Chapter 77

¹ Likewise, then, it befell Nebuchadnezzar as well. For at the beginning of the eighteenth year he set up the image, as has been said in the book before this one and its measurements have been shown; but when the year was fulfilled, after twelve months the kingdom was taken from him, so that the dream he had seen might be fulfilled, and he who had taken others captive might himself become a fugitive in the mountains, and he who had punished the Hebrews in a foreign land might himself also be fittingly punished in a desolate land;

² as the Scripture explains, saying: “Then Daniel, whose name is Belshazzar, was struck dumb for about one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. And Belshazzar answered and said: My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you, and its interpretation for your enemies. The tree which you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to heaven and its compass to all the earth, and whose leaves were flourishing and its fruit abundant, and in which there was food for all, under which the wild beasts dwelt and in whose branches the birds of heaven lodged—it is you, O king, for you grew and became strong, and your greatness grew and reached to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. And whereas the king saw a Watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven and saying: Pluck up the tree and destroy it, yet leave the stock of its roots in the earth, and in a band of bronze and iron, and in the grass outside and in the dew of heaven let it lodge, and its portion be with the wild beasts, until seven seasons are changed over it—this is its interpretation, O king, and it is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: they will drive you out from among men, and your dwelling will be with the wild beasts, and they will feed you grass like an ox, and you will lodge under the dew of heaven, and seven seasons will be changed over you, until you know that the Most High is Lord over the kingdom of men, and he will give it to whomever he wills. And whereas he said: Leave the stock of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall remain to you, from the time when you know the heavenly authority. Therefore, O king, let my counsel be pleasing to you: redeem your sins by acts of mercy and your iniquities by compassion on the poor; perhaps there will be forbearance toward your transgressions.” All these things came upon Nebuchadnezzar the king. After twelve months, walking in the palace of his kingdom in Babylon, the king answered and said: “Is this not Babylon the great, which I built for a royal house by the might of my strength, for the honor of my glory?” While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven: “To you it is said, King Nebuchadnezzar: your kingdom has passed away from you, and they will drive you out from among men, and your dwelling will be with the wild beasts, and they will feed you grass like an ox, and seven seasons will be changed over you, until you know that the Most High is Lord over the kingdom of men, and he will give it to whomever he wills.” In that very hour the word was accomplished upon Nebuchadnezzar, and he was driven out from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was bathed by the dew of heaven, until his hairs grew long like a lion’s and his nails became like a bird’s. “And after the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and glorified him who lives forever, for his authority is an everlasting authority and his kingdom is to generation and generation; and all who dwell on the earth are reckoned as nothing, and according to his will he acts in the power of heaven and in the habitation of the earth, and there is none who shall withstand his hand and say to him: What have you done?”