Nebuchadnezzar Praises God
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a King Nebuchadnezzar to all 1peoples, nations, and languages, 2that dwell in all the earth: 3Peace be multiplied to you!
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How great are 6his signs, how mighty his 7wonders! 8His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, 9and his dominion endures from generation to generation.
Nebuchadnezzar's Second Dream
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I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and 10the visions of my head alarmed me.
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So 11I made a decree that 12all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
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Then 13the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but 14they could not make known to me its interpretation.
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At last Daniel came in before me--he who was named 15Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is 16the spirit of the holy godsc--and I told him the dream, saying,
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"O Belteshazzar, 17chief of the magicians, because I know that 18the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no 19mystery is too difficult for you, tell me 20the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation.
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21The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and 22behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.
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23The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth.
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24Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. 25The beasts of the field found shade under it, and 26the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
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"I saw in 27the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, 28a watcher, 29a holy one, came down from heaven.
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He 30proclaimed aloud and said thus: 31'Chop down the tree and 32lop off its branches, 33strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. 34Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches.
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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.
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Let his mind be changed from a man's, and let a beast's mind be given to him; 35and let seven periods of time 36pass over him.
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The sentence is by the decree of 37the watchers, the decision by the word of 38the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High 39rules the kingdom of men 40and gives it to whom he will and 41sets over it the lowliest of men.'
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This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O 42Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because 43all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for 44the spirit of the holy gods is in you."
Daniel Interprets the Second Dream
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Then Daniel, whose name was 45Belteshazzar, was 46dismayed for a while, and 47his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, "Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you." Belteshazzar answered and said, "My lord, 48may the dream be for those who hate you 49and its interpretation for your enemies!
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50The 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,
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51whose 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--
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52it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. 53Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, 54and your dominion to the ends of the earth.
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And because the king saw 55a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 56'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 57seven periods of time pass over him,'
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this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king,
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58that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made 59to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and 60seven periods of time shall pass over you, till 61you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.
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And as it was commanded 62to 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.
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Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by 63practicing righteousness, 64and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, 65that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity."
Nebuchadnezzar's Humiliation
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All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.
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At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon,
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and the king answered and said, 66"Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by 67my mighty power as a royal residence and for 68the glory of my majesty?"
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69While 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,
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70and 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, 71until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will."
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Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. 72He 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
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73At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and 74my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored 75him who lives forever, 76for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and 77his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
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78all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and 79he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; 80and none can stay his hand or 81say to him, "What have you done?"
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)