Daniel 4

1 Kong Nebukadnezar til alle Folk, Stammer og Tungemaal, som bo paa den ganske Jord: Eders Fred være mangfoldig!2 Det behager mig at forkynde de Tegn og de underfulde Gerninger, som den højeste Gud har gjort imod mig.3 Hans Tegn - hvor store! og hans underfulde Gerninger - hvor mægtige! hans Rige er et evigt Rige og og hans Herredømme fra Slægt til Slægt!4 Jeg Nebukadnezar var tryg i mit Hus og livsfrisk i mit Palads:5 Jeg saa en Drøm, og den forfærdede mig, og Tanker paa mit Leje og mit Hoveds Syner forvirrede mig?6 Derfor blev givet Befaling af mig; at man skulde føre alle vise i Babel ind for mig, for at de skulde kundgøre mig Drømmens Udtydning.7 Da kom Spaamændene, Besværgerne, Kaldæerne og Sandsigerne ind; og jeg sagde dem Drømmen, men de kunde ikke kundgøre mig Udtydningen derpaa.8 Men til sidst kom Daniel, som kaldes Beltsazar efter min Guds Navn; og i hvem de hellige Guders Aand er; ind for mig; og jeg sagde ham Drømmen.9 Beltsazar, du Øverste for Spaamændene! efterdi jeg ved, at de hellige Guders Aand er i dig, og at ingen Hemmelighed er dig vanskelig: Sig mig Synerne i min Drøm, som jeg saa, og Udtydningen derpaa:10 Og mit Hoveds Syner paa I mit Leje vare: Jeg saa og se, de var et Træ midt i Landet, og det var meget højt.11 Træet blev stort og stærkt, og dets Højde rakte til Himmelen, og man kunde se det indtil hele Jordens Ende.12 Løvet derpaa var dejligt, og der var megen Frugt derpaa, og der var Føde for alt, som var derpaa; under det fandt Dyrene paa Marken Skygge, og i Grenene derpaa boede Himmelens Fugle, og alt Kød nærede sig deraf.13 Jeg saa i mit Hoveds Syner paa mit Leje, og se, en Vægter; det er en hellig, fór ned fra Himmelen.14 Han raabte med Vælde og sagde saaledes: Hugger Træet om og afhugger dets Grene, afriver dets Løv og spreder dets Frugt; Dyrene fiygte fra dets Læ og Fuglene fra dets Grene!15 Dog lader Stubben med dens Rødder blive tilbage i Jorden, men i Baand af Jern og Kobber, i Markens Græs; og lad ham vædes med Himmelens Dug, og hans Del være med Dyrene af Urterne paa Jorden!16 Hans Hjerte skal forandres, saa at det ikke er et Menneskes, og et Dyrs Hjerte skal gives ham; og syv Tider skulle omskiftes over ham.17 Tingen er i Vægternes besluttede Raad, og Sagen er de helliges Befaling, paa det de, som leve, kunne kende, at den Højeste har Magt over Menneskens Rige og giver det til hvem, han vil, og ophøjer den ringe iblandt Menneskene over det.18 Denne Drøm saa jeg, Kong Nebukadnezar; men du, Beltsazar! sig Udtydningen, efterdi alle vise i mit Rige ikke kunne kundgøre Udtydningen, men du kan det, fordi de hellige Guders Aand er i dig.19 Da stod Daniel, hvis Navn er Beltsazar, en Stund forskrækket, og hans Tanker forfærdede ham; men Kongen svarede og sagde: Beltsazar! lad Drømmen og Udtydningen ikke forfærde dig; Beltsazar svarede og sagde: Min Herre! Drømmen gælde dine Hadere og dens Udtydning dine Fjender!20 Træet, som du saa, og som blev stort og stærkt, og hvis Højde rakte til Himmelen, og som saas over al Jorden,21 og hvorpaa der var dejligt Løv og megen Frugt og Føde for alt, som var derpaa, under