1 King Nebuchadnezzar to allmSee ch. 3:4 peoples, nations, and languages,nch. 6:25 that dwell in all the earth:o1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Pet. 1:2 Peace be multiplied to you! 2 It has seemed good to me to show thepch. 6:27; [John 4:48] signs and wonders that theqch. 3:26 Most High God has done for me.
3 How great arep[See ver. 2 above] his signs,
how mighty hisp[See ver. 2 above] wonders!
rSee ch. 2:44 His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
rSee ch. 2:44 and his dominion endures from generation to generation.
4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. 5 I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies andsch. 2:28; 7:15 the visions of my head alarmed me. 6 SotSee ch. 3:10 I made a decree thatuch. 2:12 all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 ThenvSee ch. 2:2 the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, butw[ver. 18; ch. 2:27; 5:8, 15] they could not make known to me its interpretation. 8 At last Daniel came in before me—he who was namedxSee ch. 1:7 Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom isyver. 18; ch. 2:11; 5:11; Gen. 41:38; [Isa. 63:14] the spirit of the holy gods1Or Spirit of the holy God; also verses 9, 18 —and I told him the dream, saying, 9 “O Belteshazzar,zch. 5:11; [ch. 2:48] chief of the magicians, because I know thaty[See ver. 8 above] the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that noach. 2:18 mystery is too difficult for you, tell mes[See ver. 5 above] the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation. 10 s[See ver. 5 above] The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, andb[Ezek. 31:3] behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. 11 c[Ps. 37:35] The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. 12 dEzek. 31:7 Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all.eEzek. 31:6 The beasts of the field found shade under it, andeEzek. 31:6 the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
13 I saw ins[See ver. 5 above] the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold,fver. 23 a watcher,g[Deut. 33:2; Zech. 14:5; Jude 14] a holy one, came down from heaven. 14 HehSee ch. 3:4 proclaimed aloud and said thus:iver. 23; [Matt. 3:10; Luke 3:9] ‘Chop down the tree andj[Ezek. 31:12] lop off its branches,j[Ezek. 31:12] strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit.j[Ezek. 31:12] Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. 15 But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from a man's, and let a beast's mind be given to him;k[ver. 23, 25] and let seven periods of timel[1 Chr. 29:30] pass over him. 17 The sentence is by the decree off[See ver. 13 above] the watchers, the decision by the word ofg[See ver. 13 above] the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most Highmver. 25, 32; ch. 5:21 rules the kingdom of mennJer. 27:5 and gives it to whom he will andoSee 1 Sam. 2:8 sets over it the lowliest of men. ’ 18 This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, OpSee ch. 1:7 Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, becauseq[ver. 7; ch. 5:8, 15; Gen. 41:8] all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, forrSee ver. 8 the spirit of the holy gods is in you. ”
19 Then Daniel, whose name wasp[See ver. 18 above] Belteshazzar, wassch. 3:24 dismayed for a while, andtch. 5:6 his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you. ” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord,u[1 Sam. 25:26; 2 Sam. 18:32] may the dream be for those who hate youu[1 Sam. 25:26; 2 Sam. 18:32] and its interpretation for your enemies! 20 v[ver. 10, 11] The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, 21 w[ver. 12] whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived— 22 x[Ezek. 31:3] it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong.ySee Jer. 27:6-8 Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven,ySee Jer. 27:6-8 and your dominion to the ends of the earth. 23 And because the king sawzver. 13 a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying,aver. 14, 15 ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, tillbver. 16 seven periods of time pass over him, ’ 24 this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, 25 cver. 32, 33; [ch. 5:21] that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be maded[Ps. 106:20] to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, andb[See ver. 23 above] seven periods of time shall pass over you, tillever. 17, 32 you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. 26 And as it was commandedfver. 15, 23 to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins bygMatt. 6:1 practicing righteousness,hProv. 16:6; [Matt. 25:35, 36; Luke 11:41] and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed,i[Jer. 18:8; Jonah 3:10; Acts 8:22; 2 Tim. 2:25] that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity. ”
28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 and the king answered and said,j[ch. 5:20] “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built byk[ver. 36; ch. 2:37] my mighty power as a royal residence and fork[ver. 36; ch. 2:37] the glory of my majesty? ” 31 l[ch. 5:5; Luke 12:20] While the words were still in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, 32 mver. 17, 25; ch. 5:21 and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you,mver. 17, 25; ch. 5:21 until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. ” 33 Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar.m[See ver. 32 above] He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles' feathers, and his nails were like birds' claws.
34 n[ver. 26] At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, andover. 36 my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honoredpch. 6:26; 12:7; Rev. 4:10 him who lives forever,
q[Ps. 10:16]; See ch. 2:44 for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
andq[Ps. 10:16]; See ch. 2:44 his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
35 rIsa. 40:17 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
ands[Ps. 115:3; Heb. 1:13, 14] he does according to his will among the host of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth;
t[Isa. 14:27] and none can stay his hand
oruJob 9:12; [Isa. 45:9; Rom. 9:20] say to him, “What have you done? ”
36 At the same timevver. 34 my reason returned to me, and forw[ver. 30; ch. 5:18] the glory of my kingdom,w[ver. 30; ch. 5:18] my majesty and splendor returned to me.xch. 3:24; 6:7 My counselors andych. 5:1; 6:17 my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness wasz[Job 42:12; Matt. 6:33] added to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar,aver. 34 praise and extol and honor theb[ch. 5:23] King of heaven,c[Deut. 32:4; Ps. 33:4; Rev. 15:3] for all his works are right and his ways are just; andd[ch. 5:20; Prov. 20:23] those who walk in pride he is able to humble.