Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Dream

4 Nebuchadnezzar the king,

aTo all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:

Peace be multiplied to you.

2 I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders bthat the Most High God has worked for me.

3 cHow great are His signs,

And how mighty His wonders!

His kingdom is dan everlasting kingdom,

And His dominion is from generation to generation.

4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace. 5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, eand the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head ftroubled me. 6 Therefore I issued a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 gThen the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came in, and I told them the dream; but they did not make known to me its interpretation. 8 But at last Daniel came before me h(his name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god; iin him is the Spirit of the Holy God), and I told the dream before him, saying: 9 “Belteshazzar, jchief of the magicians, because I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in you, and no secret troubles you, explain to me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.

10 These were the visions of my head while on my bed:

I was looking, and behold,

kA tree in the midst of the earth,

And its height was great.

11 The tree grew and became strong;

Its height reached to the heavens,

And it could be seen to the ends of all the earth.

12 Its leaves were lovely,

Its fruit abundant,

And in it was food for all.

lThe beasts of the field found shade under it,

The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches,

And all flesh was fed from it.

13 “I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and there was ma watcher, na holy one, coming down from heaven. 14 He cried 1aloud and said thus:

o‘Chop down the tree and cut off its branches,

Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit.

pLet the beasts get out from under it,

And the birds from its branches.

15 Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth,

Bound with a band of iron and bronze,

In the tender grass of the field.

Let it be wet with the dew of heaven,

And let him graze with the beasts

On the grass of the earth.

16 Let his heart be changed from that of a man,

Let him be given the heart of a beast,

And let seven qtimes 2pass over him.

17 ‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers,

And the sentence by the word of the holy ones,

In order rthat the living may know

sThat the Most High rules in the kingdom of men,

tGives it to whomever He will,

And sets over it the ulowest of men.’

18 “This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, vsince all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, wfor the Spirit of the Holy God is in you.”

Daniel Explains the Second Dream

19 Then Daniel, xwhose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a time, and his thoughts ytroubled him. So the king spoke, and said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you.”

Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may zthe dream 3concern those who hate you, and its interpretation 4concern your enemies!

20 a“The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens and which could be seen by all the earth, 21 whose leaves were lovely and its fruit abundant, in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heaven had their home—22 bit is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, cand your dominion to the end of the earth.

23 d“And inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field; let it be wet with the dew of heaven, eand let him graze with the beasts of the field, till seven 5times pass over him’; 24 this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: 25 They shall fdrive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you geat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven 6times shall pass over you, htill you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and igives it to whomever He chooses.

26 “And inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you, after you come to know that jHeaven 7rules. 27 Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; kbreak off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. lPerhaps there may be ma 8lengthening of your prosperity.”

Nebuchadnezzar’s Humiliation

28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of the twelve months he was walking 9about the royal palace of Babylon. 30 The king nspoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?”

31 oWhile the word was still in the king’s mouth, pa voice fell from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! 32 And qthey shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven 1times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.”

33 That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

34 And rat the end of the 2time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him swho lives forever:

For His dominion is tan everlasting dominion,

And His kingdom is from generation to generation.

35 uAll the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing;

vHe does according to His will in the army of heaven

And among the inhabitants of the earth.

wNo one can restrain His hand

Or say to Him, x“What have You done?”

36 At the same time my reason returned to me, yand for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was zrestored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was aadded to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, bpraise and extol and honor the King of heaven, call of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. dAnd those who walk in pride He is able to put down.

Belshazzar’s Feast

5 Belshazzar the king amade a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand. 2 While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels bwhich his 1father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the gold cvessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine, dand praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.

5 eIn the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his fknees knocked against each other. 7 gThe king cried 2aloud to bring in hthe astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; iand he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Now all the king’s wise men came, jbut they could not read the writing, or make known to the king its interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly ktroubled, his countenance was changed, and his lords were 3astonished.

10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change. 11 lThere is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your 4father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your 4father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. 12 Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and 5explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, mwhom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.”

The Writing on the Wall Explained

13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel 6who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my 7father the king brought from Judah? 14 I have heard of you, that nthe 8Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 Now othe wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the thing. 16 And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and 9explain enigmas. pNow if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

17 Then Daniel answered, …