New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Daniel 4
1
I, King Nebuchadnezzar, am writing this letter. I am sending it to you people from every nation and language in the whole world. May you have great success!
Reference
Kingdom
Daniel 6:25
Ezra 4:17
Parallel theme
Daniel 3:4
Peace
Ephesians 1:2
1 Chronicles 12:18
1 Peter 1:2
2
I am pleased to tell you what has happened. The Most High God has done miraculous signs and wonders for me.
Reference
3
His miraculous signs are great. His wonders are mighty. His kingdom will last forever. His rule will never end.
Reference
Kingdom
Psalm 145:13
Daniel 2:44
Daniel 7:14
Revelation 11:15
Hebrews 1:8
1 Timothy 1:17
Daniel 7:27
Parallel theme
Isaiah 25:1
Hebrews 2:4
Psalm 105:27
4
I was at home in my palace. I was content and very successful.
5
But I had a dream that made me afraid. I was lying on my bed. Then dreams and visions passed through my mind. They terrified me.
Reference
Parallel theme
Daniel 2:1
6
So I commanded that all of the wise men in Babylon be brought to me. I wanted them to tell me what my dream meant.
Reference
Parallel theme
Daniel 2:2
7
Those who try to figure things out by using magic came. So did those who study the heavens. I told all of them what I had dreamed. But they couldn't tell me what it meant.
Reference
8
Finally, Daniel came to me. He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god. The spirit of the holy gods is in him. I told him my dream.
Reference
9
I said, "Belteshazzar, you are chief of the magicians. I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you. No mystery is too hard for you to figure out. Here is my dream. Tell me what it means.
Reference
Holy
Daniel 5:11
Daniel 4:8
Parallel theme
Daniel 2:48
Ezekiel 28:3
Daniel 4:5
Daniel 1:20
Spirit
Genesis 41:38
10
"Here are the visions I saw while I was lying on my bed. I looked up and saw a tree standing in the middle of the land. It was very tall.
Reference
11
It had grown to be large and strong. Its top touched the sky. It could be seen anywhere on earth.
Reference
12
Its leaves were beautiful. It had a lot of fruit on it. It provided enough food for people and animals. Under the tree, the wild animals found shade. The birds of the air lived in its branches. Every creature was fed from that tree.
Reference
13
"While I was still lying on my bed, I looked up. In my visions, I saw a holy messenger. He was coming down from heaven.
Reference
Holy
Deuteronomy 33:2
Daniel 8:13
Psalm 89:7
Zechariah 14:5
Daniel 4:23
Jude 1:14
Parallel theme
Daniel 7:1
Daniel 4:5
14
He called out in a loud voice. He said, 'Cut the tree down. Break off its branches. Strip its leaves off. Scatter its fruit. Let the animals that are under it run away. Let the birds that are in its branches fly off.
Reference
15
But leave the stump with its roots in the ground. Let it stay in the field. Put a band of iron and bronze around it. " 'Let King Nebuchadnezzar become wet with the dew of heaven. Let him live like the animals among the plants of the earth.
16
Let him no longer have the mind of a man. Instead, let him be given the mind of an animal. Let him stay that way until seven periods of time pass by.
Reference
17
" 'The decision is announced by holy messengers. So all who are alive will know that the Most High God is King. He rules over all of the kingdoms of men. He gives them to anyone he wants. Sometimes he puts the least important men in charge of them.'
Reference
Kingdom
Daniel 4:25
Daniel 2:21
Daniel 11:21
Parallel theme
1 Samuel 2:8
1 Corinthians 1:28
Exodus 9:16
18
"That's the dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now tell me what it means, Belteshazzar. None of the wise men in my kingdom can explain it to me. But you can. After all, the spirit of the holy gods is in you."
Reference
19
Daniel, who was also called Belteshazzar, was very bewildered for a while. His thoughts terrified him. So the king said, "Belteshazzar, don't let the dream or its meaning make you afraid." Belteshazzar answered, "My master, I wish the dream were about your enemies! I wish its meaning had to do with them!
Reference
Kingdom
Daniel 8:27
Daniel 4:24
Parallel theme
Daniel 7:28
Jeremiah 4:19
References Lord
1 Samuel 3:17
20
You saw a tree. It grew to be large and strong. Its top touched the sky. It could be seen from anywhere on earth.
21
Its leaves were beautiful. It had a lot of fruit on it. It provided enough food for people and animals. Under the tree, the wild animals found shade. The birds of the air lived in its branches.
22
"My king, you are that tree! You have become great and strong. Your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky. Your rule has spread to all parts of the earth.
