אֲנָה נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר שְׁלֵה הֲוֵית בְּבֵיתִי וְרַעְנַן בְּהֵיכְלִי

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was tranquil in my house, and flourishing in my palace.

חֵלֶם חֲזֵית וִידַחֲלִנַּנִי וְהַרְהֹרִין עַל־מִשְׁכְּבִי וְחֶזְוֵי רֵאשִׁי יְבַהֲלֻנַּנִי

I saw a dream and it frightened me, and ponderings that arose to me on my bed and visions in my head have terrified me. This dream, which appeared against a calm backdrop, was strange and frightening.

וּמִנִּי שִׂים טְעֵם לְהַנְעָלָה קָדָמַי לְכֹל חַכִּימֵי בָבֶל דִּי־פְשַׁר חֶלְמָא יְהוֹדְעֻנַּנִי

As I was very anxious about it, I issued a decree to bring all the wise men of Babylonia before me, dream interpreters, to make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

בֵּאדַיִן עָלִּין חַרְטֻמַּיָּא אָשְׁפַיָּא כַּשְׂדָּאֵי וְגָזְרַיָּא וְחֶלְמָא אָמַר אֲנָה קֳדָמֵיהוֹן וּפִשְׁרֵהּ לָא־מְהוֹדְעִין לִי

Then, perhaps that same night, the magicians, the enchanters, the chaldeans, and the oracles, various types of fortune-tellers, entered, and I related the dream before them, but they did not make its interpretation known to me. In this case, Nebuchadnezzar remembered his dream, but once again its interpretation eluded him.

וְעַד אָחֳרֵין עַל קָדָמַי דָּנִיֵּאל דִּי־שְׁמֵהּ בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר כְּשֻׁם אֱלָהִי וְדִי רוּחַ־אֱלָהִין קַדִּישִׁין בֵּהּ וְחֶלְמָא קָדָמוֹהִי אַמְרֵת

Ultimately, Daniel, or: The last man who came before me was Daniel, whose name was Beltshatzar, after the name of my god, he was renamed on the king’s command, after Bel the chief god of Babylon (see 1:7, 5:12), and in whom there is the spirit of the holy God, entered before me and I related the dream before him:

בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר רַב חַרְטֻמַּיָּא דִּי אֲנָה יִדְעֵת דִּי רוּחַ אֱלָהִין קַדִּישִׁין בָּךְ וְכָל־רָז לָא־אָנֵס לָךְ חֶזְוֵי חֶלְמִי דִי־חֲזֵית וּפִשְׁרֵהּ אֱמַר

I said to him as follows: Beltshatzar, chief magician, as stated earlier, Daniel had been appointed head of all wise men of Babylon (2:48), as I know that the spirit of the holy God is in you, and no secret overcomes you, you can reveal all mysteries, relate the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.

וְחֶזְוֵי רֵאשִׁי עַל־מִשְׁכְּבִי חָזֵה הֲוֵית וַאֲלוּ אִילָן בְּגוֹא אַרְעָא וְרוּמֵהּ שַׂגִּיא

In the visions in my head while on my bed; the king knew this vision came from within, not from external sources: I saw in my dream, behold, a tree planted in the midst of the land, and its height was great.

רְבָה אִילָנָא וּתְקִף וְרוּמֵהּ יִמְטֵא לִשְׁמַיָּא וַחֲזוֹתֵהּ לְסוֹף כָּל־אַרְעָא

The tree grew and became strong, and its height reached the heavens, and the ends of its boughs stretched to the ends of the whole earth.

עָפְיֵהּ שַׁפִּיר וְאִנְבֵּהּ שַׂגִּיא וּמָזוֹן לְכֹלָּא־בֵהּ; תְּחֹתוֹהִי תַּטְלֵל חֵיוַת בָּרָא וּבְעַנְפוֹהִי יְדוּרָן צִפֲּרֵי שְׁמַיָּא וּמִנֵּהּ יִתְּזִין כָּל־בִּשְׂרָא

Its foliage, its array of branches and leaves, was beautiful, and its fruit abundant, and there was food for all in it; the beasts of the field had shade beneath it, and the birds of the heavens, which generally live in trees, dwelled in its branches, and all flesh would be sustained from it. This was an enormous tree that provided shade and sustenance for the entire world.

