Daniel 4:1 King Nebuchadnezzar sent this letter to the many nations and language groups that lived around the world. He wrote: ‘I hope you are well
Daniel 4:2 I am very happy to tell you about the miracles and wonderful things that the Highest God did for me.
Daniel 4:3 His signs and miracles are great and wonderful. He will always be King and rule forever.
Daniel 4:4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living in my palace safely and everything was going well.
Daniel 4:5 But then I dreamed, and I saw something that made me become afraid.
Daniel 4:6 So I gave an order that all the wise men of Babylon be brought to me to tell me what my dream meant.
Daniel 4:7 When the men of magic and the Chaldeans came, I told them about the dream, but they would not tell me what it meant.
Daniel 4:8 Finally, Daniel came to me. (I gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar to honor my god. The spirit of the holy gods is in him.) I told him about my dream.
Daniel 4:9 I said: Belteshazzar, you are the leader of the wise men. I know that the holy gods are helping you and you know things that other people do not know. Tell me what my dream means. Tell me the meaning of the thing that I saw when I was dreaming.
Daniel 4:10 These are the visions I saw while I was lying in my bed: I looked, and there in front of me was a tree standing in the middle of the earth. The tree was very tall.
Daniel 4:11 The tree grew large and strong. The top of the tree touched the sky. It could be seen from anywhere on earth.
Daniel 4:12 The leaves of the tree were beautiful. It had much good fruit on it. And on the tree was plenty of food for everyone. The wild animals found shelter under the tree, and the birds lived in its branches. Every animal ate from the tree.
Daniel 4:13 I was looking at those things in the vision while lying on my bed. And then I saw a watcher, a holy angel coming down from heaven.
Daniel 4:14 He spoke very loud, and said, ‘Cut down the tree, and cut off its branches. Strip off its leaves. Scatter its fruit around. The animals that are under the tree will run away. The birds that are in its branches will fly away.
Daniel 4:15 But let the stump and roots stay in the ground. Put a band of iron and bronze around it. The stump and roots will stay in the field with the grass all around it. It will live among the wild animals and plants in the fields. It will become wet with dew.
Daniel 4:16 He will not think like a man any longer. He will have the mind of an animal. Seven seasons will pass while he is like this.
Daniel 4:17 That is what the holy angels said, and it will happen. Then everyone who lives will know that it is God, the Highest God, who decides who will be king. God can choose any person and make him king, even the most unimportant one.
Daniel 4:19 Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) became very quiet for one hour. What he was thinking bothered him. So, the king said, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream or its meaning make you afraid.” Then Belteshazzar answered the king, My lord, I wish the dream were about your enemies, and I wish the meaning of the dream were about those against you