< Daniel 4 >

1 Nabuchodonosor the king, to all peoples, nations, and tongues, that dwell in all the earth, peace be multiplied unto you.
King Nabuchodonosor to all nations, tribes, and tongues, who dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied to you.
2 The most high God hath wrought signs and wonders toward me. It hath seemed good to me therefore to publish
It seemed good to me to declare to you the signs and wonders which the most high God has wrought with me,
3 His signs, because they are great: and his wonders, because they are mighty: and his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, I and his power to all generations.
how great and mighty [they are]: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his power to all generations.
4 I, Nabuchodonosor, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace:
I Nabuchodonosor was thriving in my house, and prospering.
5 I saw a dream that affrighted me: and my thoughts in my bed, and the visions of my head troubled me.
I saw a vision, and it terrified me, and I was troubled on my bed, and the visions of my head troubled me.
6 Then I set forth a decree, that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought in before me, and that they should shew me the interpretation of the dream.
And I made a decree to bring in before me all the wise men of Babylon, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
7 Then came in the diviners, the wise men, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers, and I told the dream before them: but they did not shew me the interpretation thereof:
So the enchanters, magicians, soothsayers, [and] Chaldeans came in: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known to me the interpretation thereof;
8 Till their colleague Daniel came in before me, whose name is Baltassar, according to the name of my god, who hath in him the spirit of the holy gods: and I told the dream before him.
until Daniel came, whose name is Baltasar, according to the name of my God, who has within him the Holy Spirit of God; to whom I said,
9 Baltassar, prince of the diviners, because I know that thou hast in thee the spirit of the holy gods, and that no secret is impossible to thee: tell me the visions of my dreams that I have seen, and the interpretation of them.
O Baltasar, chief of the enchanters, of whom I know that the Holy Spirit of God is in you, and no mystery is too hard for you, hear the vision of my dream which I had, and tell me the interpretation of it.
10 This was the vision of my head in my bed: I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was exceeding great.
I had a vision upon my bed; and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.
11 The tree was great, and strong: and the height thereof reached unto heaven: the sight thereof was even to the ends of all the earth.
The tree grew large and strong, and its height reached to the sky, and its extent to the extremity of the whole earth:
12 Its leaves were most beautiful, and its fruit exceeding much: and in it was food for all: under it dwelt cattle, and beasts, and in the branches thereof the fowls of the air had their abode: and all flesh did eat of it.
its leaves were fair, and its fruit abundant, and in it was meat for all; and under it the wild beasts of the field took shelter, and the birds of the sky lodged in the branches of it, and all flesh was fed of it.
13 I saw in the vision of my head upon my bed, and behold a watcher, and a holy one came down from heaven.
I saw in the night vision upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven and cried aloud, and thus he said,
14 He cried aloud, and said thus: Cut down the tree, and chop off the branches thereof: shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruits: let the beasts fly away that are under it, and the birds from its branches.
Cut down the tree, and pluck off its branches, and shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit: let the wild beasts be removed from under it, and the birds from its branches.
15 Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, and let it be tied with a band of iron, and of brass, among the grass, that is without, and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let its portion be with the wild beasts in the grass of the earth.
Only leave the stump of its roots in the earth, and [bind it] with an iron and brass band; and it shall lie in the grass that is without and in the dew of heaven, and its portion [shall be] with the wild beasts in the grass of the field.
16 Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given him; and let seven times pass over him.
His heart shall be changed from that of man, and the heart of a wild beast shall be given to him; and seven times shall pass over him.
17 This is the decree by the sentence of the watchers, and the word And demand of the holy ones; till the living know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men; and he will give it to whomsoever it shall please him, and he will appoint the basest man over it.
The matter is by the decree of the watcher, and the demand is a word of the holy ones; that the living may known that the Lord is most high [over] the kingdom of men, and he will give it to whoever he shall please, and will set up over it that which is set at nothing of men.
18 I king Nabuchodonosor saw this dream: thou, therefore, O Baltassar, tell me quickly the interpretation: for all the wise men of my kingdom axe not able to declare the meaning of it to me: but thou art able, because the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
This is the vision which I king Nabuchodonosor saw: and do you, Baltasar, declare the interpretation, for none of the wise men of my kingdom are able to show me the interpretation of it: but you, Daniel, are able; for the Holy Spirit of God is in you.
