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Daniel 1:1-4:34
DANIEL. DANIEL & HIS FRIENDS. (1.1-6.28) At Nebuchadnezzar's court. (Dn.1.1-21)
11 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched on Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 The Lord let Jehoiakim king of Judah fall into his power, as well as some of the vessels belonging to the Temple of God. These he took away to Shinar, putting the vessels into the treasury of his own gods. 3 From the Israelites, the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring a certain number of boys of royal or noble descent; 4 they had to be without any physical defect, of good appearance, versed in every branch of wisdom, well-informed, discerning, suitable for service at the royal court. Ashpenaz was to teach them to speak and write the language of the Chaldaeans. 5 The king assigned them a daily allowance of food and wine from the royal table. They were to receive an education lasting for three years, after which they would enter the royal service. 6 Among them were the Judaeans Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 The chief eunuch gave them other names, calling Daniel Belteshazzar, Hananiah Shadrach, Mishael Meshach, and Azariah Abed-Nego. 8 Daniel, who was determined not to incur pollution by food and wine from the royal table, begged the chief eunuch to spare him this defilement. 9 God allowed Daniel to receive faithful love and sympathy from the chief eunuch. 10 But the eunuch warned Daniel, 'I am afraid of my lord the king: he has assigned you food and drink, and if he sees you looking thinner in the face than the other boys of your age, my head will be in danger with the king because of you.' 11 To the guard assigned to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah by the chief eunuch, Daniel then said, 12 'Please allow your servants a ten days' trial, during which we are given only vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 You can then compare our looks with those of the boys who eat the king's food; go by what you see, and treat your servants accordingly.' 14 The man agreed to do what they asked and put them on ten days' trial. 15 When the ten days were over, they looked better and fatter than any of the boys who had eaten their allowance from the royal table; 16 so the guard withdrew their allowance of food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. 17 To these four boys God gave knowledge and skill in every aspect of literature and learning; Daniel also had the gift of interpreting every kind of vision and dream. 18 When the time stipulated by the king for the boys to be presented to him came round, the chief eunuch presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king conversed with them, and among all the boys found none to equal Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. So they became members of the king's court, 20 and on whatever point of wisdom or understanding he might question them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and soothsayers in his entire kingdom. Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.
Nebuchadnezzar's dream. (Dn.2.1-13)
21 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had a series of dreams; he was perturbed by this and sleep deserted him. 2 The king then had magicians and soothsayers, sorcerers and Chaldaeans summoned to tell him what his dreams meant. They arrived and stood in the king's presence. 3 The king said to them, 'I have had a dream, and my mind is troubled by a wish to understand it.' 4 The Chaldaeans answered the king:
(Aramaic) 'May your majesty live for ever! Tell your servants the dream, and we shall reveal its meaning for you.' 5 The king answered the Chaldaeans, 'This is my firm resolve: if you cannot tell me what I dreamt and what it means, I shall have you torn limb from limb and your houses turned into dunghills. 6 If, on the other hand, you can tell me what I dreamt and what it means, I shall give you presents, rewards and high honour. So tell me what I dreamt and what it means.' 7 A second time they said, 'Let the king tell his dream to his servants, and we shall reveal its meaning.' 8 But the king retorted, 'It is plain to me that you are trying to gain time, knowing my proclaimed resolve. 9 If you do not interpret my dream for me, there will be but one sentence passed on you all; you have agreed among yourselves to make me misleading and tortuous speeches while the time goes by. So tell me what my dream was, and then I shall know whether you can interpret it.' 10 The Chaldaeans answered the king, 'Nobody in the world could explain the king's problem; what is more, no other king, governor or chief would think of putting such a question to any magician, soothsayer or Chaldaean. 11 The question the king asks is difficult, and no one can find the king an answer to it, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.' 12 At this the king flew into a rage and ordered all the Babylonian sages to be put to death. 13 On publication of the decree to have the sages killed, search was made for Daniel and his companions to have them put to death. 14 Then, with shrewd and cautious words, Daniel approached Arioch, the king's chief executioner, when he was on his way to kill the Babylonian sages. 15 To this royal official Arioch he said, 'Why has the king issued such a harsh decree?' Arioch explained matters to Daniel, 16 and Daniel went off to ask the king for a stay of execution to give him the opportunity of revealing his interpretation to the king.