חָזֵה הֲוֵית בְּחֶזְוֵי רֵאשִׁי עַל־מִשְׁכְּבִי וַאֲלוּ עִיר וְקַדִּישׁ מִן־שְׁמַיָּא נָחִת

I saw in the visions in my head while on my bed, and behold, a messenger and a holy one, an angel, descending from heaven.

קָרֵא בְחַיִל וְכֵן אָמַר גֹּדּוּ אִילָנָא וְקַצִּצוּ עַנְפוֹהִי אַתַּרוּ עָפְיֵהּ וּבַדַּרוּ אִנְבֵּהּ תְּנֻד חֵיוְתָא מִן־תַּחְתּוֹהִי וְצִפֲּרַיָּא מִן־עַנְפוֹהִי

He, this angel, called loudly, and thus he said: Hew down the tree and cut off its branches, strip its foliage and scatter its fruit; the beasts will move from beneath it and the birds from its branches.

בְּרַם עִקַּר שָׁרְשׁוֹהִי בְּאַרְעָא שְׁבֻקוּ וּבֶאֱסוּר דִּי־פַרְזֶל וּנְחָשׁ בְּדִתְאָא דִּי בָרָא וּבְטַל שְׁמַיָּא יִצְטַבַּע וְעִם־חֵיוְתָא חֲלָקֵהּ בַּעֲשַׂב אַרְעָא

But even though you must sever the tree, leave the stump of its roots in the ground, and the stump should be encircled in a band of iron and bronze, and it shall be with the grass of the field. It will be soaked with the dew of the heavens, and its portion will be with the beasts in the vegetation of the earth. It shall remain in the ground.

לִבְבֵהּ מִן־אֲנָשָׁא יְשַׁנּוֹן וּלְבַב חֵיוָא יִתְיְהִב לֵהּ וְשִׁבְעָה עִדָּנִין יַחְלְפוּן עֲלוֹהִי

Let its heart, the tree’s heart, be altered from that of a man, and a beast’s heart be given to it, and let seven seasons pass over it in this state.

בִּגְזֵרַת עִירִין פִּתְגָמָא וּמֵאמַר קַדִּישִׁין שְׁאֵלְתָא עַד־דִּבְרַת דִּי יִנְדְּעוּן חַיַּיָּא דִּי־שַׁלִּיט עִלָּאָה בְּמַלְכוּת אֲנָשָׁא וּלְמַן־דִּי יִצְבֵּא יִתְּנִנַּהּ וּשְׁפַל אֲנָשִׁים יְקִים עֲלַהּ

The matter is by the decree of the messengers, angels, and the verdict by the statement of the holy ones, also angels, so that all the living know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and He will give it, kingship, to whomever He wishes, and the lowliest of men He may set over it. God can establish a king from the lowliest of men, as all depends on His will alone.

דְּנָה חֶלְמָא חֲזֵית אֲנָה מַלְכָּא נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר; וְאַנְתְּ בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר פִּשְׁרֵהּ אֱמַר כָּל־קֳבֵל דִּי כָּל־חַכִּימֵי מַלְכוּתִי לָא־יָכְלִין פִּשְׁרָא לְהוֹדָעוּתַנִי וְאַנְתְּ כָּהֵל דִּי רוּחַ־אֱלָהִין קַדִּישִׁין בָּךְ

This dream, I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw, and now you, Beltshatzar, state the interpretation, since all the wise men of my kingdom are unable to make known to me the interpretation, and you are capable because the spirit of the holy God is in you. Daniel himself likewise had declared that his ability to interpret dreams was not due to his own wisdom alone. Rather, the spirit of God spoke through him (see 2:27–30).

