It has seemed good to me: or “It pleases me.” Moffatt perhaps captures the flavor a bit better with “It is my royal pleasure….” Another way of saying this in some languages may be “I thought it would be a good idea to describe….” Note that New Revised Standard Version has modified the word order by placing this part at the end of the verse: “… I am pleased to recount.”

Signs and wonders: although two different Aramaic words are used here, there was probably no thought of two separate and distinct kinds of happenings. The two terms may be adequately translated as “wonderful miracles” (Anchor Bible) or “miraculous signs.” In many languages it is not unnatural to use two different terms to speak of a single kind of event. An additional reason for translating by two distinct terms is the fact that the same two terms are used again in the poetic setting of the following verse as seemingly separate items. The corresponding Hebrew phrase containing two words can be found in Exo 7.3; Deut 4.34; 6.22; and Isa 8.18 (“signs and portents”). And a similar pair of words is found frequently in the New Testament (Mark 13.22 and John 4.48, for example).

Most High God: see 3.26.

Has wrought toward me: the English of Revised Standard Version is archaic and the Good News Translation rendering “has shown me” may be subject to misunderstanding. The verb here seems to speak of things actually done and not just shown to Nebuchadnezzar. Anchor Bible renders this expression “has performed in my regard,” which is quite similar to New International Version “has performed for me.” New Revised Standard Version gives a revision of Revised Standard Version: “has worked for me.”

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René & Ellington, John. A Handbook on Daniel. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .