Nebuchadnezzar's Second Dream
1 King Nebuchadnezzar sent the following message to the people of all nations, races, and languages in the world:
“Greetings! 2 Listen to my account of the wonders and miracles which the Supreme God has shown me.
3 “How great are the wonders God shows us!
How powerful are the miracles he performs!
God is king forever; he will rule for all time.
4 “I was living comfortably in my palace, enjoying great prosperity. 5 But I had a frightening dream and saw terrifying visions while I was asleep. 6 I ordered all the royal advisers in Babylon to be brought to me so that they could tell me what the dream meant. 7 Then all the fortunetellers, magicians, wizards, and astrologers were brought in, and I told them my dream, but they could not explain it to me. 8 Then Daniel came in. (He is also called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god.) The spirit of the holy gods is in him, so I told him what I had dreamed. I said to him: 9 Belteshazzar, chief of the fortunetellers, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that you understand all mysteries. This is my dream. Tell me what it means.
10 “While I was asleep, I had a vision of a huge tree in the middle of the earth. 11 It grew bigger and bigger until it reached the sky and could be seen by everyone in the world. 12 Its leaves were beautiful, and it was loaded down with fruit—enough for the whole world to eat. Wild animals rested in its shade, birds built nests in its branches, and every kind of living being ate its fruit.
13 “While I was thinking about the vision, I saw coming down from heaven an angel, alert and watchful. 14 He proclaimed in a loud voice, ‘Cut the tree down and chop off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Drive the animals from under it and the birds out of its branches. 15 But leave the stump in the ground with a band of iron and bronze around it. Leave it there in the field with the grass.
“‘Now let the dew fall on this man, and let him live with the animals and the plants. 16 For seven years he will not have a human mind, but the mind of an animal. 17 This is the decision of the alert and watchful angels. So then, let all people everywhere know that the Supreme God has power over human kingdoms and that he can give them to anyone he chooses—even to those who are least important.’
18 “This is the dream I had,” said King Nebuchadnezzar. “Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means. None of my royal advisers could tell me, but you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
Daniel Explains the Dream
19 At this, Daniel, who is also called Belteshazzar, was so alarmed that he could not say anything. The king said to him, “Belteshazzar, don't let the dream and its message alarm you.”
Belteshazzar replied, “Your Majesty, I wish that the dream and its explanation applied to your enemies and not to you. 20 The tree, so tall that it reached the sky, could be seen by everyone in the world. 21 Its leaves were beautiful, and it had enough fruit on it to feed the whole world. Wild animals rested under it, and birds made their nests in its branches.
22 “Your Majesty, you are the tree, tall and strong. You have grown so great that you reach the sky, and your power extends over the whole world. 23 While Your Majesty was watching, an angel came down from heaven and said, ‘Cut the tree down and destroy it, but leave the stump in the ground. Wrap a band of iron and bronze around it, and leave it there in the field with the grass. Let the dew fall on this man, and let him live there with the animals for seven years.’
24 “This, then, is what it means, Your Majesty, and this is what the Supreme God has declared will happen to you. 25 You will be driven away from human society and will live with wild animals. For seven years you will eat grass like an ox and sleep in the open air, where the dew will fall on you. Then you will admit that the Supreme God controls all human kingdoms and that he can give them to anyone he chooses. 26 The angel ordered the stump to be left in the ground. This means that you will become king again when you acknowledge that God rules all the world. 27 So then, Your Majesty, follow my advice. Stop sinning, do what is right, and be merciful to the poor. Then you will continue to be prosperous.”
28 All this did happen to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Only twelve months later, while he was walking around on the roof of his royal palace in Babylon, 30 he said, “Look how great Babylon is! I built it as my capital city to display my power and might, my glory and majesty.”
31 Before the words were out of his mouth, a voice spoke from heaven, “King Nebuchadnezzar, listen to what I say! Your royal power is now taken away from you. 32 You will be driven away from human society, live with wild animals, and eat grass like an ox for seven years. Then you will acknowledge that the Supreme God has power over human kingdoms and that he can give them to anyone he chooses.”