אֱדַיִן דָּנִיֵּאל דִּי־שְׁמֵהּ בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר אֶשְׁתּוֹמַם כְּשָׁעָה חֲדָה וְרַעְיֹנֹהִי יְבַהֲלֻנֵּהּ עָנֵה מַלְכָּא וְאָמַר בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר חֶלְמָא וּפִשְׁרֵהּ אַל־יְבַהֲלָךְ עָנֵה בֵלְטְשַׁאצַּר וְאָמַר מָרִאי חֶלְמָא לְשָׂנְאָךְ וּפִשְׁרֵהּ לְעָרָךְ

Nebuchadnezzar continues narrating the episode: Then Daniel, whose name was Beltshatzar, was astonished for some time, and his thoughts terrified him. Upon seeing that Daniel was sitting and contemplating, the king spoke, saying: Beltshatzar, do not let the dream or the interpretation terrify you. The attempt of the powerful king to ease Daniel’s worries attests to the unusually close relationship between them. Beltshatzar spoke, saying: My lord, the dream is for your enemy, and its interpretation for your foe. This is an evil dream; I wish that its message would fall upon the heads of your enemies.

אִילָנָא דִּי חֲזַיְתָ דִּי רְבָה וּתְקִף וְרוּמֵהּ יִמְטֵא לִשְׁמַיָּא וַחֲזוֹתֵהּ לְכָל־אַרְעָא

The tree that you saw that grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens, and its boughs to the entire earth,

וְעָפְיֵהּ שַׁפִּיר וְאִנְבֵּהּ שַׂגִּיא וּמָזוֹן לְכֹלָּא־בֵהּ תְּחֹתוֹהִי תְּדוּר חֵיוַת בָּרָא וּבְעַנְפוֹהִי יִשְׁכְּנָן צִפֲּרֵי שְׁמַיָּא

its foliage was beautiful, its fruit abundant, and there was food for all in it; the beasts of the field had shade beneath it, and the birds of the heavens dwelled in its branches;

אַנְתְּ־הוּא מַלְכָּא דִי רְבַת וּתְקֵפְתְּ וּרְבוּתָךְ רְבָת וּמְטַת לִשְׁמַיָּא וְשָׁלְטָנָךְ לְסוֹף אַרְעָא

it, this massive tree, is you, O king, who has grown and become strong; your greatness has grown, and reached the heavens, and your dominion is so overarching that it stretches to the ends of the earth.

וְדִי חֲזָה מַלְכָּא עִיר וְקַדִּישׁ נָחִת מִן־שְׁמַיָּא וְאָמַר גֹּדּוּ אִילָנָא וְחַבְּלוּהִי בְּרַם עִקַּר שָׁרְשׁוֹהִי בְּאַרְעָא שְׁבֻקוּ וּבֶאֱסוּר דִּי־פַרְזֶל וּנְחָשׁ בְּדִתְאָא דִּי בָרָא וּבְטַל שְׁמַיָּא יִצְטַבַּע וְעִם־חֵיוַת בָּרָא חֲלָקֵהּ עַד דִּי־שִׁבְעָה עִדָּנִין יַחְלְפוּן עֲלוֹהִי

That which the king saw, a messenger and a holy one descending from the heavens, and he said: Hew down the tree, and destroy it; but leave the stump of its roots in the ground, and let it be tied in a band of iron and bronze, and it shall be with the grass of the field. It will be soaked with the dew of the heavens, and its portion will be with the beasts of the field until seven seasons pass over it. The meaning of this command is simple:

דְּנָה פִשְׁרָא מַלְכָּא וּגְזֵרַת עִלָּאָה הִיא דִּי מְטָת עַל־מָרִאי מַלְכָּא

This is the interpretation, O king, and it is the decree of the Most High that is coming upon my lord the king.

