Dan 4 | ESV | STEP | King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples , nations , and languages , that dwell in all the earth : Peace be multiplied to you!

1 ^{▼▼Ch 3:31 in Aramaic} King Nebuchadnezzar to all ^bpeoples, nations, and languages, ^cthat dwell in all the earth: ^dPeace be multiplied to you! 2 It has seemed good to me to show the ^esigns and wonders that the ^fMost High God has done for me.

3 How great are ^ghis signs,
how mighty his ^hwonders!
ⁱHis kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
^jand his dominion endures from generation to generation.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Dream

4 ^{▼▼Ch 4:1 in Aramaic} I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. 5 I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and ^lthe visions of my head alarmed me. 6 So ^mI made a decree that ⁿall the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 Then ^othe magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but ^pthey could not make known to me its interpretation. 8 At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named ^qBelteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is ^rthe spirit of the holy gods ^{▼▼Or Spirit of the holy God; also verses 9, 18}—and I told him the dream, saying, 9 “O Belteshazzar, ^tchief of the magicians, because I know that ^uthe spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no ^vmystery is too difficult for you, tell me ^wthe visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation. 10 ^xThe visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and ^ybehold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. 11 ^zThe tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. 12 ^aaIts leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. ^abThe beasts of the field found shade under it, and ^acthe birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.

13 “I saw in ^adthe visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, ^aea watcher, ^afa holy one, came down from heaven. 14 He ^agproclaimed aloud and said thus: ^ah‘Chop down the tree and ^ailop off its branches, ^ajstrip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. ^akLet the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. 15 But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from a man’s, and let a beast’s mind be given to him; ^aland let seven periods of time ^ampass over him. 17 The sentence is by the decree of ^anthe watchers, the decision by the word of ^aothe holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High ^aprules the kingdom of men ^aqand gives it to whom he will and ^arsets over it the lowliest of men.’ 18 This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O ^asBelteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because ^atall the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for ^authe spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

Daniel Interprets the Second Dream

19 Then Daniel, whose name was ^avBelteshazzar, was ^awdismayed for a while, and ^axhis thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, ^aymay the dream be for those who hate you ^azand its interpretation for your enemies! 20 ^baThe tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, 21 ^bbwhose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived— 22 ^bcit is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. ^bdYour greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, ^beand your dominion to the ends of the earth. 23 And because the king saw ^bfa watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ^bg‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till ^bhseven periods of time pass over him,’ 24 this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, 25 ^bithat you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made ^bjto eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and ^bkseven periods of time shall pass over you, till ^blyou know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. 26 And as it was commanded ^bmto leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by ^bnpracticing righteousness, ^boand your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, ^bpthat there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”

Nebuchadnezzar’s Humiliation

28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 and the king answered and said, ^bq“Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by ^brmy mighty power as a royal residence and for ^bsthe glory of my majesty?” 31 ^btWhile the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, 32 ^buand you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, ^bvuntil you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” 33 Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. ^bwHe was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws.

Nebuchadnezzar Restored

34 ^bxAt the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and ^bymy reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored ^bzhim who lives forever,

^cafor his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and ^cbhis kingdom endures from generation to generation;
35 ^ccall the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
and ^cdhe does according to his will among the host of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth;
^ceand none can stay his hand
or ^cfsay to him, “What have you done?”

36 At the same time ^cgmy reason returned to me, and for ^chthe glory of my kingdom, ^cimy majesty and splendor returned to me. ^cjMy counselors and ^ckmy lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was ^cladded to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, ^cmpraise and extol and honor the ^cnKing of heaven, ^cofor all his works are right and his ways are just; and ^cpthose who walk in pride he is able to humble.