Daniel 4:29-33

4:29 After twelve months, he happened to be walking around on the battlements ¹  of the royal palace of Babylon. 4:30 The king uttered these words: “Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residence ²  by my own mighty strength ³  and for my majestic honor?” 4:31 While these words were still on the king’s lips, ⁴  a voice came down from heaven: “It is hereby announced to you, ⁵  King Nebuchadnezzar, that your kingdom has been removed from you! 4:32 You will be driven from human society, and you will live with the wild animals. You will be fed grass like oxen, and seven periods of time will pass by for you before ⁶  you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes.”

4:33 Now in that very moment ⁷  this pronouncement about ⁸  Nebuchadnezzar came true. ⁹  He was driven from human society, he ate grass like oxen, and his body became damp with the dew of the sky, until his hair became long like an eagle’s feathers, and his nails like a bird’s claws. ¹⁰ 

[4:29]  ¹ tn The word “battlements” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied from context. Many English versions supply “roof” here (e.g., NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); cf. NLT “on the flat roof.”

[4:30]  ² tn Aram “house.”

[4:30]  ³ tn Aram “by the might of my strength.”

[4:31]  ⁴ tn Aram “in the mouth of the king.”

[4:31]  ⁵ tn Aram “to you they say.”

[4:32]  ⁶ tn Aram “until.”

[4:33]  ⁷ tn Aram “hour.”

[4:33]  ⁸ tn Or “on.”

[4:33]  ⁹ tn Aram “was fulfilled.”

[4:33]  ¹⁰ tn The words “feathers” and “claws” are not present in the Aramaic text, but have been added in the translation for clarity.