hvilket Dyrene paa Marken boede, og i hvis Grene Himmelens Fugle byggede:22 Dette er dig selv, o Konge! thi du er bleven stor og stærk; og din Magt er bleven stor og rækker til Himmelen og dit Herredømme til Jordens Ende.23 Men. at Kongen saa en Vægter, det er en hellig, fare ned fra Himmelen og sige: Hugger Træet om og ødelægger det, dog lader Stubben med dens Rødder blive tilbage i Jorden, men i Baand af Jern og Kobber, i Markens Græs; og lad ham vædes af Himmelens Dug og hans Del være med Dyrene paa Marken, indtil syv Tider omskiftes over dem;24 da er dette Udtydningen, o Konge! og dette er den højestes besluttede Raad, som skal komme over min Herre, Kongen:25 Nemlig, man skal støde dig ud fra Folk, og din Bolig skal være hos Dyrene paa Marken, og man skal lade dig æde Urter som Øksne og vædes af Himmelens Dug, og syv Tider skulle omskiftes over dig, indtil du kender, at den Højeste har Magt over Menneskens Rige og giver det til, hvem han vil.26 Men at der sagdes: Man skulde lade Træets Stub med dens Rødder blive tilbage, det betyder, at dit Rige skal overdrages dig igen fra den Tid, du erkender, at Himlene ere mægtige.27 Derfor, o Konge! lad mit Raad behage dig, og afbryd dine Synder ved Retfærdighed og dine Misgerninger ved Barmhjertighed imod de elendige, dersom din Fred skal have Varighed.28 Alt dette kom over Kong Nebukadnezar.29 Der tolv Maaneder vare til Ende, gik han omkring paa det kongelige Palads i Babel.30 Kongen svarede og sagde: Er dette ikke det store Babel, som jeg har bygget til et kongeligt Hus ved min Styrkes Magt og til min Herligheds Ære?31 Da Ordet endnu var i Kongens Mund, faldt der en Røst af Himmelen: Det være dig sagt, Kong Nebukadnezar! Riget er gaaet bort fra dig.32 Og man skal støde dig ud fra Folk, og din Bolig skal være hos Dyrene paa Marken, man skal lade dig æde Urter som Øksne, og syv Tider skulle omskiftes over dig, indtil du kender, at den Højeste hal, Magt over Menneskens Rige. og giver det til, hvem han vil.33 I samme Stund gik Ordet i Opfyldelse over Nebukadnezar, og han blev udstødt fra Menneskene og aad Urter som Øksne, og hans Legeme blev vædet af Himmelens Dug, indtil hans Haar voksede som Ørnefjer og hans Negle som Fuglekløer.34 Men der disse Dage vare til Ende, opløftede jeg, Nebukadnezar, mine Øjne til Himmelen, og min Forstand kom til mig igen, og jeg lovede den Højeste og priste og ærede ham, som lever evindelig; thi hans Herredømme er et evigt Herredømme, og hans Rige varer fra Slægt til Slægt.35 Og alle, som bo paa Jorden, ere som intet at regne, efter sin Villie gør han med Himmelens Hær og med dem, som bo paa Jorden; og der er ingen, som kan hindre hans Haand og sige ham: Hvad gør du?36 Paa samme Tid kom min Forstand til mig igen, og til mit Kongedømmes Ære kom min Herlighed og Glans til mig igen, og mine Raadsherrer og mine Fyrster søgte mig; og jeg blev indsat i mit Rige, og større Herlighed blev mig tillagt.37 Nu priser og ophøjer og ærer jeg, Nebukadnezar, Himmelens Konge; thi alle hans Gerninger ere Sandhed, og hans Stier ere Retfærdighed, og han kan ydmyge dem, som vandre i Hovmodighed.

