Daniel 4–6

NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S PROCLAMATION

4King Nebuchadnezzar,

To those of every people, nation, and language, who live on the whole earth:^y

May your prosperity increase.^{z 2}I am pleased to tell you about the miracles and wonders^aa the Most High God has done for me.

³How great are his miracles,

and how mighty his wonders!^ab

His kingdom is an eternal kingdom,^ac

and his dominion is from generation to generation.^a

THE DREAM

⁴I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace.^{b 5}I had a dream, and it frightened me; while in my bed, the images and visions in my mind alarmed me.^{c 6}So I issued a decree^d to bring all the wise men of Babylon to me in order that they might make the dream’s interpretation known to me.^{e 7}When the magicians, mediums, Chaldeans, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, but they could not make its interpretation known to me.^f

⁸Finally Daniel, named Belteshazzar^g after the name of my god—and a spirit of the holy gods is in him^h—came before me. I told him the dream: ⁹“Belteshazzar, head of the magicians, because I know that you have the spirit of the holy godsⁱ and that no mystery puzzles you,^j explain to me the visions of my dream that I saw, and its interpretation. ¹⁰In the visions of my mind as I was lying in bed, I saw this:

There was a tree in the middle of the earth,

and it was very tall.

¹¹The tree grew large and strong;

its top reached to the sky,^k

and it was visible to the ends of the^A earth.

¹²Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit was abundant,

and on it was food for all.^l

Wild animals found shelter under it,

the birds of the sky^m lived in its branches,

and every creature was fed from it.ⁿ

¹³“As I was lying in my bed, I also saw in the visions of my mind a watcher, a holy one,^Bo coming down from heaven.^{p 14}He called out loudly:

Cut down the tree and chop off its branches;

strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit.

Let the animals flee from under it,

and the birds from its branches.^q

¹⁵But leave the stump with its roots in the ground^r

and with a band of iron and bronze around it

in the tender grass of the field.

Let him be drenched with dew from the sky

and share the plants of the earth^s

with the animals.

¹⁶Let his mind be changed from that of a human,

and let him be given the mind of an animal

for seven periods of time.^CDt

¹⁷This word is by decree of the watchers,

and the decision is by command from the holy ones.

This is so that the living will know

that the Most High is ruler

over human kingdoms.

He gives them to anyone he wants

and sets the lowliest of people over them.^u

¹⁸This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because none of the wise men of my kingdom can make the interpretation known to me.^v But you can, because you have a spirit of the holy gods.”

THE DREAM INTERPRETED

¹⁹Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was stunned for a moment, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king said, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.”

Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, may the dream apply to those who hate you, and its interpretation to your enemies!^{w 20}The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, whose top reached to the sky and was visible to the whole earth, ²¹and whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant—and on it was food for all, under it the wild animals lived, and in its branches the birds of the sky lived—²²that tree is you, Your Majesty. For you have become great and strong: your greatness has grown and even reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to the ends of the earth.^x

²³“The king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump with its roots in the ground and with a band of iron and bronze around it in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with dew from the sky and share food with the wild animals for seven periods of time.’ ²⁴This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree of the Most High that has been issued against my lord the king:^{a 25}You will be driven away from people to live with the wild animals. You will feed on grass like cattle^b and be drenched with dew from the sky for seven periods of time, until you acknowledge that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms, and he gives them to anyone he wants.^{c 26}As for the command to leave the tree’s stump with its roots, your kingdom will be restored^A to you as soon as you acknowledge that Heaven^B rules.^{d 27}Therefore, may my advice seem good to you my king. Separate yourself from your sins by doing what is right,^e and from your injustices by showing mercy to the needy.^f Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity.”^g

THE SENTENCE EXECUTED

²⁸All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.^{h 29}At the end of twelve months, as he was walking on the roof of the royal palace in Babylon, ³⁰the king exclaimed, “Is this not Babylon the Great that I have built to be a royal residence by my vast power and for my majestic glory?”ⁱ

³¹While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared that the kingdom has departed from you.^{j 32}You will be driven away from people to live with the wild animals, and you will feed on grass like cattle for seven periods of time, until you acknowledge that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms, and he gives them to anyone he wants.”

³³At that moment the message against Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people. He ate grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with dew from the sky, until his hair grew like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.^k

NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S PRAISE

³⁴But at the end of those days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity returned to me. Then I praised the Most High and honored and glorified him who lives forever:^l

For his dominion is an everlasting dominion,

and his kingdom is from generation to generation.^m

³⁵All the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing,ⁿ

and he does what he wants^o with the army of heaven

and the inhabitants of the earth.

There is no one who can block his hand

or say to him, “What have you done?”^p

³⁶At that time my sanity returned to me, and my majesty and splendor returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and my nobles sought me out, I was reestablished over my kingdom, and even more greatness came to me.^{q 37}Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and glorify the King of the heavens, because all his works are true and his ways are just.^r He is able to humble^s those who walk in pride.^t

BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST

5King Belshazzar^u held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine in their presence. ²Under the influence of^A the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels^v that his predecessor^B Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines could drink from them. ³So they brought in the gold^C vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem,^w and the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines drank from them. ⁴They drank the wine and praised their gods made of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.^x

THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL

⁵At that moment the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the king’s palace wall next to the lampstand. As the king watched the hand^D that was writing, ⁶his face turned pale,^E and his thoughts so terrified him that he soiled himself^F and his knees knocked together. ⁷The king shouted to bring in the mediums, Chaldeans, and diviners. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and gives me its interpretation will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around his neck,^y and have the third highest position in the kingdom.” ⁸So all the king’s wise men came in, but none could read the inscription or make its interpretation known to him. ⁹Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified, his face turned pale,^G and his nobles were bewildered.^a

¹⁰Because of the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen^H came to the banquet hall. “May the king live forever,” she said. “Don’t let your thoughts terrify you or your face be pale.^{Ib 11}There is a man in your kingdom who has a spirit of the holy gods in him.^c In the days of your predecessor he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. Your predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, mediums, Chaldeans, and diviners. Your own predecessor, the king, ¹²did this because Daniel, the one the king named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and intelligence, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems.^Ad Therefore, summon Daniel, and he will give the interpretation.”

DANIEL BEFORE THE KING

¹³Then Daniel was brought before the king. The king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the Judean exiles that my predecessor the king brought from Judah?^{e 14}I’ve heard that you have a spirit of the gods in you, and that insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom are found in you. ¹⁵Now the wise men and mediums were brought before me to read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not give its interpretation. ¹⁶However, I have heard about you that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around your neck, and have the third highest position in the kingdom.”^f

¹⁷Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts and give your rewards to someone else;^g however, I will read the inscription for the king and make the interpretation known to him. ¹⁸Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty,^h greatness, glory, and majesty to your predecessor Nebuchadnezzar.^{i …}