Daniel 4

1 “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was thriving and flourishing in my house.” 2 “I saw a dream that terrified me. I was troubled on my bed, and the visions in my head troubled me.” 3 “I issued a decree to bring all Babylon’s wise men before me so that they could explain the dream’s interpretation.” 4 “The chanters, magicians, soothsayers, and Chaldeans came in. I told them the dream, but they could not explain its interpretation.” 5 “Finally Daniel came before me. He is named Belteshazzar after my god, and a holy spirit of God is in him. I told him my dream:” 6 “Belteshazzar, chief of the chanters, I know that a holy spirit of God is in you and no secret is too difficult for you. Hear the vision I saw in my dream and tell me its interpretation.” 7 “As I lay on my bed, I saw a tree in the middle of the earth. It was very tall.” 8 “The tree grew large and strong. Its height reached to heaven, and its spread reached the ends of the whole earth.” 9 “Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit was abundant, and it had food for all. The wild animals sheltered under it, the birds of heaven lived in its branches, and every living creature fed from it.” 10 “In a vision of the night on my bed, I saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven.” 11 “He cried out loudly and said:” “Cut down the tree and strip off its branches. Shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches.” 12 “But leave the stump and its roots in the ground, bound with a band of iron and bronze. Let him lie in the grass outside and be wet with heaven’s dew. Let his portion be with the wild animals among the grass of the earth.” 13 “Let his human heart be changed and the heart of a wild animal be given to him. Let seven times pass over him.” 14 “This sentence comes by decree of the watcher, and the demand is a word from the holy ones, so that the living may know that the Lord is Most High over every human kingdom. He gives it to whomever he pleases and sets over it the person people consider least.” 15 “This is the vision I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me its interpretation. None of the wise men in my kingdom can explain it, but you can, because a holy spirit of God is in you.”

16 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was stunned for about an hour, and his thoughts terrified him. The king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation terrify you.” Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies.” 17 “The tree you saw grew large and strong, its height reached to heaven, and its spread reached all the earth.” 18 “Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit was abundant, and it had food for all. The wild animals lived beneath it, and the birds of heaven sheltered in its branches.” 19 “That tree is you, king. You have grown great and powerful. Your greatness has increased and reached to heaven, and your dominion extends to the ends of the earth.” 20 “The king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Strip the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the ground, bound with a band of iron and bronze. Let him lie in the grass outside and be wet with heaven’s dew. Let his portion be with the wild animals until seven times pass over him.’” 21 “This is its interpretation, king. It is a decree of the Most High that has come upon my lord the king.” 22 “You will be driven away from people. You will live with the wild animals and be fed grass like an ox. You will be wet with heaven’s dew, and seven times will pass over you, until you know that the Most High is Lord over every human kingdom and gives it to whomever he pleases.” 23 “The command to leave the tree’s stump and roots means that your kingdom will be secure for you once you acknowledge the power of heaven.” 24 “Therefore, king, please accept my counsel: make amends for your sins through acts of mercy and for your wrongdoing through pity for the poor. Perhaps God will be patient with your offenses.” †

25 All these things happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 26 Twelve months later, he was walking on the temple of his kingdom in Babylon. [a] 27 The king said, “Is this not great Babylon, which I built as a royal residence by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?” 28 While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, this is declared to you: The kingdom has departed from you.” 29 “You will be driven away from people and live with the wild animals. You will be fed grass like an ox, and seven times will pass over you, until you know that the Most High is Lord over every human kingdom and gives it to whomever he pleases.” 30 That very hour the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven away from people and ate grass like an ox. His body was drenched with heaven’s dew until his hair grew like a lion’s mane and his nails like birds’ claws.

31 “At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned. I blessed the Most High, praised the one who lives forever, and honored him. His dominion is everlasting, and his kingdom lasts through every generation.” 32 “All the earth’s inhabitants are counted as nothing. He does what he wills among heaven’s army and the earth’s inhabitants. No one can resist his power or ask him, ‘What have you done?’” 33 “At that time my reason returned to me. The honor of my kingdom and my natural appearance returned. My rulers and nobles sought me out, I was restored to my kingdom, and even greater greatness was added to me.” 34 “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and honor the King of heaven. All his works are true and his paths are just. He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”