What the dream means. (Dn.2.17-23)
17 Daniel then went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah what had happened, 18 urging them to beg the God of heaven to show his mercy and explain the mysterious secret, so that Daniel and his friends might be spared the fate of the other Babylonian sages. 19 The mystery was then revealed to Daniel in a night-vision, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 This is what Daniel said:
May the name of God
be blessed for ever and ever,
since wisdom and power are his alone. 21 It is he who controls the procession of times and seasons,
who makes and unmakes kings,
who confers wisdom on the wise,
and knowledge on those with discernment, 22 who uncovers depths and mysteries,
who knows what lies in darkness;
and light dwells with him. 23 To you, God of my fathers,
I give thanks and praise for having given me wisdom and strength:
to me you have explained what we asked you,
to us you have explained the king's problem.
Daniel tells the king the dream & explains it. (Dn.2.24-45)
24 So Daniel went to see Arioch, whom the king had made responsible for putting the Babylonian sages to death. Going in, he said, 'Do not put the Babylonian sages to death. Take me into the king's presence and I will reveal the meaning to the king.' 25 Arioch lost no time in bringing Daniel to the king. 'Among the exiles from Judah,' he said, 'I have discovered a man who can reveal the meaning to the king.' 26 The king said to Daniel (who had been given the name Belteshazzar), 'Can you tell me what I dreamt and what it means?' 27 Facing the king, Daniel replied, 'None of the sages, soothsayers, magicians or exorcists has been able to tell the king the truth of the mystery which the king has propounded; 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries and who has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what is to take place in the final days. These, then, are the dream and the visions that passed through your head as you lay in bed: 29 'Your Majesty, on your bed your thoughts turned to what would happen in the future, and the Revealer of Mysteries disclosed to you what is to take place. 30 This mystery has been revealed to me, not that I am wiser than anyone else, but for this sole purpose: that the king should learn what it means, and that you should understand your inmost thoughts. 31 'You have had a vision, Your Majesty; this is what you saw: a statue, a great statue of extreme brightness, stood before you, terrible to see. 32 The head of this statue was of fine gold, its chest and arms were of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet part iron, part clay. 34 While you were gazing, a stone broke away, untouched by any hand, and struck the statue, struck its feet of iron and clay and shattered them. 35 Then, iron and clay, bronze, silver and gold, all broke into pieces as fine as chaff on the threshing-floor in summer. The wind blew them away, leaving not a trace behind. And the stone that had struck the statue grew into a great mountain, filling the whole world. 36 This was the dream; we shall now explain to the king what it means. 37 'You, Your Majesty, king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength and honour— 38 human beings, wild animals, birds of the air, wherever they live, he has entrusted to your rule, making you king of them all—you are the golden head. 39 And, after you, another kingdom will rise, not as great as yours, and then a third, of bronze, which will rule the whole world. 40 There will be a fourth kingdom, hard as iron, as iron that pulverises and crushes all. Like iron that breaks everything to pieces, it will crush and break all the earlier kingdoms. 41 The feet you saw, part earthenware, part iron, are a kingdom which will be split in two, but which will retain something of the strength of iron, just as you saw the iron and the clay of the earthenware mixed together. 42 The feet were part iron, part potter's clay: the kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 And just as you saw the iron and the clay of the earthenware mixed together, so the two will be mixed together in human seed; but they will not hold together any more than iron will blend with clay. 44 In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not pass into the hands of another race: it will shatter and absorb all the previous kingdoms and itself last for ever- 45 just as you saw a stone, untouched by hand, break away from the mountain and reduce iron, bronze, earthenware, silver and gold to powder. The Great God has shown the king what is to take place. The dream is true, the interpretation exact.'
