1King Nebuchadnezzar,

2I am pleased to tell you about the miracles and wonders Dn 6:27; Jn 4:48; Ac 2:22; 2Co 12:12; Heb 2:4 the Most High God has done for me.

4 Dn 4:1 in HbI, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace. Ps 30:6; Is 47:7-8

5I had a dream, and it frightened me; while in my bed, the images and visions in my mind alarmed me. Dn 2:28; 7:15

6So I issued a decree Dn 3:10,29 to bring all the wise men of Babylon to me in order that they might make the dream’s interpretation known to me. Gn 41:8; Dn 2:12

7When the diviner-priests, mediums, Chaldeans, and astrologers came in, I told them the dream, but they could not make its interpretation known to me. Dn 2:2

8Finally Daniel, named Belteshazzar Dn 1:7 after the name of my god — and the spirit of the holy gods is in him Gn 41:38; Dn 2:11 — came before me. I told him the dream:

9“Belteshazzar, head of the diviners, because I know that you have a spirit of the holy gods Dn 5:11 and that no mystery puzzles you, Ezk 28:3 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:

13“As I was lying in my bed, I also saw in the visions of my mind an observer, a holy one, = an angel Dt 33:2; Ps 89:7; Zch 14:5; Jd 14 coming down from heaven. Rv 10:1; 18:1; 20:1

14He called out loudly:

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.”

20The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, whose top reached to the sky and was visible to all the earth,

21whose 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 air lived —

22that tree is you, the king. 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. Jr 27:6-8; Ezk 31:3

23“The king saw an observer, 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 sentence of the Most High that has been passed against my lord the king: Jb 40:11-12; Ps 107:40

25You will be driven away from people to live with the wild animals. You will feed on grass like cattle Ps 106:20; Jr 27:5 and be drenched with dew from the sky for seven periods of time, until you acknowledge that the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of men, and He gives it to anyone He wants. Ps 83:18; Dn 5:21

26As for the command to leave the tree’s stump with its roots, your kingdom will be restored Lit enduring to you as soon as you acknowledge that Heaven = God rules. Dn 2:37

27Therefore, may my advice seem good to you my king. Separate yourself from your sins by doing what is right, Pr 28:13; Ac 8:22 and from your injustices by showing mercy to the needy. Ps 41:1-3; Is 58:6,7; Ezk 18:7 Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity.” Jr 18:8; Jn 3:10

28All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. Nm 23:19; Zch 1:6

29At the end of 12 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 by my vast power to be a royal residence and to display my majestic glory? ” Is 24:23; Ezk 26:20; 28:22; 38:23; 39:13,21; Hab 2:4; 1Co 4:7

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. Lk 12:20

32You 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 the kingdom of men, and He gives it to anyone He wants.”

33At that moment the sentence against Nebuchadnezzar was executed. 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. Dn 5:21

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: Dn 6:26; 12:7; Rv 4:10