Reference
Kingdom
2 Samuel 12:7
23
"My king, you saw a holy messenger. He came down from heaven. He said, 'Cut the tree down. Destroy it. But leave the stump with its roots in the ground. Let it stay in the field. Put a band of iron and bronze around it. Let King Nebuchadnezzar become wet with the dew of heaven. Let him live like the wild animals. Let him stay that way until seven periods of time pass by.'
Reference
Kingdom
Daniel 5:21
24
"My king and master, here is what your dream means. The Most High God has given an order against you.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 107:40
25
You will be driven away from people. You will live like the wild animals. You will eat grass just as cattle do. You will become wet with the dew of heaven. Seven periods of time will pass by for you. Then you will recognize that the Most High God rules over all of the kingdoms of men. He gives them to anyone he wants.
Reference
26
"But he gave a command to leave the stump of the tree along with its roots. That means your kingdom will be given back to you. It will happen when you recognize that the God of heaven rules.
Reference
Parallel theme
Daniel 4:15
27
"So, my king, I hope you will accept my advice. Stop being sinful. Do what is right. Give up your evil practices. Show kindness to those who are being treated badly. Then perhaps things will continue to go well with you."
Reference
Grace
Proverbs 16:6
Proverbs 28:13
Kingdom
Ephesians 4:28
Parallel theme
Jonah 3:9
Acts 8:22
Luke 11:41
Acts 26:20
Galatians 5:13
Ezekiel 18:7
1 Kings 21:29
28
All of that happened to me.
Reference
Parallel theme
Numbers 23:19
29
It took place twelve months later. I was walking on the roof of my palace in Babylon.
30
I said, "Isn't this the great Babylon I have built as a place for my royal palace? I used my mighty power to build it. It shows how glorious my majesty is."
Reference
Kingdom
Ezekiel 29:3
Parallel theme
Proverbs 16:18
Luke 14:11
Psalm 73:8
Psalm 49:20
1 Peter 5:5
References Babylon
Revelation 17:5
Revelation 18:10
Revelation 16:19
31
I was still speaking when a voice was heard from heaven. It said, "King Nebuchadnezzar, here is what has been ordered concerning you. Your royal authority has been taken from you.
Reference
32
You will be driven away from people. You will live like the wild animals. You will eat grass just as cattle do. Seven periods of time will pass by for you. Then you will recognize that the Most High God rules over all of the kingdoms of men. He gives them to anyone he wants."
Reference
33
What had been said about me came true at once. I was driven away from people. I ate grass just as cattle do. My body became wet with the dew of heaven. I stayed that way until my hair grew like the feathers of an eagle. My nails became like the claws of a bird.
Reference
34
At the end of that time I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up toward heaven. My mind became clear again. Then I praised the Most High God. I gave honor and glory to the One who lives forever. His rule will last forever. His kingdom will never end.
Reference
Kingdom
Psalm 145:13
Jeremiah 10:10
Daniel 2:44
Daniel 6:26
Daniel 4:32
Luke 1:33
Daniel 5:21
Daniel 4:26
Parallel theme
Daniel 12:7
Worship
Revelation 4:10
35
He considers all of the nations on earth to be nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven. He does what he wants with the nations of the earth. No one can hold his hand back. No one can say to him, "What have you done?"
Reference
36
My honor and glory were returned to me when my mind became clear again. The glory of my kingdom was given back to me. My advisers and nobles came to me. And I was put back on my throne. I became even greater than I had been before.
Reference
Glory
2 Corinthians 4:17
Kingdom
Daniel 4:34
Matthew 6:33
Daniel 4:32
Parallel theme
Job 13:12
References Lord
Proverbs 22:4
1 Samuel 2:30
37
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, give praise and honor and glory to the King of heaven. Everything he does is right. All of his ways are fair. He is able to bring down those who live proudly.
Reference
Judgment
Deuteronomy 32:4
Psalm 119:75
Parallel theme
1 Samuel 2:3
Acts 17:24
Exodus 18:11
Ezekiel 16:63
Chapter Summary
Daniel 4 tells the story of Nebuchadnezzar's dramatic humiliation after he becomes proud of his power and achievements, beginning with a disturbing dream in which a magnificent tree representing the king is cut down and reduced to a stump, followed by Daniel's warning that Nebuchadnezzar will lose his royal position and live in a humiliating condition until he recognizes that the Most High God controls human kingdoms, and finally reaching its resolution when the king's understanding and authority are restored after he looks toward heaven and acknowledges that God's rule is eternal and that those who become proud can be brought low.
The chapter is especially important because the message is directed toward one of the most powerful rulers of the ancient world.