Daniel 4

1 s “King Nebuchadnezzar, to all peoples, nations, and language groups that live in all the land: Peace and prosperity!t

2 I am delighted to tell you about the signs and wonders that the most high God has done for me.

3 “How great are his signs!
How mighty are his wonders!
His kingdom will last forever,t
and his authority continues from one generation to the next.”

Nebuchadnezzar Dreams of a Tree Chopped Down

4 ss I, Nebuchadnezzar, was relaxing in my home,t living luxuriouslyt in my palace.5 I saw a dream thatt frightened me badly. The things I imagined while lying on my bed – these visions of my mind – were terrifying me.6 So I issued an ordert for all the wise men of Babylon to be broughtt before me so that they could make known to me the interpretation of the dream.7 When the magicians, astrologers, wise men, and diviners entered, I recounted the dream for them. But they were unable to make known its interpretation to me.8 Later Daniel entered (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god,s and in whom there is a spirit of the holy gods). I recounted the dream for him as well,9 saying, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, in whom I know there to be a spirit of the holy gods and whom no mystery baffles, considers my dream that I saw and set forth its interpretation!

10 Here are the visions of my minds while I was on my bed.
While I was watching,
there was a tree in the middle of the land.t
It was enormously tall.t

11 The tree grew large and strong.
Its top reached far into the sky;
it could be seent from the borders of all the land.t

12 Its foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful;
on it there was food enough for all.
Under it the wild animalst used to seek shade,
and in its branches the birds of the sky used to nest.
All creaturest used to feed themselves from it.

13 While I was watching in my mind’s visionst on my bed,
a holy sentinelt came down from heaven.

14 He called out loudlyt as follows:t
‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches!
Strip off its foliage
and scatter its fruit!
Let the animals flee from under it
and the birds from its branches!

15 But leave its taproott in the ground,
with a band of iron and bronze around its
surrounded by the grass of the field.
Let it become damp with the dew of the sky,
and let it live witht the animals in the grass of the land.

16 Let his mindt be altered from that of a human being,
and let an animal’s mind be given to him,
and let seven periods of times go by fort him.

17 This announcement is by the decree of the sentinels;
this decision is by the pronouncement of the holy ones,
so thats those who are alive may understand
that the Most High has authority over human kingdoms,t
and he bestows them on whomever he wishes.
He establishes over them even the lowliest of human beings.’

18 “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare itss interpretation, for none of the wise men int my kingdom are able to make known to me the interpretation. But you can do so, for a spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

19 Then Daniel (whose name is also Belteshazzar) was upset for a brief time;t his thoughts were alarming him. The king said, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream and its interpretation alarm you.” But Belteshazzar replied, “Sir,t if only the dream were for your enemies and its interpretation applied to your adversaries!20 The tree that you saw that grew large and strong, whose top reached to the sky, and which could be seent in all the land,21 whose foliage was attractive and its fruit plentiful, and from which there was food available for all, under whose branches wild animalst used to live, and in whose branches birds of the sky used to nest –22 it is you,s O king! For you have become great and strong. Your greatness is such that it reaches to heaven, and your authority to the ends of the earth.23 As for the king seeing a holy sentinel coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its taproot in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze around it, surrounded by the grass of the field. Let it become damp with the dew of the sky, and let it live with the wild animals, until seven periods of time go by for him’ –24 this is the interpretation, O king! It is the decision of the Most High that this has happened to my lord the king.25 You will be drivent from human society,t and you will livet with the wild animals. You will be fedt grass like oxen,s and you will become damp with the dew of the sky. Seven periods of time will pass by for you, beforet you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes.26 They said to leave the taproot of the tree, for your kingdom will be restored to you when you come to understand that heavens rules.

27 Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps your prosperity will be prolonged.”t
28 Now all of this happenedt to King Nebuchadnezzar.29 After twelve months, he happened to be walking around on the battlementst of the royal palace of Babylon.30 The king uttered these words: “Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residencet by my own mighty strengtht and for my majestic honor?”31 While these words were still on the king’s lips,t a voice came down from heaven: “It is hereby announced to you,t King Nebuchadnezzar, that your kingdom has been removed from you!

32 You will be driven from human society, and you will live with the wild animals. You will be fed grass like oxen, and seven periods of time will pass by for you beforet you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes.”

33 Now in that very momentt this pronouncement aboutt Nebuchadnezzar came true.t He was driven from human society, he ate grass like oxen, and his body became damp with the dew of the sky, until his hair became long like an eagle’s feathers, and his nails like a bird’s claws.t

34 But at the end of the appointed timet I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked upt toward heaven, and my sanity returned to me.
I extolled the Most High,
and I praised and glorified the one who lives forever.
For his authority is an everlasting authority,
and his kingdom extends from one generation to the next.

35 All the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nothing.s
He does as he wishes with the army of heaven
and with those who inhabit the earth.
No one slapst his hand
and says to him, ‘What have you done?’
36 At that time my sanity returned to me. I was restoreds to the honor of my kingdom, and my splendor returned to me. My ministers and my nobles were seeking me out, and I was reinstateds over my kingdom. I became even greater than before.

37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all his deeds are right and his ways are just. He is able to bring down those who livet in pride.