Daniel 4 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

King Nebuchadnezzar, to all peoples, nations, and language groups living across the earth: May your prosperity increase greatly!

I am pleased to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that God Most High has done for me.

How incredible are his miraculous signs! How mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is a kingdom that lasts forever, and his authority continues through every generation.

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace.

I had a dream, and it terrified me. The images and visions that went through my mind as I lay in bed filled me with dread.

So I gave an order to bring all the wise men of Babylon before me so they could interpret the dream for me.

The magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.

Finally, Daniel came before me — the one I named Belteshazzar after my own god — and the spirit of the set-apart gods is in him. I told him my dream:

"Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the set-apart gods is in you and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream — tell me what it means.

In the visions I saw while lying in bed, I looked and there was a tree standing at the center of the earth, and it was enormously tall.

The tree grew large and strong. Its top reached the sky, and it was visible to the ends of the entire earth.

Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit was abundant, and there was food on it for everyone. Wild animals found shade under it, birds made their nests in its branches, and every living thing was fed from it.

In the visions I saw while lying in bed, I looked and there was a watchman — a set-apart messenger — coming down from the sky.

He called out loudly: 'Chop down the tree and cut off its branches! Strip its leaves and scatter its fruit! Drive the animals out from under it and the birds from its branches.

But leave the stump with its roots in the ground, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of the sky, and let him share the ground with the wild animals among the plants of the earth.

Let his mind be changed from a human's to an animal's, and let seven periods of time pass over him.

This sentence is announced by the watchmen; this verdict is declared by the set-apart ones. The purpose is so that every living person will know that God Most High has authority over human kingdoms. He gives them to anyone he chooses — even the lowest of people."

This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because none of the wise men in my kingdom can explain it to me. But you can, because the spirit of the set-apart gods is in you."

Then Daniel — also called Belteshazzar — was deeply troubled for a moment, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king said, "Belteshazzar, don't let the dream or its meaning alarm you." Belteshazzar answered, "My lord, I wish the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to those who oppose you!

The tree you saw that grew large and strong, whose top reached the sky and was visible to the entire earth,

whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, with food on it for everyone, under which the wild animals lived and in whose branches the birds nested —

that tree is you, Your Majesty. You have grown great and strong. Your greatness has reached the sky, and your authority extends to the ends of the earth.

And Your Majesty saw a watchman, a set-apart messenger, coming down from the sky and saying, 'Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump with its roots in the ground, bound with iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of the sky, and let him share the ground with the wild animals until seven periods of time pass over him.'

This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree that God Most High has issued against my lord the king:

You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals. You will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of the sky. Seven periods of time will pass over you, until you acknowledge that God Most High has authority over human kingdoms and gives them to anyone he chooses.

The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you once you acknowledge that Heaven rules.

So, Your Majesty, please accept my advice: break away from your failures by doing what is right, and from your corrupt practices by showing mercy to the poor. Maybe then your prosperity will continue."

All of this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.

Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon,

he said, "Isn't this the great Babylon that I built as a royal residence by my own mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?"

The words were still on his lips when a voice came from the sky: "King Nebuchadnezzar, this is the declaration concerning you: Your royal authority has been taken from you.

You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals. You will eat grass like cattle. Seven periods of time will pass over you, until you acknowledge that God Most High has authority over human kingdoms and gives them to anyone he chooses."

Immediately this sentence was carried out against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of the sky until his hair grew like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws.

At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up toward the sky, and my sanity was restored to me. Then I praised God Most High and honored and glorified the one who lives forever: His authority is an eternal authority, and his kingdom endures through every generation.

All the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does what he wants with the armies of heaven and the inhabitants of earth. No one can slap his hand away or say to him, "What have you done?"

At that time my sanity was restored to me, and my glory and splendor returned to me for the honor of my kingdom. My advisors and nobles sought me out, and I was reestablished over my kingdom, with even greater greatness added to me.

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and honor the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride, he is able to bring low.