The king rewards Daniel. (Dn.2.46-49)
46 At this, King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel; he gave orders for Daniel to be offered an oblation and a fragrant sacrifice. 47 The king said to Daniel, 'Your god is indeed the God of gods, the Master of kings, and the Revealer of Mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery.' 48 The king then conferred high rank on Daniel and gave him many handsome presents. He also made him governor of the whole province of Babylon and head of all the sages of Babylon. 49 At Daniel's request, the king entrusted the affairs of the province of Babylon to Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego; Daniel himself remained in attendance on the king.
Nebuchadnezzar commands worship of a gold statue. (Dn.3.1-7)
31 King Nebuchadnezzar had a golden statue made, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, which he set up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 King Nebuchadnezzar then summoned the satraps, magistrates, governors, counsellors, treasurers, Judges, lawyers, and all the provincial authorities to assemble and attend the dedication of the statue set up by King Nebuchadnezzar. 3 Satraps, magistrates, governors, counsellors, treasurers, judges, lawyers and all the provincial authorities then assembled for the dedication of the statue set up by King Nebuchadnezzar and stood in front of the statue which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 A herald then loudly proclaimed: 'Peoples, nations, languages! Thus are you commanded: 5 the moment you hear the sound of horn, pipe, lyre, zither, harp, bagpipe and every other kind of instrument, you will prostrate yourselves and worship the golden statue set up by King Nebuchadnezzar. 6 Anyone who does not prostrate himself and worship will immediately be thrown into the burning fiery furnace.' 7 And so, the instant all the peoples heard the sound of horn, pipe, lyre, zither, harp, bagpipe and all the other instruments, all the peoples, nations and languages prostrated themselves and worshipped the statue set up by King Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel's 3 friends accused. (Dn.3.8-18)
8 Some Chaldaeans then came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, 'May Your Majesty live for ever! 10 You have issued a decree, Your Majesty, to the effect that everyone on hearing the sound of horn, pipe, lyre, zither, harp, bagpipe and every other kind of instrument is to prostrate himself and worship the golden statue; 11 and that anyone who does not prostrate himself and worship is to be thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 12 Now, there are certain Jews to whom you have entrusted the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego; these men have ignored your command, Your Majesty; they do not serve your gods, and refuse to worship the golden statue you have set up.' 13 Shaking with fury, Nebuchadnezzar sent for Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. The men were immediately brought before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar addressed them, 'Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, is it true that you do not serve my gods, and that you refuse to worship the golden statue I have set up? 15 When you hear the sound of horn, pipe, lyre, zither, harp, bagpipe and every other kind of instrument, are you prepared to prostrate yourselves and worship the statue I have made? If you refuse to worship it, you will be thrown forthwith into the burning fiery furnace; then which of the gods could save you from my power?' 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, 'Your question needs no answer from us: 17 if our God, the one we serve, is able to save us from the burning fiery furnace and from your power, Your Majesty, he will save us; 18 and even if he does not, then you must know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your god or worship the statue you have set up.'
Daniel's 3 friends sentenced. (Dn.3.19-25)
19 This infuriated King Nebuchadnezzar; his expression was changed now as he looked at Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. He gave orders for the furnace to be made seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded certain stalwarts from his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego and throw them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 They were then bound in their cloaks, trousers, headgear and other garments, and thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 The king's command was so urgent and the heat of the furnace was so fierce, that the men carrying Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were burnt to death by the flames from the fire; 23 the three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego fell, bound, into the burning fiery furnace.
The Prayer of Azariah. ((OTGreek) Dn.3.24-51.)
