Daniel 4 - The Scriptures 1998

¹ Neḇ

² I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High Elah has worked for me.

³ How great are His signs, and how mighty His wonders! His reign is an everlasting reign, and His rulership is from generation to generation.

⁴ I, Neḇ

⁵ I saw a dream and it frightened me, and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head alarmed me.

⁶ So I issued a decree to bring in all the wise ones of Baḇ

⁷ So the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the diviners came in, and I related the dream to them, but its interpretation they did not make known to me.

⁸ And at last Dani’ĕ

⁹ “Bĕ

¹⁰ “Now the visions of my head on my bed were these: I looked, and saw a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height great.

¹¹ “The tree became great and strong, and its height reached to the heavens, and it was visible to the ends of all the earth.

¹² “Its leaves were lovely, and its fruit plenty, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.

¹³ “In the visions of my head on my bed, I looked and saw a Watcher, even a set-apart one, coming down from the heavens.

¹⁴ “He cried aloud and said this, ‘Hew down the tree and cut 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 ‘But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field. And let it be wet with the dew of the heavens, and let his portion be with the beasts on the grass of the earth.

¹⁶ ‘Let his heart be changed from man’s, let him be given the heart of a beast, and seven times pass over him.

¹⁷ ‘This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the command by the word of the set-apart ones, so that the living know that the Most High is ruler in the reign of men, and gives it to whomever He wishes, and sets over it the lowest of men.’

¹⁸ “This dream have I seen, I, Sovereign Neḇ

¹⁹ Then Dani’ĕ

²⁰ “The tree you saw, which became great and strong, whose height reached to the heavens and was visible to all the earth,

²¹ whose leaves were lovely and its fruit plenty, and in it was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and on whose branches the birds of the heavens sat –

²² it is you, O sovereign, for you have become great and strong. And your greatness has grown, and has reached to the heavens and your rulership to the end of the earth.

²³ “And as the sovereign saw a Watcher, even a set-apart one, coming down from the heavens, and he said, ‘Hew down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field. And let it be wet with the dew of the heavens, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him’ –

²⁴ this is the interpretation, O sovereign, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my master the sovereign:

²⁵ “That you are going to be driven away from men, and your dwelling be with the beasts of the field, and you be given grass to eat like oxen, and you be wetted with the dew of the heavens, and seven times pass over you, till you know that the Most High is ruler in the reign of men, and that He gives it to whomever He wishes.

²⁶ “And they that gave the command to leave the stump of its roots of the tree: your reign remains yours, from the time you come to know that the heavens are ruling.

²⁷ “Therefore, O sovereign, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and break off your sins by righteousness, and your crookednesses by showing favour to the poor – your prosperity might be extended.”

²⁸ All this came upon Sovereign Neḇ

²⁹ At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the palace of the reign of Baḇ

³⁰ The sovereign spoke and said, “Is not this great Baḇ

³¹ The word was still in the sovereign’s mouth, when a voice fell from the heavens, “Sovereign Neḇ

³² and you are driven away from men, and your dwelling is to be with the beasts of the field. You are given grass to eat like oxen, and seven seasons shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High is ruler in the reign of men, and He gives it to whomever He wishes.”

³³ In that hour the word was executed on Neḇ

³⁴ And at the end of the days I, Neḇ

³⁵ And all the inhabitants of the earth are of no account, and He does as He wishes with the host of the heavens and among the inhabitants of the earth. And there is none to strike against His hand or say to Him, “What have You done?”

³⁶ At the same time my understanding returned to me, and for the preciousness of my reign, my esteem and splendour were returning to me. And my counsellors and nobles sought me out, and I was re-established to my reign, and excellent greatness was added to me.

³⁷ Now I, Neḇ