Daniel 4
4
Nebuchadnezzar Dreams About a Tree
1I, King Nebuchadnezzar, am writing this letter.
I am sending it to people who live all over the world. I’m sending it to people of every nation no matter what language they speak.
May you have great success!
2I am pleased to tell you what has happened. The Most High God has done miraculous signs and wonders for me.
3His signs are great.
His wonders are mighty.
His kingdom will last forever.
His rule will never end.
4I was at home in my palace. I was content and very successful. 5But I had a dream that made me afraid. I was lying in bed. Then dreams and visions passed through my mind. They terrified me. 6So I commanded that all the wise men in Babylon be brought to me. I wanted them to tell me what my dream meant. 7Those who try to figure things out by using magic came. So did those who study the heavens. I told all of them what I had dreamed. But they couldn’t tell me what it meant. 8Finally, Daniel came to me. He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god. The spirit of the holy gods is in him. I told him my dream.
9I said, “Belteshazzar, you are chief of the magicians. I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you. No mystery is too hard for you to figure out. Here is my dream. Tell me what it means. 10Here are the visions I saw while I was lying in bed. I looked up and saw a tree standing in the middle of the land. It was very tall. 11It had grown to be large and strong. Its top touched the sky. It could be seen anywhere on earth. 12Its leaves were beautiful. It had a lot of fruit on it. It provided enough food for people and animals. Under the tree, the wild animals found safety. The birds lived in its branches. Every creature was fed from that tree.
13“While I was still lying in bed, I looked up. In my visions, I saw a holy one. He was a messenger. He was coming down from heaven. 14He called out in a loud voice. He said, ‘Cut down the tree. Break off its branches. Strip off its leaves. Scatter its fruit. Let the animals under it run away. Let the birds in its branches fly off. 15But leave the stump with its roots in the ground. Let it stay in the field. Put a band of iron and bronze around it.
“ ‘Let King Nebuchadnezzar become wet with the dew of heaven. Let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. 16Let him no longer have the mind of a man. Instead, let him be given the mind of an animal. Let him stay that way until seven periods of time pass by.
17“ ‘The decision is announced by holy messengers. So all who are alive will know that the Most High God is King. He rules over all kingdoms on earth. He gives them to anyone he wants. Sometimes he puts the least important people in charge of them.’
18“This is the dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now tell me what it means, Belteshazzar. None of the wise men in my kingdom can explain it to me. But you can. After all, the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
Daniel Explains Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
19Daniel, who was also called Belteshazzar, was very bewildered for a while. His thoughts terrified him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream or its meaning make you afraid.”
Belteshazzar answered, “My master, I wish the dream were about your enemies! I wish its meaning had to do with them! 20You saw a tree. It grew to be large and strong. Its top touched the sky. It could be seen from anywhere on earth. 21Its leaves were beautiful. It had a lot of fruit on it. It provided enough food for people and animals. Under the tree, the wild animals found safety. The birds lived in its branches. 22Your Majesty, you are that tree! You have become great and strong. Your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky. Your rule has spread to all parts of the earth.
23“Your Majesty, you saw a holy one. He was a messenger. He came down from heaven. He said, ‘Cut down the tree. Destroy it. But leave the stump with its roots in the ground. Let it stay in the field. Put an iron and bronze band around it. Let King Nebuchadnezzar become wet with the dew of heaven. Let him live with the wild animals. Let him stay that way until seven periods of time pass by.’
24“Your Majesty, here is what your dream means. The Most High God has given an order against you. 25You will be driven away from people. You will live with the wild animals. You will eat grass just as an ox does. You will become wet with the dew of heaven. Seven periods of time will pass by for you. Then you will recognize that the Most High God rules over all kingdoms on earth. He gives them to anyone he wants. 26But he gave a command to leave the stump of the tree along with its roots. That means your kingdom will be given back to you. It will happen when you recognize that the God of heaven rules. 27So, Your Majesty, I hope you will accept my advice. Stop being sinful. Do what is right. Give up your evil practices. Show kindness to those who are being treated badly. Then perhaps things will continue to go well with you.”
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream Comes True
28All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29It took place twelve months later. He was walking on the roof of his palace in Babylon. 30He said, “Isn’t this the great Babylon I have built as a place for my royal palace? I used my mighty power to build it. It shows how glorious my majesty is.”
31He was still speaking when he heard a voice from heaven. It said, “King Nebuchadnezzar, here is what has been ordered concerning you. Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32You will be driven away from people. You will live with the wild animals. You will eat grass just as an ox does. Seven periods of time will pass by for you. Then you will recognize that the Most High God rules over all kingdoms on earth. He gives them to anyone he wants.”
33What had been said about King Nebuchadnezzar came true at once. He was driven away from people. He ate grass just as an ox does. His body became wet with the dew of heaven. He stayed that way until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle. His nails became like the claws of a bird.
34At the end of that time I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up toward heaven. My mind became clear again. Then I praised the Most High God. I gave honor and glory to the God who lives forever.
His rule will last forever.
His kingdom will never end.
35He considers all the nations on earth
to be nothing.
He does as he pleases
with the powers of heaven.
He does what he wants
with the nations of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand.
No one can say to him,
“What have you done?”
36My honor and glory were returned to me when my mind became clear again. The glory of my kingdom was given back to me. My advisers and nobles came to me. And I was put back on my throne. I became even greater than I had been before. 37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, give praise and honor and glory to the King of heaven. Everything he does is right. All his ways are fair. He is able to bring down those who live proudly.