24 And they walked in the heart of the flames, praising God and blessing the Lord. 25 Azariah stood in the heart of the fire, praying aloud thus:
26 May you be blessed and revered, Lord, God of our ancestors,
may your name be held glorious for ever. 27 For you are upright in all that you have done for us,
all your deeds are true,
all your ways right,
all your Judgements true. 28 True is the sentence you have given in all that you have brought down on us and on Jerusalem,
the holy city of our ancestors,
for you have treated us rightly and truly,
as our sins deserve. 29 Yes, we have sinned and committed a crime by deserting you,
yes, we have greatly sinned;
we have not listened to your commandments, 30 we have not observed them,
we have not done what you commanded us to do for our own good. 31 Yes, all that you have brought down on us,
all that you have done to us,
you have been fully justified in doing. 32 You have handed us over to our enemies,
to a lawless people,
the worst of the godless,
to an unjust king,
the worst in the whole world; 33 today we have no right to open our mouths,
shame and dishonour are the lot of those who serve and worship you. 34 Do not abandon us for ever,
for the sake of your name;
do not repudiate your covenant, 35 do not withdraw your favour from us,
for the sake of Abraham, your friend,
of Isaac, your servant,
and of Israel, your holy one, 36 to whom you promised to make their descendants as many as the stars of heaven
and as the grains of sand on the seashore. 37 Lord, we have become the least of all nations,
we are put to shame today throughout the world,
because of our sins. 38 We now have no leader, no prophet, no prince,
no burnt offering, no sacrifice, no oblation, no incense,
no place where we can make offerings to you 39 and win your favour.
But may the contrite soul, the humbled spirit, be as acceptable to you 40 as burnt offerings of rams and bullocks,
as thousands of fat lambs:
such let our sacrifice be to you today,
and may it please you that we follow you whole-heartedly,
since those who trust in you will not be shamed. 41 And now we put our whole heart into following you,
into fearing you and seeking your face once more. 42 Do not abandon us to shame
but treat us in accordance with your gentleness,
in accordance with the greatness of your mercy. 43 Rescue us in accordance with your wonderful deeds
and win fresh glory for your name, O Lord. 44 Confusion seize all who ill-treat your servants:
may they be covered with shame,
deprived of all their power,
and may their strength be broken. 45 Let them learn that you alone are God and Lord,
glorious over the whole world.
46 All this time, the king's servants, who had thrown them into the furnace, had been stoking it with crude oil, pitch, tow and brushwood 47 until the flames rose forty-nine cubits above the furnace 48 and, leaping out, burnt those Chaldaeans to death who were standing round it. 49 But the angel of the Lord came down into the furnace beside Azariah and his companions; he drove the flames of the fire outwards from the furnace 50 and, in the heart of the furnace, wafted a coolness to them as of the breeze and dew, so that the fire did not touch them at all and caused them no pain or distress.
The Song of the 3 friends. ((OT Greek) 3.52-90.)
51 Then all three in unison began to sing, glorifying and blessing God in the furnace, with the words:
52 May you be blessed, Lord, God of our ancestors,
be praised and extolled for ever.
Blessed be your glorious and holy name,
praised and extolled for ever. 53 May you be blessed in the Temple of your sacred glory,
exalted and glorified above all for ever: 54 blessed on the throne of your kingdom,
exalted above all, glorified for ever: 55 blessed are you who fathom the abyss,
enthroned on the winged creatures,
praised and exalted above all for ever: 56 blessed in the expanse of the heavens,
exalted and glorified for ever. 57 Bless the Lord, all the Lord's creation:
praise and glorify him for ever! 58 Bless the Lord, angels of the Lord,
praise and glorify him for ever! 59 Bless the Lord, heavens,
praise and glorify him for ever! 60 Bless the Lord, all the waters above the heavens,
praise and glorify him for ever! 61 Bless the Lord, powers of the Lord,
praise and glorify him for ever! 62 Bless the Lord, sun and moon,
praise and glorify him for ever! 63 Bless the Lord, stars of heaven,
praise and glorify him for ever! 64 Bless the Lord, all rain and dew,
praise and glorify him for ever! 65 Bless the Lord, every wind,
praise and glorify him for ever! 66 Bless the Lord, fire and heat,
praise and glorify him for ever! 67 Bless the Lord, cold and warmth,
praise and glorify him for ever! 68 Bless the Lord, dew and snow-storm,
praise and glorify him for ever! 69 Bless the Lord, frost and cold,
praise and glorify him for ever! 70 Bless the Lord, ice and snow,
praise and glorify him for ever! 71 Bless the Lord, nights and days,
