1Nebuchadnezzar the king
to all
the peoples
, nations
, and men of every 2language
that live
in all
the earth
: "May your 3 apeace
abound
!
"It has seemed good
to me to declare
the signs
and wonders
which
the aMost
High
God
has done
for me.
"How great
are His asigns
And how
mighty
are His wonders
! His bkingdom
is an everlasting
kingdom
And His dominion
is from generation
to generation
.
" 1I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease
in my house
and aflourishing
in my palace
.
"I saw a adream
and it made
me fearful
; and these fantasies
as I lay on my bed
and the bvisions
1in my mind
kept
alarming
me.
"So I gave orders
to abring
into my presence
all
the wise
men
of Babylon
, that they might make
known
to me the interpretation
of the dream
.
"Then the 1 amagicians
, the conjurers
, the 2Chaldeans
and the diviners
came
in and I related
the dream
3to them, but they could not make
its binterpretation
known
to me.
"But finally Daniel
came
in before
me, whose
name
is aBelteshazzar
according to the name
of my god
, and in whom
is 1 ba spirit
of the holy
gods
; and I related
the dream
2to him, saying,
`O Belteshazzar, achief
of the magicians
, since
I know
that ba spirit
of the holy
gods
is in you and cno
mystery
baffles
you, dtell
me the visions
of my dream
which
I have seen
, along with its interpretation
.
`Now these were the avisions 1in my mind
as I lay on my bed
: I was looking
, and behold
, there was a btree
in the midst
of the 2earth
and its height
was great
.
`The tree grew
large
and became
strong
And its height
areached
to the sky
, And it was visible
to the end
of the whole
earth
.
`Its foliage was abeautiful
and its fruit
abundant
, And in it was food
for all
. The bbeasts
of the field
found
cshade
under
it, And the dbirds
of the sky
dwelt
in its branches
, And all
1living
creatures
fed
themselves from it.
`I was looking in the avisions
1in my mind
as I lay on my bed
, and behold
, ban angelic watcher
, a choly
one
, descended
from heaven
.
`He shouted out and spoke
as follows
: " aChop
down
the tree
and cut
off
its branches
, Strip
off
its foliage
and scatter
its fruit
; Let the bbeasts
flee
from under
it And the birds
from its branches
.
"Yet aleave
the stump
1with its roots
in the ground
, But with a band
of iron
and bronze
around it In the new
grass
of the field
; And let him be drenched
with the dew
of heaven
, And let 2him share
with the beasts
in the grass
of the earth
.
"Let his 1mind be changed
from that of a man
And let a beast's
1mind
be given
to him, And let aseven
2periods of time
pass
over
him.
"This sentence is by the decree
of the angelic watchers
And the decision
is a command
of the holy
ones
, In order
that the living
may aknow
That the Most
High
is ruler
over the realm
of mankind
, And bbestows
it on whom
He wishes
And sets
over
it the clowliest
of men
."
`This is the dream
which I, King
Nebuchadnezzar
, have seen
. Now you, Belteshazzar
, tell
me its interpretation
, inasmuch
as none
of the awise
men
of my kingdom
is able
to make
known
to me the interpretation
; but you are able
, for a bspirit
of the holy
gods
is in you.'
"Then Daniel
, whose
name
is Belteshazzar
, was appalled
for a while
as his athoughts
alarmed
him. The king
responded
and said
, `Belteshazzar
, do not blet the dream
or its interpretation
alarm
you.' Belteshazzar
replied
, ` cMy lord
, if only the dream
applied to those who hate
you and its interpretation
to dyour adversaries
!
`The atree that you saw
, which
became
large
and grew
strong
, whose height
reached
to the sky
and was visible
to all
the earth
and whose foliage was beautiful
and its fruit
abundant
, and in which was food
for all
, under
which the beasts
of the field
dwelt
and in whose branches
the birds
of the sky
lodged
--
it is ayou, O king; for you have become
great
and grown
strong
, and your 1majesty
has become
great
and reached
to the sky
and your bdominion
to the end
of the earth
.
`In that the king saw
an angelic watcher
, a holy
one
, descending
from heaven
and saying
, " aChop
down
the tree
and destroy
it; yet
leave
the stump
1with its roots
in the ground
, but with a band
of iron
and bronze
around it in the new
grass
of the field
, and let him be drenched
with the dew
of heaven
, and let 2him share
with the beasts
of the field
until
bseven
3periods of time
pass
over
him,"
this is the interpretation
, O king
, and this
is the decree
of the Most
High
, which
has acome
upon my lord
the king
:
that you be adriven away
from mankind
and your dwelling
place
be with the beasts
of the field
, and you be given
grass
to eat
like cattle
and be drenched
with the dew
of heaven
; and seven
1periods of time
will pass
over
you, until
you recognize
that the bMost
High
is ruler
over the realm
of mankind
and cbestows
it on whomever
He wishes
.
`And in that it was commanded to aleave
the stump
1with the roots
of the tree
, your kingdom
will be 2assured
to you after
you recognize
that it is bHeaven
that rules
.
`Therefore, O king
, may my aadvice
be pleasing
to you: 1 bbreak
away
now from your sins
by doing righteousness
and from your iniquities
by cshowing
mercy
to the poor
, in case
there may be a dprolonging
of your prosperity
.'
"All this ahappened
to Nebuchadnezzar
the king
.
" aTwelve months
later
he was walking
on the roof of the royal
palace
of Babylon
.
"The king 1reflected
and said
, `Is this
not Babylon
the agreat
, which
I myself
have built
as a royal
2residence
by the might
of my power
and for the glory
of my majesty
?'
"While the word
was in the king's
mouth
, a voice
1came
from heaven
, saying, `King
Nebuchadnezzar
, to you it is declared
: 2sovereignty
has been
removed
from you,
and ayou will be driven away
from mankind
, and your dwelling
place
will be with the beasts
of the field
. You will be given
grass
to eat
like cattle
, and bseven
1periods of time
will pass
over
you until
you recognize
that the cMost
High
is ruler
over the realm
of mankind
and bestows
it on whomever
He wishes
.'
"Immediately the word
concerning
Nebuchadnezzar
was fulfilled
; and he was adriven
away
from mankind
and began eating
grass
like cattle
, and his body
was drenched
with the dew
of heaven
until
his hair
had grown
like eagles'
feathers and his nails
like birds'
claws.
"But at the end of 1that period
, I, Nebuchadnezzar
, raised
my eyes
toward heaven
and my 2reason
returned
to me, and I blessed
the aMost
High
and praised
and honored
bHim who
lives
forever
; For His dominion
is an ceverlasting
dominion
, And His kingdom
endures from generation
to generation
.
" aAll the inhabitants
of the earth
are accounted
as nothing
, But bHe does
according
to His will
in the host
of heaven
And among the inhabitants
of earth
; And cno
one can 1ward
off
His hand
Or say
to Him, ` dWhat
have You done
?'
"At that time my 1 areason
returned
to me. And my majesty
and bsplendor
were 2restored
to me for the glory
of my kingdom
, and my counselors
and my nobles
began seeking
me out; so I was reestablished
in my 3sovereignty
, and surpassing
cgreatness
was added
to me.
"Now I, Nebuchadnezzar
, praise
, exalt
and honor
the King
of aheaven
, for ball
His works
are 1true
and His ways
2just
, and He is able
to humble
those who
cwalk
in pride
."