Nebuchadnezzar Confesses God’s Kingdom 1 Brenton King Nabuchodonosor to all nations, tribes, and tongues, who dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied to you. BSB BSB: King Nebuchadnezzar, To the people of every nation and language who dwell in all the earth: May your prosperity be multiplied.
2 Brenton It seemed good to me to declare to you the signs and wonders which the most high God has wrought with me, BSB BSB: I am pleased to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.
3 Brenton how great and mighty they are : his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his power to all generations. BSB BSB: How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; His dominion endures from generation to generation.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of a Great Tree 4 Brenton I Nabuchodonosor was thriving in my house, and prospering. BSB BSB: I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace.
5 Brenton I saw a vision, and it terrified me, and I was troubled on my bed, and the visions of my head troubled me. BSB BSB: I had a dream, and it frightened me; while I was in my bed, the images and visions in my mind alarmed me.
6 Brenton And I made a decree to bring in before me all the wise men of Babylon, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. BSB BSB: So I issued a decree that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me.
7 Brenton So the enchanters, magicians, soothsayers, and Chaldeans came in: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known to me the interpretation thereof; BSB BSB: When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.
8 Brenton until Daniel came, whose name is Baltasar, according to the name of my God, who has within him the Holy Spirit of God; to whom I said, BSB BSB: But at last, into my presence came Daniel (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods). And I told him the dream:
9 Brenton O Baltasar, chief of the enchanters, of whom I know that the Holy Spirit of God is in thee, and no mystery is too hard for thee, hear the vision of my dream which I had, and tell me the interpretation of it. BSB BSB: “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery baffles you. So explain to me the visions I saw in my dream, and their interpretation.
10 Brenton I had a vision upon my bed; and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. BSB BSB: In these visions of my mind as I was lying in bed, I saw this come to pass: There was a tree in the midst of the land, and its height was great.
11 Brenton The tree grew large and strong, and its height reached to the sky, and its extent to the extremity of the whole earth: BSB BSB: The tree grew large and strong; its top reached the sky, and it was visible to the ends of the earth.
12 Brenton its leaves were fair, and its fruit abundant, and in it was meat for all; and under it the wild beasts of the field took shelter, and the birds of the sky lodged in the branches of it, and all flesh was fed of it. BSB BSB: Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit was abundant, and upon it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, in its branches the birds of the air nested, and from it every creature was fed.
13 Brenton I beheld in the night vision upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven, and cried aloud, and thus he said, BSB BSB: As I lay on my bed, I also saw in the visions of my mind a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven.
14 Brenton Cut down the tree, and pluck off its branches, and shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit: let the wild beasts be removed from under it, and the birds from its branches. BSB BSB: He called out in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and chop off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it, and the birds from its branches.
15 Brenton Only leave the stump of its roots in the earth, and bind it with an iron and brass band; and it shall lie in the grass that is without and in the dew of heaven, and its portion shall be with the wild beasts in the grass of the field. BSB BSB: But leave the stump with its roots in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze around it, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven and graze with the beasts on the grass of the earth.
16 Brenton His heart shall be changed from that of man, and the heart of a wild beast shall be given to him; and seven times shall pass over him. BSB BSB: Let his mind be changed from that of a man, and let him be given the mind of a beast till seven times pass him by.
17 Brenton The matter is by the decree of the watcher, and the demand is a word of the holy ones; that the living may know that the Lord is most high over the kingdom of men, and he will give it to whomsoever he shall please, and will set up over it that which is set at nought of men. BSB BSB: This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the lowliest of men.’
18 Brenton This is the vision which I king Nabuchodonosor saw: and do thou, Baltasar, declare the interpretation, for none of the wise men of my kingdom are able to shew me the interpretation of it: but thou, Daniel, art able; for the Holy Spirit of God is in thee. BSB BSB: This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because none of the wise men of my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you are able, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
Daniel Interprets the Second Dream 19 Brenton Then Daniel, whose name is Baltasar, was amazed about one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. And Baltasar answered and said, My lord, let the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation of it to thine enemies. BSB BSB: For a time, Daniel, who was also known as Belteshazzar, was perplexed, and his thoughts alarmed him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.” “My lord,” replied Belteshazzar, “may the dream apply to those who hate you, and its interpretation to your enemies!
