Genesis 28:12
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
12 And he dreamed that there was a stairway[a] set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.(A)
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- 28.12 Or ramp
John 1:51
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51 And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you,[a] you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”(A)
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Genesis 32:1-2
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32 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him; 2 when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called that place Mahanaim.[a](A)
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- 32.2 That is, two camps
Numbers 12:6
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
6 And he said, “Hear my words:
When there are prophets among you,
I the Lord make myself known to them in visions;
I speak to them in dreams.(A)
Job 33:15-16
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night,
when deep sleep falls on mortals,
while they slumber on their beds,(A)
16 then he opens their ears
and terrifies them with warnings,(B)
2 Timothy 4:16-17
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
16 At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.(A)
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Genesis 15:1
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
God’s Covenant with Abram
15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”(A)
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Genesis 37:5-11
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5 Once Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream that I dreamed. 7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright; then your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.”(A) 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Are you indeed to have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his words.(B)
9 He had another dream and told it to his brothers, saying, “Look, I have had another dream: the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What kind of dream is this that you have had? Shall we indeed come, I and your mother and your brothers, and bow to the ground before you?”(C) 11 So his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.(D)
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Genesis 15:12
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him.(A)
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Hebrews 1:14
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14 Are not all angels[a] spirits in the divine service, sent to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?(A)
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- 1.14 Gk all of them
Daniel 7:1
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Visions of the Four Beasts
7 In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in bed. Then he wrote down the dream:[a](A)
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- 7.1 Q ms Theodotion: MT adds the beginning of the words; he said
Hebrews 1:1
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
God Has Spoken by His Son
1 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets,
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Daniel 4
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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)
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.