Nebuchadnezzar has experienced military success, political authority, wealth, and impressive building achievements, and his position could easily lead him to believe that his greatness exists because of his own ability.
The dream challenges this belief by portraying the king as a gigantic tree whose branches provide shelter, whose fruit provides food, and whose enormous size makes it visible throughout the earth.
The tree represents Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom and influence, but a heavenly messenger orders that it be cut down.
The stump is deliberately left in the ground, suggesting that the judgment will be severe but not necessarily permanent.
Daniel interprets the dream with compassion because he understands that the message concerns Nebuchadnezzar himself.
He warns the king that he will be driven away from human society and experience a period of extraordinary humiliation until he recognizes that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of humanity and gives authority to whoever He chooses.
Daniel also gives the king an opportunity to respond differently, urging him to abandon sinful behavior, practice righteousness, and show mercy toward the oppressed.
Yet twelve months later, Nebuchadnezzar is walking on the roof of his palace and looking over Babylon when he proudly claims that he personally built the magnificent city through his own power and for his own glory.
At that moment, the judgment announced in the dream begins.
The king loses his understanding, is removed from human society, and lives in a condition resembling that of an animal until the appointed period passes.
The dramatic reversal is deliberate because the man who believed himself to be the greatest ruler becomes completely dependent and powerless.
Eventually, Nebuchadnezzar looks toward heaven and his understanding returns.
His first response is not to celebrate his own recovery but to praise and honor the Most High, recognizing that God's kingdom is eternal and that human authority exists only under divine authority.
His royal position is restored, and he declares that God is able to humble those who walk in pride.
The central message is that Daniel 4 teaches that human greatness, political authority, wealth, achievement, and even the apparent permanence of an empire cannot place a ruler above God's authority, because Nebuchadnezzar's magnificent kingdom and enormous personal power are compared to a great tree that can be cut down instantly when pride causes him to forget who ultimately controls history, yet the preserved stump shows that divine judgment can also contain the possibility of restoration when a person turns away from self-exaltation and acknowledges God's sovereignty, making Nebuchadnezzar's experience a powerful warning against pride while also demonstrating that genuine humility begins when people recognize that their abilities, achievements, positions, and authority are ultimately dependent upon the God who establishes kingdoms, removes rulers, and remains King even when every human empire has disappeared.
The chapter is especially important because the message is directed toward one of the most powerful rulers of the ancient world.
Nebuchadnezzar has experienced military success, political authority, wealth, and impressive building achievements, and his position could easily lead him to believe that his greatness exists because of his own ability.
The dream challenges this belief by portraying the king as a gigantic tree whose branches provide shelter, whose fruit provides food, and whose enormous size makes it visible throughout the earth.
The tree represents Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom and influence, but a heavenly messenger orders that it be cut down.
The stump is deliberately left in the ground, suggesting that the judgment will be severe but not necessarily permanent.
Daniel interprets the dream with compassion because he understands that the message concerns Nebuchadnezzar himself.
He warns the king that he will be driven away from human society and experience a period of extraordinary humiliation until he recognizes that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of humanity and gives authority to whoever He chooses.
Daniel also gives the king an opportunity to respond differently, urging him to abandon sinful behavior, practice righteousness, and show mercy toward the oppressed.
Yet twelve months later, Nebuchadnezzar is walking on the roof of his palace and looking over Babylon when he proudly claims that he personally built the magnificent city through his own power and for his own glory.
At that moment, the judgment announced in the dream begins.
The king loses his understanding, is removed from human society, and lives in a condition resembling that of an animal until the appointed period passes.
The dramatic reversal is deliberate because the man who believed himself to be the greatest ruler becomes completely dependent and powerless.
Eventually, Nebuchadnezzar looks toward heaven and his understanding returns.
His first response is not to celebrate his own recovery but to praise and honor the Most High, recognizing that God's kingdom is eternal and that human authority exists only under divine authority.
His royal position is restored, and he declares that God is able to humble those who walk in pride.
The central message is that Daniel 4 teaches that human greatness, political authority, wealth, achievement, and even the apparent permanence of an empire cannot place a ruler above God's authority, because Nebuchadnezzar's magnificent kingdom and enormous personal power are compared to a great tree that can be cut down instantly when pride causes him to forget who ultimately controls history, yet the preserved stump shows that divine judgment can also contain the possibility of restoration when a person turns away from self-exaltation and acknowledges God's sovereignty, making Nebuchadnezzar's experience a powerful warning against pride while also demonstrating that genuine humility begins when people recognize that their abilities, achievements, positions, and authority are ultimately dependent upon the God who establishes kingdoms, removes rulers, and remains King even when every human empire has disappeared.