Daniel 4
A Great Tree Felled, and a King Who Ate Grass
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I Saw a Dream and Became Apprehensive
4:4In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, he said, “I was at peace in my house and prospering upon my throne.
4:5I saw a dream and became apprehensive; fear fell upon me.
The Tall Tree Growing upon the Earth
4:10I was sleeping, and there was a tall tree growing upon the earth. Its appearance was great, and no other was like it.
4:11Its appearance was great: its top reached to heaven, and its mass to the clouds, filling what lay beneath heaven. The sun and moon dwelt in it and illuminated the whole earth.
4:12Its branches were about thirty stadia long. All the wild animals of the earth found shade beneath it, and the birds of heaven nested in it. Its fruit was abundant and good, and it supplied all living creatures.
4:13I was watching in my sleep, and an angel was sent in strength from heaven.
4:14He called out and said to it, ‘Cut it down and destroy it, for the Most High has commanded that it be uprooted and rendered useless.’
4:15He spoke in this way: ‘Leave one root of it in the earth, so that it may graze on grass like an ox with the wild animals of the earth in the mountains;
4:16let his body be changed by heaven’s dew, and let him graze with them for seven years,
4:17until he knows that the Lord of heaven has authority over everything in heaven and upon earth, and does among them whatever He wills.’
4:17aBefore me it was cut down in one day, and its destruction came within one hour of the day. Its branches were given to every wind; it was dragged away and thrown down. It ate the grass of the earth with the wild animals of the earth, was handed over to custody, and was bound by them in fetters and bronze handcuffs. I was greatly astonished at all this, and sleep departed from my eyes.
Daniel Interprets the Dream
4:18In the morning I rose from my bed and called Daniel, chief of the learned experts and leader of those who judge dreams. I recounted the dream to him, and he explained its entire interpretation to me.
4:19Daniel was greatly astonished, and apprehension pressed upon him. Frightened, seized with trembling, and changed in appearance, he shook his head and remained astonished for an hour. He answered me in a gentle voice, ‘O king, may this dream come upon those who hate you and its interpretation upon your enemies!
4:20The tree planted in the earth, whose appearance was great, is you, O king.
4:21And all the birds of heaven nesting in it—the strength of the earth and of the nations and of all languages to the ends of the earth, and all countries—serve you.
4:22The raising of that tree, its reaching heaven, and its mass touching the clouds mean that you, O king, were raised above all people upon the face of the whole earth. Your heart was raised in pride and strength against the Holy One and His angels. Your deeds were seen, because you laid waste the house of the living God on account of the sins of the consecrated people.
4:23The vision you saw, that an angel was sent in strength from the Lord and commanded the tree’s removal and cutting down, means that the judgment of the great God will come upon you,
4:24and the Most High and His angels will rush against you.
4:25They will lead you away into custody and send you to a deserted place.
4:26The root of the tree that was left, since it was not uprooted, means that the place of your throne will be preserved for you for a time and an hour. Look! They are preparing against you; they will scourge you and bring the judgments upon you.
4:27The Lord lives in heaven, and His authority is over all the earth. Entreat Him concerning your sins, and redeem all your injustices through almsgiving, so that gentleness may be granted you, you may have many days upon your royal throne, and He may not destroy you. Love these words, for my word is accurate and your time is full.’
This Is Great Babylon, Which I Built
4:28At the completion of the words, Nebuchadnezzar, when he heard the judgment of the vision, kept the words in his heart.
4:29After twelve months, the king was walking upon the city walls with all his glory and passing over its towers.
4:30He spoke and said, ‘This is great Babylon, which I built, and it will be called the house of my kingship through the strength of my might, for the honor of my glory.’
4:31At the completion of his word, he heard a voice from heaven: ‘To you it is said, King Nebuchadnezzar: Babylon’s kingdom has been taken from you and is given to another, a despised man in your house. Look! I appoint him over your kingdom; he will take your authority, glory, and luxury, so that you may recognize that the God of heaven has authority over human kingship and will give it to whomever He wishes. By sunrise another king will rejoice in your house and take possession of your glory, strength, and authority.
4:32The angels will pursue you for seven years. You will neither be seen nor speak with any human being. They will feed you grass like an ox, and your pasture will be the earth’s greenery. Look! In place of your glory they will bind you, and another will have your luxurious house and your kingdom.
4:33By morning everything will be fulfilled upon you, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon; nothing of all this will fail.’
I Was Bound for Seven Years
4:33a“I, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, was bound for seven years. They fed me grass like an ox, and I ate the earth’s greenery. After seven years I devoted my soul to supplication and pleaded concerning my sins before the Lord, the God of heaven; concerning my acts of ignorance I entreated the great God of gods.
4:33bMy hair became like an eagle’s wings, and my nails like a lion’s. My flesh and my heart were changed; I walked naked with the wild animals of the earth. I saw a dream, and apprehensions seized me. After a time a deep sleep took hold of me, and drowsiness fell upon me.
The Time of My Release
4:34At the completion of the seven years, the time of my release came. My sins and my acts of ignorance reached their full measure before the God of heaven. I entreated the great God of gods concerning my acts of ignorance, and an angel called to me from heaven, saying, ‘Nebuchadnezzar, serve the holy God of heaven and give glory to the Most High; the kingship of your nation is restored to you.’
4:36At that time my kingdom was restored to me and my glory returned to me.
4:37I give thanks to the Most High and praise Him who created heaven and earth, seas and rivers, and everything in them. I give thanks and praise, for He is God of gods, Lord of lords, and King of kings. He performs signs and wonders and changes seasons and times, taking kingdoms from kings and appointing others in their place.
4:37aFrom now on I will worship Him. Trembling has seized me through fear of Him, and I praise all His holy ones. For the gods of the nations have no strength in themselves to transfer one king’s kingdom to another king, to kill and make alive, to perform signs and great and fearsome wonders, or to change exceedingly great affairs, as the God of heaven has done in me, changing great affairs concerning me. Throughout all the days of my reign I will offer sacrifices to the Most High on behalf of my soul, as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. I will do what is acceptable before Him—I and my people, my nation and my countries under my authority. Whoever has spoken against the God of heaven, and whoever is caught speaking anything against Him, I will condemn to death.”
The Circular Letter of Nebuchadnezzar
4:37bKing Nebuchadnezzar wrote a circular letter to all the nations in every place, to the countries and all languages dwelling in every country, from generation to generation: “Praise the Lord, the God of heaven, and gloriously bring Him sacrifice and offering. I, king of kings, gloriously give thanks to Him, because He has dealt with me in this way: on that very day He seated me upon my throne; I regained my authority and my kingdom among my people, and my greatness was restored to me.”
4:37c“King Nebuchadnezzar to all nations, all countries, and all who dwell in them: May peace be multiplied to you at every time. Now I will explain to you the deeds that the great God has done with me. It pleased me to demonstrate to you and to your learned experts that there is a God, and His wonders are great; His kingship is an everlasting kingship, His authority from generation to generation.” He sent letters concerning everything that had happened to him in his kingdom to all the nations under his kingship.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.