33 The words came true immediately. Nebuchadnezzar was driven out of human society and ate grass like an ox. The dew fell on his body, and his hair grew as long as eagle feathers and his nails as long as bird claws.
Nebuchadnezzar Praises God
34 “When the seven years had passed,” said the king, “I looked up at the sky, and my sanity returned. I praised the Supreme God and gave honor and glory to the one who lives forever.
“He will rule forever,
and his kingdom will last for all time.
35 He looks on the people of the earth as nothing;
angels in heaven and people on earth
are under his control.
No one can oppose his will
or question what he does.
36 “When my sanity returned, my honor, my majesty, and the glory of my kingdom were given back to me. My officials and my noblemen welcomed me, and I was given back my royal power with even greater honor than before.
37 “And now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, honor, and glorify the King of Heaven. Everything he does is right and just, and he can humble anyone who acts proudly.”
Nebūkadnecara sapnis par koku
1 Es, Nebūkadnecars, labklājībā dzīvoju savā namā, ar vērienu savā pilī, 2 bet tad es redzēju sapni, kas mani izbiedēja. Es gulēju, un prātā man parādījās tēli, kas mani uzmodināja. 3 Es pavēlēju pie sevis atvest visus Bābeles gudros, lai tie man izskaidro sapni. 4 Atnāca burvji, pareģi, zintnieki un zvaigžņu tulki, un es tiem izstāstīju sapni, bet tie nespēja to iztulkot. 5 Beidzot pie manis ieradās Daniēls, kam dots mana dieva Bēltšacara vārds, – viņā mājo svēto dievu gars! – un es pastāstīju sapni viņam. 6 Es teicu: Bēltšacar, tu, kas liels starp burvjiem, es zinu, ka tevī mājo svēto dievu gars un neviens noslēpums tev nav par grūtu! Rau, mans sapnis, ko redzēju, – iztulko to man! 7 Kamēr es gulēju, man rādījās šāds sapnis:
es ieraudzīju koku zemes vidū,
varen diža garuma,
8 koks kļuva arvien varenāks,
un galotne tam sniedzās debesīs –
no visiem zemes galiem tas saskatāms!
9 Daiļa tam lapotne, un augļu pārpilns –
barība tiek visiem, kas tajā mīt!
Lauka zvēri rod paēnu zem tā,
debesu putni vij zaros ligzdas,
ikviens, kam miesa, rod barību tur!
10 Kamēr es gulēju, man rādījās šāds sapnis: redzi, svēts sargs nonāk no debesīm 11 un sauc stiprā balsī:
nogāziet šo koku un nocērtiet tam zarus,
noplūciet tam lapas un izmētājiet tā augļus,
lai pamūk zvēri no tā un putni no tā zariem!
12 Bet celms ar visām saknēm lai paliek zemē –
dzelzs un vara važās, lauka zālē lai guļ.
To slacīs debess rasa, tam liktenis viens
ar meža zvēriem un lauka zāli!
13 Cilvēka prāts lai tiek tam atņemts
un dzīvnieka prāts lai tiek tam dots,
līdz paiet septiņi laiki!
14 Šo spriedumu teica sargs,
šo nodomu vēstīja svētais!
Lai dzīvie to zina – Visuaugstajam ir vara pār cilvēku valstīm, viņš valsti dod, kam vien grib, viņš var pat viszemāko pār to iecelt! – 15 Šis ir sapnis, ko es, ķēniņš Nebūkadnecars, redzēju, un tev, Bēltšacar, man tas jāiztulko, jo pat visi manas valsts gudrie nespēj to iztulkot, bet tu to vari, jo tevī mīt svēto dievu gars!”
