said, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream or its meaning terrify you.”
Belteshazzar responded, “Your majesty, if only[j] the dream were about your enemies and its meaning about those who oppose you! 20 The tree that you saw, which grew large and strong until its top reached the sky and became visible to the whole earth 21 with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit—enough food for everyone—and under which wild animals of the field found shelter and the birds of the air had nests in its branches— 22 it’s you, your majesty! You’ve become great and strong, your greatness has grown to the heavens, and your dominion reaches to the distant parts of the earth.
23 “Your majesty saw a holy observer descending from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump in the ground, along with its roots, bound with iron and bronze in the field grass. Let him be soaked with the dew of the sky and live with the wild animals of the field until seven seasons pass over him.’
24 “This is the meaning, your majesty, and this is the decree that the Most High has issued against his majesty, the king: 25 You’ll be driven from people, and you’ll live among wild animals of the field. You’ll eat grass like cattle and be soaked with the dew of the sky while seven years pass you by[k]—until you realize that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires. 26 Just as it was ordered to leave the stump of the tree in the ground[l] along with its roots, so your kingdom will be restored to you when you realize that Heaven rules over everything.[m] 27 Therefore, your majesty, may my advice be acceptable to you: Stop your sinning, do what’s right, and put a stop to your wickedness by showing kindness to the oppressed. Perhaps your tranquility will continue.”
The Dream Comes True
28 All of this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 About a year later,[n] as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he[o] commented to himself,[p] “Isn’t Babylon great? I’ve built a royal palace in it by my own might and power, for the sake[q] of my majesty.”
31 As these words were being spoken by the king, a voice came out of heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, this is declared to you:
‘The kingdom has been taken[r] from you! 32 You’re to be driven away from people. You’re to live with the wild animals of the field. You are to be made to eat grass like cattle, and seven years will pass you by[s] until you realize that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires.’”
33 The decree was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar immediately. He was driven away from people to eat grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with dew from the sky, until his hair grew like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.
The King’s Sanity Returns
34 “When that period of time was over, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven and my sanity returned to me. I blessed the Most High, praising and honoring the one who lives forever:
For his sovereignty is eternal,
and his kingdom continues from generation to generation.
35 All who live on the earth
are nothing compared to him.
He does what he wishes
with the heavenly armies
and with those who live on earth.
No one can hold back his power
or say to him, ‘What did you do?’
36 At that moment I recovered my sanity, and my honor and majesty returned to me, for the sake[t] of my kingdom. My advisors and officials sought me out, my throne was restored, and even more greatness than I had before was added to me. 37 In conclusion, I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and give glory to the King of heaven:
For everything he does is true,
his ways are just,
and he is able to humble those who walk in pride.”
Footnotes
- Daniel 4:1 This v. is 3:31 in MT, and so through v. 3.
- Daniel 4:1 The Aram. lacks An Official Statement
- Daniel 4:4 This v. is 4:1 in MT, and so throughout the chapter.
- Daniel 4:6 Lit. the wise men
- Daniel 4:7 Or occult practitioners
- Daniel 4:7 Or those who gaze at entrails
- Daniel 4:14 The Aram. lacks leave
- Daniel 4:18 Lit. the wise men
- Daniel 4:18 The Aram. lacks to do so
- Daniel 4:19 The Aram. lacks if only
- Daniel 4:25 Lit. seven seasons pass over you
- Daniel 4:26 The Aram. lacks in the ground
- Daniel 4:26 The Aram. lacks everything
- Daniel 4:29 Lit. At the end of 12 months
- Daniel 4:30 Lit. the king
- Daniel 4:30 Lit. commented and said
- Daniel 4:30 Lit. glory
- Daniel 4:31 Or has departed
- Daniel 4:32 Lit. seven seasons will pass over you
- Daniel 4:36 Lit. glory
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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