New American Standard Bible 1995

Daniel 4:9-18

9‘O Belteshazzar, 1chief of the magicians, since I know that 2a spirit of the holy gods is in you and 3no mystery baffles you, 4tell me the visions of my dream which I have seen, along with its interpretation.

10‘Now these were the 5visions 6in my mind as I lay on my bed: I was looking, and behold, there was a 7tree in the midst of the 8earth and its height was great.11The tree grew large and became strong And its height 9reached to the sky, And it was visible to the end of the whole earth.12Its foliage was 10beautiful and its fruit abundant, And in it was food for all. The 11beasts of the field found 12shade under it, And the 13birds of the sky dwelt in its branches, And all 14living creatures fed themselves from it.

13‘I was looking in the 15visions 16in my mind as I lay on my bed, and behold, 17an angelic watcher, a 18holy one, descended from heaven.14He shouted out and spoke as follows: “19Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, Strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit; Let the 20beasts flee from under it And the birds from its branches.15Yet 21leave the stump 22with its roots in the ground, But with a band of iron and bronze around it In the new grass of the field; And let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, And let 23him share with the beasts in the grass of the earth.16Let his 24mind be changed from that of a man And let a beast’s 25mind be given to him, And let 26seven 27periods of time pass over him.17This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers And the decision is a command of the holy ones, In order that the living may 28know That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, And 29bestows it on whom He wishes And sets over it the 30lowliest of men.” 18This is the dream which I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me its interpretation, inasmuch as none of the 31wise men of my kingdom is able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for a 32spirit of the holy gods is in you.’

Read all of Daniel 4

Notes

1. Daniel 4:9 Dan 1:20; 2:48; 5:11 ↩
2. Daniel 4:9 Gen 41:38; Dan 4:8 ↩
3. Daniel 4:9 Ezek 28:3; Dan 2:47 ↩
4. Daniel 4:9 Gen 41:15; Dan 2:4, 5 ↩
5. Daniel 4:10 Dan 4:5 ↩
6. Daniel 4:10 Lit of my head ↩
7. Daniel 4:10 Ezek 31:3, 6 ↩
8. Daniel 4:10 Or land, and so throughout the ch ↩
9. Daniel 4:11 Deut 9:1; Dan 4:21, 22 ↩
10. Daniel 4:12 Ezek 31:7 ↩
11. Daniel 4:12 Jer 27:6; Ezek 31:6 ↩
12. Daniel 4:12 Lam 4:20 ↩
13. Daniel 4:12 Ezek 17:23; Matt 13:32; Luke 13:19 ↩
14. Daniel 4:12 Lit flesh ↩
15. Daniel 4:13 Dan 7:1 ↩
16. Daniel 4:13 Lit of my head ↩
17. Daniel 4:13 Dan 4:17, 23 ↩
18. Daniel 4:13 Deut 33:2; Ps 89:7; Dan 8:13 ↩
19. Daniel 4:14 Ezek 31:10-14; Dan 4:23; Matt 3:10; 7:19; Luke 13:7-9 ↩
20. Daniel 4:14 Ezek 31:12, 13; Dan 4:12 ↩
21. Daniel 4:15 Job 14:7-9 ↩
22. Daniel 4:15 Lit of ↩
23. Daniel 4:15 Lit his portion be with ↩
24. Daniel 4:16 Lit heart ↩
25. Daniel 4:16 Lit heart ↩
26. Daniel 4:16 Dan 4:23, 25, 32 ↩
27. Daniel 4:16 I.e. years ↩
28. Daniel 4:17 Ps 9:16; 83:18; Dan 2:21; 5:21 ↩
29. Daniel 4:17 Jer 27:5-7; Dan 4:25; 5:18, 19 ↩
30. Daniel 4:17 1 Sam 2:8; Dan 11:21 ↩
31. Daniel 4:18 Gen 41:8, 15; Dan 4:7; 5:8, 15 ↩
32. Daniel 4:18 Dan 4:8, 9 ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Daniel 4