Daniel Chapter 4
Notes
Transcript
DANIEL CHAPTER
FOUR
Dan 4:1 King Nebuchadnezzar, To the nations
and peoples of every language, who live in all the
earth: May you prosper greatly!
2 It is my pleasure to tell you about the
miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High
God has performed for me.
3 How great are his signs, how mighty his
wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his
dominion endures from generation to
generation.
4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my
palace, contented and prosperous.
5 I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was
lying in bed, the images and visions that passed
through my mind terrified me.
6 So I commanded that all the wise men of
Babylon be brought before me to interpret the
dream for me.
7 When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers
and diviners came, I told them the dream, but
they could not interpret it for me.
8 Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I
told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar,
after the name of my god, and the spirit of the
holy gods is in him.)
9 I said, "Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I
know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and
no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my
dream; interpret it for me.
10 These are the visions I saw while lying in
bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in
the middle of the land. Its height was enormous.
11 The tree grew large and strong and its top
touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the
earth.
12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant,
and on it was food for all. Under it the wild
animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its
branches; from it every creature was fed.
13 "In the visions I saw while lying in bed, I
looked, and there before me was a holy one, a
messenger, coming down from heaven.
14 He called in a loud voice: 'Cut down the
tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves
and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from
under it and the birds from its branches.
15 But let the stump and its roots, bound with
iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the
grass of the field. "'Let him be drenched with the
dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals
among the plants of the earth.
16 Let his mind be changed from that of a
man and let him be given the mind of an animal,
till seven times pass by for him.
17 "'The decision is announced by
messengers, the holy ones declare the
verdict, so that the living may know that
the Most High is sovereign over all
kingdoms on earth and gives them to
anyone he wishes and sets over them the
lowliest of people.'
18 "This is the dream that I, King
Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar,
tell me what it means, for none of the
wise men in my kingdom can interpret it
for me. But you can, because the spirit of
the holy gods is in you."
19 Then Daniel (also called
Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a
time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the
king said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the
dream or its meaning alarm you."
Belteshazzar answered, "My lord, if only
the dream applied to your enemies and its
meaning to your adversaries!
20 The tree you saw, which grew
large and strong, with its top touching
the sky, visible to the whole earth, with
beautiful leaves and abundant fruit,
providing food for all, giving shelter to
the wild animals, and having nesting
places in its branches for the birds—
22 Your Majesty, you are that
tree! You have become great and
strong; your greatness has grown
until it reaches the sky, and your
dominion extends to distant parts
of the earth.
23 "Your Majesty saw a holy one, a
messenger, coming down from heaven and
saying, 'Cut down the tree and destroy it, but
leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in
the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the
ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of
heaven; let him live with the wild animals, until
seven times pass by for him.'
24 "This is the interpretation, Your Majesty,
and this is the decree the Most High has issued
against my lord the king:
25 You will be driven away from
people and will live with the wild animals;
you will eat grass like the ox and be
drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven
times will pass by for you until you
acknowledge that the Most High is
sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and
gives them to anyone he wishes.
26 The command to leave the
stump of the tree with its roots means
that your kingdom will be restored to
you when you acknowledge that
Heaven rules.
27 Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to
accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing
what is right, and your wickedness by being kind
to the oppressed. It may be that then your
prosperity will continue."
28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.
29 Twelve months later, as the
king was walking on the roof of the
royal palace of Babylon, he said, "Is
not this the great Babylon I have built
as the royal residence, by my mighty
power and for the glory of my
majesty?"
31 Even as the words were on his
lips, a voice came from heaven, "This is
what is decreed for you, King
Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority
has been taken from you.
32 You will be driven away from
people and will live with the wild animals;
you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times
will pass by for you until you acknowledge
that the Most High is sovereign over all
kingdoms on earth and gives them to
anyone he wishes."
33 Immediately what
had been said about
Nebuchadnezzar was
fulfilled. He was driven
away from people and ate
grass like the ox. His body
was drenched with the dew
of heaven until his hair
grew like the feathers of an
eagle and his nails like the
claws of a bird.
34 At the end of that time, I,
Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward
heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then
I praised the Most High; I honored and
glorified him who lives forever. His
dominion is an eternal dominion; his
kingdom endures from generation to
generation.
35 All the peoples of the earth are
regarded as nothing. He does as he
pleases with the powers of heaven and
the peoples of the earth. No one can
hold back his hand or say to him: "What
have you done?"
36 At the same time that my sanity
was restored, my honor and splendor were
returned to me for the glory of my
kingdom. My nobles sought me out, and I
was restored to my throne and became
even greater than before.
37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise
and exalt and glorify 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 humble.
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