praise and glorify him for ever! 72 Bless the Lord, light and darkness,
praise and glorify him for ever! 73 Bless the Lord, lightning and cloud,
praise and glorify him for ever! 74 Let the earth bless the Lord:
praise and glorify him for ever! 75 Bless the Lord, mountains and hills,
praise and glorify him for ever! 76 Bless the Lord, every plant that grows,
praise and glorify him for ever! 77 Bless the Lord, springs of water,
praise and glorify him for ever! 78 Bless the Lord, seas and rivers,
praise and glorify him for ever! 79 Bless the Lord, whales, and everything that moves in the waters,
praise and glorify him for ever! 80 Bless the Lord, every kind of bird,
praise and glorify him for ever! 81 Bless the Lord, all animals wild and tame,
praise and glorify him for ever! 82 Bless the Lord, all the human race:
praise and glorify him for ever! 83 Bless the Lord, O Israel,
praise and glorify him for ever! 84 Bless the Lord, priests,
praise and glorify him for ever! 85 Bless the Lord, his servants,
praise and glorify him for ever! 86 Bless the Lord, spirits and souls of the upright,
praise and glorify him for ever! 87 Bless the Lord, faithful, humble-hearted people,
praise and glorify him for ever! 88 Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael, bless the Lord,
praise and glorify him for ever!—
For he has rescued us from the Underworld,
he has saved us from the hand of Death,
he has snatched us from the burning fiery furnace,
he has drawn us from the heart of the flame! 89 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his love is everlasting. 90 Bless the Lord, the God of gods, all who fear him,
give praise and thanks to him,
for his love is everlasting!
91 King Nebuchadnezzar sprang to his feet in amazement. He said to his advisers, 'Did we not have these three men thrown bound into the fire?' They answered the king, 'Certainly, Your Majesty'. 92 'But', he went on, 'I can see four men walking free in the heart of the fire and quite unharmed! And the fourth looks like a child of the gods!' 93 Nebuchadnezzar approached the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and said, 'Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, servants of God Most High, come out, come here!' And from the heart of the fire out came Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. 94 The satraps, magistrates, governors, and advisers of the king crowded round the three men to examine them: the fire had had no effect on their bodies: not a hair of their heads had been singed, their cloaks were not scorched, no smell of burning hung about them. Nebuchadnezzar said, 95 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego: he has sent his angel to rescue his servants who, putting their trust in him, defied the order of the king, and preferred to forfeit their bodies rather than serve or worship any god but their God. 96 I therefore decree as follows, 'Peoples, nations, and languages! Let any of you speak disrespectfully of the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, and I shall have him torn limb from limb and his house turned into a dunghill; for there is no other god who can save like this.' ' 97 The king then showered favours on Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon. 98 'King Nebuchadnezzar, to all peoples, nations and languages dwelling throughout the world: may you prosper more and more! 99 'It is my pleasure to make known the signs and wonders with which the Most High God has favoured me.
100 How great his signs,
how mighty his wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
his empire endures age after age!'
Nebuchadnezzar's second dream. (Dn.4.1-18)
41 'I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living comfortably in my house, prosperously in my palace. 2 I had a dream; it appalled me. Dread assailed me as I lay in bed; the visions that passed through my head tormented me. 3 So I decreed that all the sages of Babylon be summoned to explain to me what the dream meant. 4 Magicians, soothsayers, Chaldaeans and exorcists came, and I told them what I had dreamt, but they could not interpret it for me. 5 Daniel, renamed Belteshazzar after my own god, and in whom the spirit of the holy gods resides, then came into my presence. I told him my dream: 6 ' 'Belteshazzar, chief of magicians,' I said, 'I know that the spirit of the holy gods resides in you and that no mystery puts you at a loss. This is the dream I have had; tell me what it means. 7 ' 'The visions that passed through my head as I lay in bed were these:
I saw a tree in the middle of the world;
it was very tall. 8 The tree grew taller and stronger,
until its top reached the sky
and it could be seen from the very ends of the earth. 9 Its foliage was beautiful, its fruit abundant,
in it was food for all.
For the wild animals it provided shade,
the birds of heaven nested in its branches,
all living creatures found their food on it.
