CHAPTER 4

¹“I, Nebuchadnezzar, was tranquil in my house and flourishing in my palace. ²I saw a dream and it frightened me, and thoughts upon my couch and visions in my head panicked me. ³By me has an edict been issued for all the sages of Babylonia to come before me, that they may make known to me the meaning of the dream. ⁴Then did the soothsayers, wizards, Chaldeans, and diviners come, and I said the dream to them, but its meaning they did not make known to me. ⁵And latterly, Daniel came before me, whose name is ⁶Belteshazzar, like the name of my god, and in whom the spirit of the holy gods resides, and I said the dream to him: ‘Belteshazzar, master soothsayer, of whom I know that the spirit of the holy gods resides in you and no mystery is withheld from you, these are the visions of my dream that I saw, and say its meaning. ⁷And the visions in my head upon my couch I saw, and, look, there was a tree in the earth and its height was great. ⁸The tree grew and became mighty, and its top reached the heavens and its branches to the end of all the earth. ⁹Its foliage was lovely and its fruit great, and there was food for all in it. Beneath it the beasts of the field were shaded, and in its branches the birds of the heavens dwelled, and all flesh was nourished from it. ¹⁰I saw among the visions in my head, and, look, a holy emissary came down from the heavens, ¹¹calling out loudly and thus saying, “Cut down the tree, hack off its branches. Shake loose its foliage and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts go off from underneath it and the birds from its branches. ¹²But leave one of its roots in the ground and with a chain of iron and bronze be it set in the grass of the field, and by the dew of the heavens be it moistened and with the beasts its portion in the grass of the earth. ¹³Its heart shall be changed from humankind, and a beast’s heart shall be given to it, and seven seasons shall pass over it. ¹⁴By the decree of the divine emissaries is the word, and the utterance of the holy ones is the pronouncement, so that the living may know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of man, to whom He wills he gives it, and the lowliest of men He shall raise up over it.” ¹⁵This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw, and you, Belteshazzar, say its meaning, for all the sages of my kingdom have not been able to make its meaning known to me, but you can, for the spirit of the holy gods resides within you.’” ¹⁶Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astounded for about an hour, and his thoughts panicked him. The king spoke out and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream and its meaning panic you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the dream be for your enemies and its meaning for your foes. ¹⁷The tree that you saw, which was great and mighty and its height reached the heavens and its branches in all the earth, ¹⁸and its foliage was lovely and its fruit great, and food for all in it, beneath it dwelled the beasts of the field and in its branches rested the birds of the heavens, ¹⁹you are the king, who has become great and mighty, and your greatness has grown and reached to the heavens and its branches to all the earth. ²⁰And as to your seeing, O king, a holy emissary coming down from the heavens and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it but leave one of its roots in the ground, and with a chain of iron and bronze [set it] in the grass of the field and by the dew of the heavens let it be moistened and with the beasts of the field its portion, until seven seasons pass over it,’ ²¹this is its meaning, O king, and the decree of the Most High that is to come upon my lord the king. ²²And you shall they banish from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and grass like the ox shall they feed you, and from the dew of the heavens shall they give you drink. And seven seasons shall pass over you until you know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of man and to whom He chooses He gives it. ²³And as to their saying to leave one of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall endure for you once you know that the heavens rule. ²⁴And yet, O king, let my counsel be pleasing to you, and redeem your offenses through righteousness, in showing kindness to the poor, let your tranquillity be prolonged. ²⁵All this is to come upon King Nebuchadnezzar.” ²⁶At the end of the twelve months he was walking up on [the roof of] the royal palace of Babylon. ²⁷The king spoke out and said, “Is not this the great Babylon that I have built as the house of the kingdom in the might of my power and for the honor of my glory?” ²⁸The word was still in the mouth of the king when a voice fell from the heavens: “To you they say, King Nebuchadnezzar, the kingship has turned away from you. ²⁹And from man they shall banish you, and with the beasts of the field your dwelling, grass like the ox they shall feed you, and seven seasons shall pass over you until you know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of man and to whom He chooses He gives it.” ³⁰At that very moment the word was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar, and from man he was banished and he ate grass like the ox, and from the dew of the heavens his body was moistened until his hair grew like eagles and his nails like birds. ³¹And at the end of many days: “I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes to the heavens and my mind returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and extolled the Eternal One, whose dominion is an eternal dominion and His kingdom for all generations. ³²And all earth’s dwellers are counted as naught, and as He chooses He does with the array of the heavens and earth’s dwellers, and there is none who can protest against Him and say to Him, ‘What have You done?’ ³³At that very moment my mind returned to me, and the glory of my kingdom, my grandeur and my splendor, returned to me, and me did my councillors and my nobles seek out, and I was set up over my kingdom, and exceeding greatness was added to me. ³⁴Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of the Heavens, all of Whose acts are truth and Whose paths are justice, and Who can bring low those who go about in pride.”