וְלָךְ טָרְדִין מִן־אֲנָשָׁא וְעִם־חֵיוַת בָּרָא לֶהֱוֵה מְדֹרָךְ וְעִשְׂבָּא כְתוֹרִין לָךְ יְטַעֲמוּן וּמִטַּל שְׁמַיָּא לָךְ מְצַבְּעִין וְשִׁבְעָה עִדָּנִין יַחְלְפוּן עֲלָךְ עַד דִּי־תִנְדַּע דִּי־שַׁלִּיט עִלָּאָה בְּמַלְכוּת אֲנָשָׁא וּלְמַן־דִּי יִצְבֵּא יִתְּנִנַּהּ

You will be driven from the company of men, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field, and you will be fed grass like oxen, and you will be soaked with the dew of the heavens, and seven seasons will pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and He gives it to whomever He wishes.

וְדִי אֲמַרוּ לְמִשְׁבַּק עִקַּר שָׁרְשׁוֹהִי דִּי אִילָנָא מַלְכוּתָךְ לָךְ קַיָּמָה מִן־דִּי תִנְדַּע דִּי שַׁלִּטִן שְׁמַיָּא

Concerning that which was stated in the dream to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, this means that your kingdom will remain yours, and it will wait for you to return after you come to know that the heavens rule. You have been informed that you will not be entirely destroyed. After a lengthy period, you will come to recognize that the Most High God rules over everything, and then your redemption will come. The king is informed through this harsh prophecy that he will lose his mind and will be unable to live among people, and he will have to go out to the fields and act like an animal.

לָהֵן מַלְכָּא מִלְכִּי יִשְׁפַּר עֲלָךְ וַחֲטָאָךְ בְּצִדְקָה פְרֻק וַעֲוָיָתָךְ בְּמִחַן עֲנָיִן הֵן תֶּהֱוֵה אַרְכָה לִשְׁלֵוְתָךְ

Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and redeem your sins with charity, and atone for your iniquities with favor to the poor; then, or: Perhaps, there will be an extension of your tranquility. The dream will be fulfilled, but if you give charity and perform kindness with the needy, you can stave off the decree against you. Some explain: If your kingdom is lengthened, then you should act with charity and show mercy toward the poor.

כֹּלָּא מְטָא עַל־נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר מַלְכָּא

Nebuchadnezzar further relates how the dream came to pass, although when describing his loss of sanity he refers to himself in the third person: All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.

לִקְצָת יַרְחִין תְּרֵי־עֲשַׂר עַל־הֵיכַל מַלְכוּתָא דִּי בָבֶל מְהַלֵּךְ הֲוָה

At the end of twelve months he, Nebuchadnezzar, was walking upon the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, in his customary manner.

עָנֵה מַלְכָּא וְאָמַר הֲלָא דָא־הִיא בָּבֶל רַבְּתָא דִּי־אֲנָה בֱנַיְתַהּ לְבֵית מַלְכוּ בִּתְקָף חִסְנִי וְלִיקָר הַדְרִי

The king spoke, saying: Isn’t this great Babylon, which I built as a royal residence, with the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty? Babylon was a major city even before the time of Nebuchadnezzar, but he turned it into the large, grand capital of a great empire. When the king strolled upon the roof of his palace and gazed at the view of his city, he was filled with wonder at his own greatness, as he had successfully conquered many kingdoms and nations as well as constructed such an important city.

עוֹד מִלְּתָא בְּפֻם מַלְכָּא קָל מִן־שְׁמַיָּא נְפַל לָךְ אָמְרִין נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר מַלְכָּא מַלְכוּתָא עֲדָת מִנָּךְ

Presumably, he had forgotten about the frightening dream he had experienced roughly a year earlier, but while the matter, his self-aggrandizement in his glory, was yet in the mouth of the king, a voice fell from the heavens: To you it is said, King Nebuchadnezzar: The kingdom is removed from you.

וּמִן־אֲנָשָׁא לָךְ טָרְדִין וְעִם־חֵיוַת בָּרָא מְדֹרָךְ עִשְׂבָּא כְתוֹרִין לָךְ יְטַעֲמוּן וְשִׁבְעָה עִדָּנִין יַחְלְפוּן עֲלָךְ עַד דִּי־תִנְדַּע דִּי־שַׁלִּיט עִלָּאָה בְּמַלְכוּת אֲנָשָׁא וּלְמַן־דִּי יִצְבֵּא יִתְּנִנַּהּ

You will be driven from men, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field; you will be fed grass like oxen, and seven seasons will pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and He gives it to whomever He wishes.

