| [an error occurred while processing this directive] | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 1Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, nations, and men of every language that live in all the earth: "May your peace abound! |
| 2[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 2"It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me. |
| 3[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 3"How great are His signs And how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom And His dominion is from generation to generation. |
| 4[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 4"I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace. |
| 5[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 5"I saw a dream and it made me fearful; and these fantasies as I lay on my bed and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. |
| 6[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 6"So I gave orders to bring into my presence all the wise men of Babylon, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. |
| 7[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 7"Then the magicians, the conjurers, the Chaldeans and the diviners came in and I related the dream to them, but they could not make its interpretation known to me. |
| 8[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 8"But finally Daniel came in before me, whose name is Belteshazzar according to the name of my god, and in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and I related the dream to him, saying, |
| 9[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 9O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, since I know that a spirit of the holy gods is in you and no mystery baffles you, tell me the visions of my dream which I have seen, along with its interpretation. |
| 10[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 10Now these were the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed: I was looking, and behold, there was a tree in the midst of the earth and its height was great. |
| 11[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 11The tree grew large and became strong And its height reached to the sky, And it was visible to the end of the whole earth. |
| 12[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 12Its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, And in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, And the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches, And all living creatures fed themselves from it. |
| 13[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 13I was looking in the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed, and behold, an angelic watcher, a holy one, descended from heaven. |
| 14[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 14'He shouted out and spoke as follows: "Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, Strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit; Let the beasts flee from under it And the birds from its branches. |
| 15[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 15"Yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground, But with a band of iron and bronze around it In the new grass of the field; And let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, And let him share with the beasts in the grass of the earth. |
| 16[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 16"Let his mind be changed from that of a man And let a beast's mind be given to him, And let seven periods of time pass over him. |
| 17[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 17"This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers And the decision is a command of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, And bestows it on whom He wishes And sets over it the lowliest of men." |
| 18[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 18This is the dream which I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me its interpretation, inasmuch as none of the wise men of my kingdom is able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for a spirit of the holy gods is in you.' |
| 19[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 19"Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was appalled for a while as his thoughts alarmed him. The king responded and said, 'Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.' Belteshazzar replied, 'My lord, if only the dream applied to those who hate you and its interpretation to your adversaries! |
| 20[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 20'The tree that you saw, which became large and grew strong, whose height reached to the sky and was visible to all the earth |
| 21[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 21and whose foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt and in whose branches the birds of the sky lodged-- |
| 22[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 22it is you, O king; for you have become great and grown strong, and your majesty has become great and reached to the sky and your dominion to the end of the earth. |
| 23[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 23In that the king saw an angelic watcher, a holy one, descending from heaven and saying, "Chop down the tree and destroy it; yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground, but with a band of iron and bronze around it in the new grass of the field, and let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him share with the beasts of the field until seven periods of time pass over him," |
| 24[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 24this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: |
| 25[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 25that you be driven away from mankind and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes. |
| 26[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 26And in that it was commanded to leave the stump with the roots of the tree, your kingdom will be assured to you after you recognize that it is Heaven that rules. |
| 27[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 27Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.' |
| 28[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 28"All this happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king. |
| 29[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 29"Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. |
| 30[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 30"The king reflected and said, 'Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?' |
| 31[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 31"While the word was in the king's mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, 'King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, |
| 32[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 32and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.' |
| 33[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 33"Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws. |
| 34[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 34"But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation. |
| 35[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 35"All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, 'What have You done?' |
| 36[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 36"At that time my reason returned to me. And my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom, and my counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was reestablished in my sovereignty, and surpassing greatness was added to me. |
| 37[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 37"Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride." |
| [an error occurred while processing this directive] | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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