A Playful Bible Book
A Curious Letter
from Nebuchadnezzar
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I, Nebuchadnezzar,
I write you these lines,
A curious letter
Of wonders and signs.
The Holy One’s rule
Is for ever, for all,
His kingdom continues
And never can fall.
At home in my palace
With servants and queen,
I woke with a shock
from a terrible dream.
Diviners, enchanters,
Astrologers came,
My dream and its meaning?
Not one could explain.
Then finally Daniel
Bowed low to my throne.
He worships the God
of old Israel, his home.
Dear Daniel, magician,
Of God the Most High,
I’ll tell you my vision,
Then you tell me why.
I saw a great wonder,
As clear as could be...
…A giant, magnificent,
Beautiful tree!
Its branches so leafy,
Its trunk tall and high,
It grew large, it grew strong,
And its top touched the sky,
Its fruit sweet and juicy
To munch, crunch and chew,
Wild animals sheltered,
Wild birds landed too.
This nightmare I saw
While I lay in my bed:
A messenger, holy one,
Came down and said…
That tree, tall and mighty...
…Destroy it today!
Make animals flee,
Make the birds fly away.
Now snap off its branches,
Then scatter its fruit,
Till all that is left
Is the stump and the root.
He’ll live in the wilderness,
Sleep on the grass,
With mind of a beast
Until seven times pass.
This vision, decision,
Of power made low,
Is announced from on high
So the living may know,
The Lord has control
Over kingdoms of men,
He’ll place who he pleases
As leader of them.
Then Daniel looked scared.
What the future will bring,
I wish for your enemies,
Not for the king!
The tree that grew leafy,
With trunk tall and high,
That grew large and grew strong
And its top touched the sky,
With fruit sweet and juicy
To munch, crunch and chew,
King Nebuchadnezzar,
That tree...
…it was you!
Your palace is splendid,
Your courts full of song,
Your peoples are many,
Your armies are strong.
But with cows you’ll eat grass
As God drives you away,
Till seven times pass
And to heaven you say:
The Lord has control
Over kingdoms of men,
He’ll place who he pleases
As leader of them.
Your mind and your power
Will come back around,
Like the stump and the root
That remained in the ground.
Dear King, don’t do evil,
But do what is right!
Perhaps God will spare you
This trouble and fright?
I, Nebuchadnezzar,
The Greatest, the Best,
I lifted my head
And I puffed out my chest…
Is this not the
Great Babylon that
I have built by
My mighty power, and for the
Glory of
My
Majesty?
This boast the king bellowed,
These words of poor choice,
Were still on his lips
When he heard a loud voice…
With cows you’ll eat grass
As God drives you away,
Till seven times pass
And to heaven you say:
The Lord has control
Over kingdoms of men,
He’ll place who he pleases
As leader of them.
Immediately
What was said became true,
He was driven away,
He was covered in dew.
His hair grew like feathers,
His nails grew like claws,
And he ate from the grass
With the cows and the boars.
The days at last ended,
My reason restored,
I blessed the Most High,
Yes, I worshipped the Lord.
The Holy One’s rule
Is for ever, for all,
His kingdom continues
And never can fall.
So now I am served
By my nobles once more,
My kingdom is greater
Than ever before.
I, Nebuchadnezzar,
Sing praises aloud,
God is good, God is right,
And he humbles the proud.
The End
A Curious Letter from Nebuchadnezzar
This poem is a retelling of Chapter 4 of the Book of Daniel, from the Bible.
After ignoring Daniel’s compassionate but honest warning, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is transformed from sheltering animals into becoming like one himself.
He is restored and humbly acknowledges the rule of God.
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Text © 2021 John Holden.
Illustrations © 2021, 2026 John Holden.
First published in 2021.
This edition published in 2026 by Playful Bible Press,
an imprint of JH Creative Studio Ltd.
ISBN: 978-1-0654498-0-5