20 Brenton The tree which thou sawest, that grew large and strong, whose height reached to the sky and its extent to all the earth; BSB BSB: The tree you saw that grew large and strong, whose top reached the sky and was visible to all the earth,
21 Brenton and whose leaves were flourishing, and its fruit abundant, (and it was meat for all; under it the wild beasts lodged, and the birds of the sky took shelter in its branches:) BSB BSB: whose foliage was beautiful and whose fruit was abundant, providing food for all, under which the beasts of the field lived, and in whose branches the birds of the air nested—
22 Brenton is thyself, O king; for thou art grown great and powerful, and thy greatness has increased and reached to heaven, and thy dominion to the ends of the earth. BSB BSB: you, O king, are that tree! For you have become great and strong; your greatness has grown to reach the sky, and your dominion extends to the ends of the earth.
23 Brenton And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, and he said, Strip the tree, and destroy it; only leave the stump of its roots in the ground, and bind it with a band of iron and brass; and it shall lie in the grass that is without, and in the dew of heaven, and its portion shall be with wild beasts, until seven times have passed over it; BSB BSB: And you, O king, saw a watcher, 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, with a band of iron and bronze around it, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and graze with the beasts of the field till seven times pass him by.’
24 Brenton this is the interpretation of it, O king, and it is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king. BSB BSB: This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree that the Most High has issued against my lord the king:
25 Brenton And they shall drive thee forth from men, and thy dwelling shall be with wild beasts, and they shall feed thee with grass as an ox, and thou shalt have thy lodging under the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High is Lord of the kingdom of men, and will give it to whom he shall please. BSB BSB: You will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field. You will feed on grass like an ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.
26 Brenton And whereas they said, Leave the stumps of the roots of the tree; thy kingdom abides sure to thee from the time that thou shalt know the power of the heavens. BSB BSB: As for the command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots, your kingdom will be restored to you as soon as you acknowledge that Heaven rules.
27 Brenton Therefore, O king, let my counsel please thee, and atone for thy sins by alms, and thine iniquities by compassion on the poor: it may be God will be long-suffering to thy trespasses. BSB BSB: Therefore, may my advice be pleasing to you, O king. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity.”
The Second Dream Fulfilled 28 Brenton All these things came upon king Nabuchodonosor. BSB BSB: All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.
29 Brenton After a twelvemonth, as he walked in his palace in Babylon, BSB BSB: Twelve months later, as he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon,
31 Brenton While the word was yet in the king's mouth, there came a voice from heaven, saying , To thee, king Nabuchodonosor, they say, The kingdom has departed from thee. BSB BSB: While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven: “It is decreed to you, King Nebuchadnezzar, that the kingdom has departed from you.
32 Brenton And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the wild beasts of the field, and they shall feed thee with grass as an ox: and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High is Lord of the kingdom of men, and he will give it to whomsoever he shall please. BSB BSB: You will be driven away from mankind to live with the beasts of the field, and you will feed on grass like an ox. And seven times will pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.”
33 Brenton In the same hour the word was fulfilled upon Nabuchodonosor: and he was driven forth from men, and he ate grass as an ox, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until his hairs were grown like lions' hairs , and his nails as birds' claws . BSB BSB: At that moment the sentence against Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from mankind. He ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.
Nebuchadnezzar Restored 34 Brenton And at the end of the time I Nabuchodonosor lifted up mine eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised him that lives for ever, and gave him glory; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom lasts to all generations: BSB BSB: But at the end of those days I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity was restored to me. Then I praised the Most High, and I honored and glorified Him who lives forever: “For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
35 Brenton and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and there is none who shall withstand his power, and say to him, What hast thou done? BSB BSB: All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’”
36 Brenton At the same time my reason returned to me, and I came to the honour of my kingdom; and my natural form returned to me, and my princes, and my nobles, sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and more abundant majesty was added to me. BSB BSB: At the same time my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne, and surpassing greatness was added to me.
37 Brenton Now therefore I Nabuchodonosor praise and greatly exalt and glorify the King of heaven; for all his works are true, and his paths are judgment: and all that walk in pride he is able to abase. BSB BSB: Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride.