Daniel 4:31

Pride Judgment God's power and sovereignty

²⁹ Twelve months later, as he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon,

³⁰ the king exclaimed, “Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built by the might of my power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”

While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven: “It is decreed to you, King Nebuchadnezzar, that the kingdom has departed from you.

³² You will be driven away from mankind to live with the beasts of the field, and you will feed on grass like an ox. And seven times will pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.”

³³ At that moment the sentence against Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from mankind. He ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven: “It is decreed to you, King Nebuchadnezzar, that the kingdom has departed from you.
KJV: While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.
WEB: While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice came from the sky, saying, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: ‘The kingdom has departed from you.
ASV: While the word was in the king`s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, [saying], O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken: The kingdom is departed from thee:
DARBY: While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from the heavens: King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken: The kingdom is departed from thee;
BLB: The words still in the mouth of the king, a voice from heaven fell: “To you it is spoken, Nebuchadnezzar the king: The kingdom has passed away from you!

ÅB: Før kongen enda hadde talt ut, kom det brått en røst fra himmelen: Til deg, kong Nebukadnesar, sies nå dette ord: Riket er tatt fra deg,
OTB: Mens ordet var i kongens munn, falt en stemme fra himmelen: "Kong Nebukadnesar, til deg er det sagt: riket har blitt tatt fra deg.
B1930: Før kongen ennu hadde talt ut, kom det brått en røst fra himmelen: Til dig, kong Nebukadnesar, sies nu dette ord: Riket er tatt fra dig,

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Acts 9:3–5
As Saul drew near to Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
Read in context
Revelation 16:7
And I heard the altar reply: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Your judgments.”
Read in context
Luke 12:20
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’
Read in context
Daniel 4:24
This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree that the Most High has issued against my lord the king:
Read in context
Daniel 5:28
PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”
Read in context
Matthew 3:17
And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”
Read in context
Daniel 5:4–5
As they drank the wine, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.
Read in context
Daniel 4:34
But at the end of those days I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity was restored to me. Then I praised the Most High, and I honored and glorified Him who lives forever: “For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
Read in context