10 ' 'I watched the visions passing through my head as I lay in bed:
Next, a Watchful One, a holy one, came down from heaven. 11 At the top of his voice he shouted:
Cut the tree down, lop off its branches,
strip off its leaves, throw away its fruit;
let the animals flee from its shelter
and the birds from its branches. 12 But leave the stump with its roots in the ground,
bound with hoops of iron and bronze,
in the grass of the countryside.
Let it be drenched by the dew of heaven
and have its lot with the animals, eating grass! 13 Let it cease to have a human heart,
and be given the heart of a beast,
and seven times shall pass over him! 14 Such is the sentence proclaimed by the Watchers,
the verdict announced by the holy ones—
so that every living thing may learn
that the Most High rules over human sovereignty;
he confers it on whom he pleases,
and raises the lowest of humankind.
15 ' 'This was the dream I had—I, Nebuchadnezzar the king. Now it is for you, Belteshazzar, to pronounce on its meaning, since not one of the sages in my kingdom has been able to interpret it for me; you, however, can do so, since the spirit of the holy gods resides in you.' ' 16 Daniel, known as Belteshazzar, was confused for a time and upset.
The king said, 'Belteshazzar, do not be upset at the dream and its meaning.' Belteshazzar answered, 'My lord, may the dream apply to those who hate you, and its meaning to your foes! 17 The tree you saw, so large and strong and tall that it reached the sky and could be seen throughout the world, 18 the tree with beautiful foliage and abundant fruit, with food for all in it, providing shade for the wild animals, with the birds of heaven nesting in its branches:
Daniel explains the dream. (Dn.4.19-33)
19 that tree is yourself, Your Majesty, for you have grown great and strong; your stature is now so great that it reaches the sky, and your empire extends to the ends of the earth. 20 'And the Watchful One seen by the king, the holy one coming down from heaven and saying, 'Cut the tree down and destroy it, but leave stump and roots in the ground, bound with hoops of iron and bronze in the grass of the countryside; let it be drenched by the dew and have its lot with the wild animals until seven times have passed over it': 21 the meaning of this, Your Majesty, the verdict of the Most High passed on my lord the king, is this:
22 You will be driven from human society
and will make your home with the wild animals,
you will feed on grass, as oxen do,
you will be drenched by the dew of heaven;
seven times will pass over you
until you have learnt
that the Most High rules over human sovereignty
and confers it on whom he pleases.
23 'And the order, 'Leave the stump and roots of the tree', means that your kingdom will be kept for you until you come to understand that Heaven rules all. 24 May it please the king to accept my advice: by upright actions break with your sins, break with your crimes by showing mercy to the poor, and so live long and peacefully.' 25 This all happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 26 At the end of twelve months, while strolling on the roof of the royal palace in Babylon, 27 the king was saying, 'Great Babylon! Was it not built by me as a royal residence, by the force of my might and for the majesty of my glory?' 28 The words were not out of his mouth when a voice came down from heaven:
'Of you, King Nebuchadnezzar, it is decreed:
the empire has been taken from you, 29 you will be driven from human society
and will make your home with the wild animals;
you will feed on grass, as oxen do,
and seven times will pass over you
until you have learnt
that the Most High rules over human sovereignty
and gives it to whom he pleases.'
30 The words were immediately fulfilled: Nebuchadnezzar was driven from human society and ate grass as oxen do; he was drenched by the dew of heaven; his hair grew like an eagle's feathers, and his nails became like a bird's talons. 31 'When the time was over, I, Nebuchad-nezzar, raised my eyes to heaven: my reason returned. And I blessed the Most High, praising and glorifying him who lives for ever, for his empire is an everlasting empire, his kingship endures, age after age. 32 All who dwell on earth count for nothing; as he thinks fit, he disposes the army of heaven and those who dwell on earth. No one can arrest his hand or ask him, 'What have you done?' 33 'At that moment my reason returned and, for the honour of my royal state, my glory and splendour returned too. My counsellors and noblemen acclaimed me; I was restored to my throne, and to my past greatness even more was added.
Nebuchadnezzar praises God. (Dn.4.34-37)
34 And now I, Nebuchadnezzar,
praise, extol and glorify the King of heaven,
all of whose deeds are true,
all of whose ways are right,
and who can humble those who walk in pride.'
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