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Daniel 4: NIrV
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Daniel 4
4
Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony
1 # 4.1 3:31 in Aram King Nebuchadnezzar’s message to all the peoples, nations, and languages inhabiting the entire earth: “I wish you much peace. 2I’m delighted to share the signs and miracles that the Most High God has worked in my life.
3His signs are superb!
His miracles so powerful!
His kingdom is everlasting.
His rule is for all time.
4 # 4.4 4:1 in Aram “While I, Nebuchadnezzar, was safe in my house, content in my palace, 5I had a terrifying dream. My thoughts while I was lying in bed and the vision in my mind overwhelmed me. 6I ordered all Babylon’s sages to come before me, so they might tell me the dream’s meaning. 7So the dream interpreters, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners came. I told them the dream, but they couldn’t interpret it for me. 8Daniel, who is called Belteshazzar after the name of my god, was the last to come before me. In him is the breath#4.8 Or spirit; also in 4:9, 18 of the holy gods! I told Daniel the dream:
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream
9“Belteshazzar, chief of the dream interpreters, I know the breath of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Tell me the meaning of the visions I had in my dream. 10In my mind, as I lay in bed, I saw a vision:
At the center of the earth was a towering tree.
11The tree grew in size and strength;
it was as high as the sky;
it could be seen from every corner of the earth.
12Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant;
it had enough food for everyone.
Wild animals took shade under it;
birds nested in its branches.
All living things lived off that tree.
13“In my mind, as I lay in bed, I saw another vision: A holy watcher came down from heaven. 14He proclaimed loudly:
‘Cut down the tree and shear off its branches!
Strip its leaves and scatter its fruit!
The creatures should flee from its shelter;
the birds should take flight from its branches.
15But leave its deepest root in the earth,
bound with iron and bronze in the field grass.
Dew from heaven is to wash it,
and it must live with the animals in the earth’s vegetation.
16Its#4.16 Throughout 4:15-16 and later in this chap, it and its could also be translated he and his. human mind is to be changed:
it will be given the mind of an animal.
Seven periods of time will pass over it.
17This sentence is by the watchers’ decree;
this decision is the holy ones’ word
so that all who live might know
that the Most High dominates human kingship.
The Most High gives kingship to anyone he wants
and sets over it the lowest of people.’
18“This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. So now Belteshazzar, tell me the meaning because all the sages in my kingdom were unable to interpret it for me. But you are able to do it because the breath of the holy gods is in you.”
Daniel interprets the visions
19Daniel, who was called Belteshazzar, was shocked for a bit. What he thought about frightened him.
The king declared, “Don’t let the dream and its meaning scare you, Belteshazzar.”
Then Belteshazzar answered, “Sir, I wish the dream to be for those who hate you and its meaning to be for your enemies! 20The tree you saw that grew in size and strength, that was as high as the sky, that could be seen from every corner of the earth, 21with its beautiful leaves and its abundant fruit, and that had enough food for everyone, with wild animals living under it and birds nesting in its branches— 22Your Majesty, that tree is you! You have grown large and become powerful. Your greatness is as high as the sky; your rule extends to the edge of the earth!
23“Your Majesty, the holy watcher you saw coming down from heaven, who said, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave its deepest root in the earth, bound with iron and bronze in the field grass, dew from heaven is to wash it, and it must live with the wild animals until seven periods of time pass over it’— 24Your Majesty, this is the dream’s meaning: It is the sentence of the Most High, delivered to my master the king. 25You will be driven away from other humans and will live with the wild animals. You will eat grass like cattle and will be washed by dew from heaven. Seven periods of time will pass over you, until you acknowledge that the Most High dominates human kingship, giving it to anyone he wants. 26And when he said to leave the deepest root of the tree—that means your kingship will again be yours, once you acknowledge that heaven rules all. 27Therefore, Your Majesty, please accept my advice: remove your sins by doing what is right; remove your wrongdoing by showing mercy to the poor. Then your safety will be long lasting.”
Visions come true
28All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29Twelve months later, he was walking on the roof of the royal palace in Babylon. 30The king declared, “Isn’t this Babylon, the magnificent city that I built as the royal house by my own mighty strength and for my own majestic glory?”
31These words hadn’t even left the king’s mouth when a voice came from heaven: “You, King Nebuchadnezzar, are now informed: Kingship is taken away from you. 32You will be driven away from other humans and will live with the wild animals. You will eat grass like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you acknowledge that the Most High dominates human kingship, giving it to anyone he wants.”
33Nebuchadnezzar’s sentence was immediately carried out. He was driven away from other humans and ate grass like cattle. Dew from heaven washed his body until he grew hair like eagles’ feathers and claws like a bird.
Nebuchadnezzar is restored
34“At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes to heaven. My reason returned to me, and I praised the Most High. I worshipped and glorified the one who lives forever because his rule is everlasting; his kingdom is for all time. 35All of earth’s inhabitants are nothing in comparison. The Most High does whatever he wants with heaven’s forces and with earth’s inhabitants. No one can contain his power or say to him, ‘What do you think you are doing?’ 36So at that moment my reason returned to me. My honor and splendor came back to me for the glory of my kingdom. My associates and my princes wanted to be with me again. Not only was I reinstated over my kingdom, I received more power than ever before.
37“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, worship, magnify, and glorify the king of heaven. All his works are truth, all his paths are justice, and he is able to humble all who walk in pride.”
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