Daniel 4
God banished Nebuchadnezzar to eat grass for 7 years
King Nebuchadnezzar told everyone from all the world’s countries and languages,
“May your prosperity abound!
“I decided to tell you all about the awe-inspiring miracles that the highest God has done for me.
“His signs are great,
And his miracles are powerful.
His empire stands perpetually,
And his reign spans from generation to generation.“I, Nebuchadnezzar, was enjoying a relaxing time at home in my palace when I had a dream that scared me. As I lay in my bed the fantasies and visions in my mind disturbed me. So I summoned all of the wise men in the Babylonian empire so they could teach me the dream’s interpretation. So the magicians, necromancers, Chaldeans, and fortune tellers came and heard my dream, but they couldn’t tell me its interpretation. But finally, Daniel came (whose name is Belteshazzar according to my god). A spirit of the separate Gods is in Daniel, so I told him about my dream, saying:
‘Oh Belteshazzar, chief magician, I know that a spirit of the separate Gods is in you, so please tell me what I saw in my dream along with its interpretation.’
“And this is what my mind saw as I laid in bed: I saw a really tall tree in the middle of the earth that grew larger and stronger. It grew high into the sky, and it could be seen from the ends of the earth. It had beautiful leaves and abundant fruit. It had enough food to feed everyone. Wild animals found shade under it, and birds nested in its branches. Everything physically alive fed themselves from it. As I lay in bed witnessing these visions in my mind, a holy angelic watcher descended from heaven who called out and said,
‘Chop down the tree and cut off its branches. Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from underneath it and the birds from its branches. But leave it’s stump with its roots in the ground. Put an iron and copper band around it, and leave it in the field. Let him be soaked with heaven’s dew, and let him share grass with the wild animals. Let his mind be altered from that of a man, and let a wild animal’s mind be given to him. Let seven periods of time pass by him. This is the decree of the angelic watchers and the holy ones, and it has been given so that everyone alive might know that The Highest One rules over humanity’s kingship. He gives it to whoever he wants and he appoints the lowliest of men over it.’
“That’s the dream I, Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, I know you have the spirit of the living Gods in you, so tell me its interpretation that my own wise men couldn’t.
“Then Daniel was stunned for a moment because of his alarming thoughts. The king told him,
‘Don’t let the dream or its interpretation alarm you’
“Belteshazzar replied,
‘Your majesty, if only the dream applied to the people you hate and its interpretation to your adversaries!
‘You saw the tree that grew large and strong. Its height grew to the sky and could be seen by the entire earth. It had beautiful leaves and abundant fruit that fed everyone. The wild animals lived under it and the birds nested in it. That tree is you, oh king, because you’ve grown strong and great. Your greatness has reached the sky, and your empire reaches the ends of the earth.
‘You saw a holy angelic watcher descend from heaven saying “Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump rooted in the ground. Put an iron and bronze band around it in the field and let him be drenched by heaven’s dew. Let him share with the wild animals until seven periods of time pass him by.” This is its interpretation and the Highest One’s decree regarding your majesty, oh king: you’ll be driven away from mankind and live with the wild animals. You’ll eat grass like the cows and be drenched with heaven’s dew. Seven periods of time will pass you by until you realize that the Highest One rules over humanity’s empire and gives it to whoever he wants. The angel was ordered to leave the tree’s stump and roots which means that your empire will be given back to you after you recognize that heaven has the authority. So king, I hope you like my advice: sever yourself from your corruption by doing the right thing, and sever yourself from your perversion by favoring the poor so your prosperity might be prolonged.’
“All of these things came to pass for King Nebuchadnezzar. Twelve months after Daniel’s interpretation, Nebuchadnezzar was walking on the roof of Babylon’s royal palace and said,
‘Look at how great Babylon is. I built it with my own mighty strength for my own glorious majesty.’
“In the middle of saying that, a voice from heaven interrupted him and said,
‘King Nebuchadnezzar, your authority has been removed from you. You’ll be driven away from mankind, and you’ll live with the wild animals. You’ll eat grass like a cow and seven periods of time will pass you by until you realize that the Highest One rules over mankind’s empire and gives it to whoever he wants.’
“That word quickly became fulfilled. He was driven away from civilization and began eating grass like a cow. His body was repeatedly drenched with heaven’s dew until his hair had grown as long as eagle’s feathers, and his nails like bird claws.
“But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up toward heaven and my sanity returned. I blessed the Highest One who lives forever, praising him and honoring him.
“His dominion is a perpetual dominion,
And his empire endures from generation to generation.
All the earth’s inhabitants are accounted as nothing,
He carries out his desires in heaven’s army,
And in earth’s inhabitants.
No one can stop his power,
Or question what he does.“At that time my sanity returned to me. My majesty and splendor were restored to me for the honor of my empire. My counselors and nobles started looking for me, and my authority was reestablished with even more greatness than before. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and glorify heaven’s King because all of his doings are true, and his ways are upright. He is fully capable of humbling anyone who lives pridefully.”