Daniel 4
Nebuchadnezzar Praises God
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Ch 3:31 in Aramaic
King Nebuchadnezzar to all b peoples, nations, and languages c that dwell in all the earth: d Peace be multiplied to you! 2 It has seemed good to me to show the e signs and wonders that the f Most High God has done for me. 3 How great are g his signs,how mighty his h wonders!
i His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
j and his dominion endures from generation to generation.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Dream
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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 l the visions of my head alarmed me. 6 So m I made a decree that n all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 Then o the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but p they could not make known to me its interpretation. 8 At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named q Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is r the spirit of the holy gods
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Or Spirit of the holy God; also verses 9, 18
—and I told him the dream, saying, 9 “O Belteshazzar t chief of the magicians, because I know that u the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no v mystery is too difficult for you, tell me w the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation. 10 x The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and y behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. 11 z The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. 12 aa Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. ab The beasts of the field found shade under it, and ac the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it. 13 “I saw in ad the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold ae a watcher af a holy one, came down from heaven. 14 He ag proclaimed aloud and said thus: ah ‘Chop down the tree and ai lop off its branches, aj strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. ak Let 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; al and let seven periods of time am pass over him. 17 The sentence is by the decree of an the watchers, the decision by the word of ao the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High ap rules the kingdom of men aq and gives it to whom he will and ar sets over it the lowliest of men.’ 18 This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O as Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because at all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for au the spirit of the holy gods is in you.” Daniel Interprets the Second Dream
19 Then Daniel, whose name was av Belteshazzar, was aw dismayed for a while, and ax his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord ay may the dream be for those who hate you az and its interpretation for your enemies! 20 ba The 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 bb whose 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 bc it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. bd Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven be and your dominion to the ends of the earth. 23 And because the king saw bf a 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 bh seven 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 bi that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made bj to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and bk seven periods of time shall pass over you, till bl you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. 26 And as it was commanded bm to 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 bn practicing righteousness bo and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed bp that 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 br my mighty power as a royal residence and for bs the glory of my majesty?” 31 bt While 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 bu and 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, bv until 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. bw He 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 bx At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and by my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored bz him who lives forever, ca for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,and cb his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
35 cc all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
and cd he does according to his will among the host of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth;
ce and none can stay his hand
or cf say to him, “What have you done?”
36 At the same time cg my reason returned to me, and for ch the glory of my kingdom, ci my majesty and splendor returned to me. cj My counselors and ck my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was cl added to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar cm praise and extol and honor the cn King of heaven co for all his works are right and his ways are just; and cp those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
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