בַּהּ־שַׁעֲתָא מִלְּתָא סָפַת עַל־נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר וּמִן־אֲנָשָׁא טְרִיד וְעִשְׂבָּא כְתוֹרִין יֵאכֻל וּמִטַּל שְׁמַיָּא גִּשְׁמֵהּ יִצְטַבַּע עַד דִּי שַׂעְרֵהּ כְּנִשְׁרִין רְבָה וְטִפְרוֹהִי כְצִפֲּרִין

At that moment, the matter was determined for Nebuchadnezzar, and he was driven away from men, and would eat grass like oxen, and his body was soaked with the dew of the heavens, until his hair grew like that of eagles, and his nails like those of birds. Since he no longer considered himself a man, but behaved like an animal in all regards, no one took care of him, and his hair and nails grew long.

וְלִקְצָת יוֹמַיָּא אֲנָה נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר עַיְנַי לִשְׁמַיָּא נִטְלֵת וּמַנְדְּעִי עֲלַי יְתוּב וּלְעִלָּאָה בָּרְכֵת וּלְחַי עָלְמָא שַׁבְּחֵת וְהַדְּרֵת דִּי שָׁלְטָנֵהּ שָׁלְטָן עָלַם וּמַלְכוּתֵהּ עִם־דָּר וְדָר

When Nebuchadnezzar describes his return to his normal self, he once again speaks in the first person: At the end of the days of my punishment, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to the heavens, and my knowledge returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and glorified Him who lives forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom from generation to generation. It is possible that before the evil that befell him Nebuchadnezzar did not look up to heaven at all, but now he gives thanks to God and recognizes that He rules the world.

וְכָל־דָּיְרֵי אַרְעָא כְּלָה חֲשִׁיבִין וּכְמִצְבְּיֵהּ עָבֵד בְּחֵיל שְׁמַיָּא וְדָיְרֵי אַרְעָא וְלָא אִיתַי דִּי־יְמַחֵא בִידֵהּ וְיֵאמַר לֵהּ מָה עֲבַדְתְּ

And all the inhabitants of the earth are considered as nothing, or as something insubstantial, such as dust, or spiders’ webs, before the Most High God; and He does as He wishes with the host of the heavens and the inhabitants of the earth. No one can reprimand Him, or say to Him: What have You done?

בֵּהּ־זִמְנָא מַנְדְּעִי יְתוּב עֲלַי וְלִיקַר מַלְכוּתִי הַדְרִי וְזִיוִי יְתוּב עֲלַי וְלִי הַדָּבְרַי וְרַבְרְבָנַי יְבַעוֹן וְעַל־מַלְכוּתִי הָתְקְנַת וּרְבוּ יַתִּירָא הוּסֲפַת לִי

At that time, my knowledge returned to me, and to the glory of my kingdom I returned, and my splendor was given back to me; some read: I was restored to the glory of my kingdom, and my splendor returned to me; and my commanders and my lords sought me; they had not been able to communicate with Nebuchadnezzar when he was temporarily insane, and I was again firmly established over my kingdom, and exceeding greatness was added to me.

כְּעַן אֲנָה נְבֻכַדְנֶצַּר מְשַׁבַּח וּמְרוֹמֵם וּמְהַדַּר לְמֶלֶךְ שְׁמַיָּא דִּי כָל־מַעֲבָדוֹהִי קְשׁוֹט וְאֹרְחָתֵהּ דִּין וְדִי מַהְלְכִין בְּגֵוָה יָכִל לְהַשְׁפָּלָה

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, and exalt, and glorify the King of heaven, for all His actions are truth, His ways are justice, truth and righteousness, and He is able to humble those who walk in arrogance.