Daniel 4-5

English Standard Version

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

4 ^[a] King Nebuchadnezzar to all ^(A)peoples, nations, and languages, ^(B)that dwell in all the earth: ^(C)Peace be multiplied to you! ² It has seemed good to me to show the ^(D)signs and wonders that the ^(E)Most High God has done for me.

Nebuchadnezzar's Second Dream

^4 [b] I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. ⁵ I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and ^(J)the visions of my head alarmed me. ⁶ So ^(K)I made a decree that ^(L)all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. ⁷ Then ^(M)the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but ^(N)they could not make known to me its interpretation. ⁸ At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named ^(O)Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is ^(P)the spirit of the holy gods^[c]—and I told him the dream, saying, ⁹ “O Belteshazzar, ^(Q)chief of the magicians, because I know that ^(R)the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no ^(S)mystery is too difficult for you, tell me ^(T)the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation. ^10 (U)The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and ^(V)behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. ^11 (W)The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. ^12 (X)Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. ^(Y)The beasts of the field found shade under it, and ^(Z)the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.

¹³ “I saw in ^(AA)the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, ^(AB)a watcher, ^(AC)a holy one, came down from heaven. ¹⁴ He ^(AD)proclaimed aloud and said thus: ^(AE)‘Chop down the tree and ^(AF)lop off its branches, ^(AG)strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. ^(AH)Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. ¹⁵ 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. ¹⁶ Let his mind be changed from a man's, and let a beast's mind be given to him; ^(AI)and let seven periods of time ^(AJ)pass over him. ¹⁷ The sentence is by the decree of ^(AK)the watchers, the decision by the word of ^(AL)the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High ^(AM)rules the kingdom of men ^(AN)and gives it to whom he will and ^(AO)sets over it the lowliest of men.’ ¹⁸ This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O ^(AP)Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because ^(AQ)all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for ^(AR)the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

Daniel Interprets the Second Dream

¹⁹ Then Daniel, whose name was ^(AS)Belteshazzar, was ^(AT)dismayed for a while, and ^(AU)his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, ^(AV)may the dream be for those who hate you ^(AW)and its interpretation for your enemies! ^20 (AX)The 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, ^21 (AY)whose 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— ^22 (AZ)it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. ^(BA)Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, ^(BB)and your dominion to the ends of the earth. ²³ And because the king saw ^(BC)a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ^(BD)‘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 ^(BE)seven periods of time pass over him,’ ²⁴ this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, ^25 (BF)that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made ^(BG)to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and ^(BH)seven periods of time shall pass over you, till ^(BI)you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. ²⁶ And as it was commanded ^(BJ)to 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. ²⁷ Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by ^(BK)practicing righteousness, ^(BL)and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, ^(BM)that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”

Nebuchadnezzar's Humiliation

²⁸ All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. ²⁹ At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, ³⁰ and the king answered and said, ^(BN)“Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by ^(BO)my mighty power as a royal residence and for ^(BP)the glory of my majesty?” ^31 (BQ)While 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, ^32 (BR)and 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, ^(BS)until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” ³³ Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. ^(BT)He 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

^34 (BU)At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and ^(BV)my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored ^(BW)him who lives forever,

³⁶ At the same time ^(CD)my reason returned to me, and for ^(CE)the glory of my kingdom, ^(CF)my majesty and splendor returned to me. ^(CG)My counselors and ^(CH)my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was ^(CI)added to me. ³⁷ Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, ^(CJ)praise and extol and honor the ^(CK)King of heaven, ^(CL)for all his works are right and his ways are just; and ^(CM)those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

The Handwriting on the Wall

5 ^(CN)King Belshazzar ^(CO)made a great feast for a thousand of his ^(CP)lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.

^2 (CQ)Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that ^(CR)the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father^[d] had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. ³ Then they brought in ^(CS)the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. ⁴ They drank wine and ^(CT)praised the ^(CU)gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

^5 (CV)Immediately ^(CW)the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw ^(CX)the hand as it wrote. ^6 (CY)Then the king's color changed, ^(CZ)and his thoughts alarmed him; ^(DA)his limbs gave way, and ^(DB)his knees knocked together. ^7 (DC)The king called loudly to bring in ^(DD)the enchanters, the ^(DE)Chaldeans, and ^(DF)the astrologers. The king declared^[e] to the wise men of Babylon, ^(DG)“Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and ^(DH)shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” ⁸ Then all the king's wise men came in, but ^(DI)they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. ⁹ Then King Belshazzar was greatly ^(DJ)alarmed, and his ^(DK)color changed, and his ^(DL)lords were perplexed.

¹⁰ The queen,^[f] because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, ^(DM)“O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you ^(DN)or your color change. ¹¹ There is a man in your kingdom ^(DO)in whom is the spirit of the holy gods.^[g] In the days of your father, ^(DP)light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—^(DQ)made him chief of the magicians, ^(DR)enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, ^12 (DS)because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and ^(DT)understanding ^(DU)to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and ^(DV)solve problems were found in this Daniel, ^(DW)whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.”

Daniel Interprets the Handwriting

¹³ Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of ^(DX)the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. ¹⁴ I have heard of you that ^(DY)the spirit of the gods^[h] is in you, and that ^(DZ)light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. ¹⁵ Now ^(EA)the wise men, the ^(EB)enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but ^(EC)they could not show the interpretation of the matter. ^16 (ED)But I have heard that you can give interpretations and ^(EE)solve problems. ^(EF)Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, ^(EG)you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and ^(EH)shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

¹⁷ Then Daniel answered and said before the king, ^(EI)“Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. ¹⁸ O king, the ^(EJ)Most High God ^(EK)gave ^(EL)Nebuchadnezzar your father ^(EM)kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. ¹⁹ And because of the greatness that he gave him, ^(EN)all peoples, nations, and languages ^(EO)trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. ²⁰ But ^(EP)when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, ^(EQ)he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. ^21 (ER)He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, ^(ES)until he knew that the ^(ET)Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. ²² And you his son,^{[i] (EU)}Belshazzar, ^(EV)have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, ²³ but you have lifted up yourself against ^(EW)the Lord of heaven. And ^(EX)the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. ^(EY)And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, ^(EZ)but the God in whose hand is your breath, and ^(FA)whose are all your ways, ^(FB)you have not honored.

²⁴ “Then from his presence ^(FC)the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. ²⁵ And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. ²⁶ This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered^[j] the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; ²⁷ Tekel, ^(FD)you have been weighed^[k] in the balances and found wanting; ²⁸ Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to ^(FE)the Medes and ^(FF)Persians.”^[l]

²⁹ Then ^(FG)Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel ^(FH)was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

^30 (FI)That very night ^(FJ)Belshazzar the ^(FK)Chaldean king was killed. ^31 [m] And ^(FL)Darius ^(FM)the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.