Daniēls izskaidro sapni
16 Daniēls, kam Bēltšacars vārdā, kādu brīdi stāvēja pārbijies, un viņa domas pārņēma šausmas. Ķēniņš viņu uzrunāja: “Bēltšacar, lai sapnis un tā tulkojums tevi nešausmina!” Bēltšacars teica: “Mans kungs, kaut jel šis sapnis būtu par tiem, kas tevi nīst, un tā skaidrojums par taviem ienaidniekiem! 17 Koks, ko tu redzēji, kas kļuva arvien varenāks, kam galotne sniedzās debesīs, kas bija saskatāms no visiem zemes galiem, 18 zem kura lapotnes patvērās lauka zvēri un kura zaros vija ligzdas debesu putni, – 19 tas esi tu, ak, ķēniņ! Arvien varenāks tu kļuvi, tu augtin augi līdz debesīm, tu valdīji līdz zemes malām!
20 Bet tad, ķēniņ, tu redzēji svētu sargu nonākam no debesīm, un tas teica: nocērtiet šo koku, iznīciniet to, bet celms ar visām saknēm lai paliek zemē – dzelzs un vara važās lauka zālē lai guļ, lai to slaka debess rasa – tam liktenis viens ar meža zvēriem, līdz paiet septiņi laiki! 21 Šis ir sapņa skaidrojums, un šāds, ķēniņ, ir Visuaugstā spriedums par manu kungu, ķēniņu: 22 tevi padzīs no cilvēku vidus, tu mitīsi pie meža zvēriem un ēdīsi zāli kā vērsis, debesu rasa tevi slacīs, līdz paies septiņi laiki, līdz tu zināsi, ka Visuaugstais valda pār cilvēku valstīm – viņš tās dod, kam grib! 23 Un tika pavēlēts: celms ar visām saknēm lai paliek – tev atkal piederēs tava valsts, tev tikai jāatzīst, ka debesis valda! 24 Tādēļ, ak, ķēniņ, lai mans padoms tev tīk – tu atsvabinies no grēkiem, darīdams taisnību, un no negantības, apžēlodamies par nabagiem! Varbūt tava labklājība nemitēsies.” 25 Tā arī notika ar ķēniņu Nebūkadnecaru.
Sapnis piepildās
26 Divpadsmit mēnešus vēlāk, kad viņš staigāja pa savas valsts pili Bābelē, 27 viņš teica: “Vai gan es neesmu šo lielo Bābeli uzcēlis, kur dzīvot ķēniņam, ar savu lielo spēku un vareno slavu?!”
28 Ķēniņš vēl nebija paspējis teikt šos vārdus, kad no debesīm atskanēja balss: “Tev, ķēniņ Nebūkadnecar, saka: valsts tev ir atņemta! 29 Tevi padzīs no cilvēku vidus, pie meža zvēriem tu mitīsi un ēdīsi zāli kā vērsis; lai paiet septiņi laiki, tad tu zināsi – Visuaugstais valda pār cilvēku valstīm, viņš tās dod, kam grib!”
30 Tūdaļ piepildījās par Nebūkadnecaru teiktais – viņu padzina no cilvēku vidus, viņš ēda zāli kā vērsis, debesu rasa to slacīja, viņa mati izauga gari kā ērgļa spalvas un nagi kā putniem. 31 Kad šis laiks beidzās, es, Nebūkadnecars, pacēlu savu skatu uz debesīm un atgriezās mans prāts:
“Visuaugsto es godināju, viņš dzīvo mūžīgi!
To slavēju un teicu, jo viņš valda!
Viņa vara ir mūžīga,
viņa valsts paliek uz audžu audzēm!
32 Visi, kas mīt uz zemes, ir nieks!
Ar debesu pulkiem un zemes ļaudīm viņš dara, ko grib!
Nav neviena, kas spētu apturēt viņa roku,
kas varētu viņam teikt: ko tu dari?!”
33 Tajā pašā brīdī atgriezās mans prāts un gods un diženums manai valstij par slavu. Mani padomnieki un augstmaņi mani sameklēja un atkal iecēla valdīt pār valsti, un es kļuvu vēl varenāks nekā iepriekš. 34 Tagad es, Nebūkadnecars, slavēju, teicu un godinu debesu Ķēniņu: “Visi viņa darbi ir patiesi, visi viņa ceļi ir taisnīgi, viņš spēj pazemot tos, kas lepnīgi staigā!”