19 Then Daniel, whose name was Baltassar, began silently to think within himself for about one hour: and his thoughts troubled him. But the king answering, said: Baltassar, let not the dream and the interpretation thereof trouble thee. Baltassar answered, and said: My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thy enemies.
Then Daniel, whose name is Baltasar, was amazed about one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. And Baltasar answered and said, [My] lord, let the dream be to them that hate you, and the interpretation of it to your enemies.
20 The tree which thou sawest which was high and strong, whose height reached to the skies, and the sight thereof into all tire earth:
The tree which you saw, that grew large and strong, whose height reached to the sky and its extent to all the earth;
21 And the branches thereof were most beautiful, and its fruit exceeding much, and in it was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and the birds of the air had their abode in its branches.
and whose leaves were flourishing, and its fruit abundant, (and it was meat for all; under it the wild beasts lodged, and the birds of the sky took shelter in its branches: )
22 It is thou, O king, who art grown great and become mighty: for thy greatness hath grown, and hath reached to heaven, and thy power unto the ends of the earth.
is yourself, O king; for you are grown great and powerful, and your greatness has increased and reached to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth.
23 And whereas the king saw a watcher, and a holy one come down from heaven, and say: Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, and let it be bound with iron and brass among the grass without, and let it be sprinkled with the dew of heaven, and let his feeding be with the wild beasts, till seven times pass over him.
And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, and he said, Strip the tree, and destroy it; only leave the stump of its roots in the ground, and [bind it] with a band of iron and brass; and it shall lie in the grass that is without, and in the dew of heaven, and its portion shall be with wild beasts, until seven times have passed over it;
24 This is the interpretation of the sentence of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king.
this is the interpretation of it, O king, and it is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king.
25 They shall cast thee out from among men, and thy dwelling shall be with cattle and with wild beasts, and thou shalt eat grass as an ox, and shalt be wet with the dew of heaven: and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth over the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
And they shall drive you forth from men, and your dwelling shall be with wild beasts, and they shall feed you with grass as an ox, and you shall have your lodging under the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, until you known that the Most High is Lord of the kingdom of men, and will give it to whom he shall please.
26 But whereas he commanded, that the stump of the roots thereof, that is, of the tree, should be left: thy kingdom shall remain to thee after thou shalt have known that power is from heaven.
And whereas they said, Leave the stumps of the roots of the tree; your kingdom abides [sure] to you from the time that you shall know the power of the heavens.
27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to thee, and redeem thou thy sins with alms, and thy iniquities with works of mercy to the poor: perhaps he will forgive thy offences.
Therefore, O king, let my counsel please you, and atone for your sins by alms, and [your] iniquities by compassion on the poor: it may be God will be longsuffering to your trespasses.
28 All these things came upon king Nabuchodonosor.
All these things came upon king Nabuchodonosor.
29 At the end of twelve months he was walking in the palace of Babylon.
After a twelvemonth, as he walked in his palace in Babylon,
30 And the king answered, and said: Is not this the great Babylon, which I have built to be the seat of the kingdom, by the strength of my power, and in the glory of my excellence?
the king answered and said, Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for a royal residence, by the might of my power, for the honour of my glory?
31 And while the word was yet in the king’s mouth, a voice came down from heaven: To thee, O king Nabuchodonosor, it is said: Thy kingdom shall pass from thee,
While the word was yet in the king's mouth, there came a voice from heaven, [saying], To you, king Nabuchodonosor, they say, The kingdom has departed from you.
32 And they shall cast thee out from among men, and thy dwelling shall be with cattle and wild beasts: thou shalt eat grass like an ox, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
And they [shall] drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the wild beasts of the field, and they shall feed you with grass as an ox: and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High is Lord of the kingdom of men, and he will give it to whoever he shall please.
33 The same hour the word was fulfilled upon Nabuchodonosor, and he was driven away from among men, and did eat grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven: till his hairs grew like the feathers of eagles, and his nails like birds’ claws.
In the same hour the word was fulfilled upon Nabuchodonosor: and he was driven forth from men, and he ate grass as an ox, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until his hairs were grown like lions' [hairs], and his nails as birds' [claws].
34 Now at the end of the days, I Nabuchodonosor lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my sense was restored to me: and I blessed the most High, and I praised and glorified him that liveth for ever: for his power is an everlasting power, and his kingdom is to all generations.
And at the end of the time I Nabuchodonosor lifted up mine eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised him that lives for ever, and gave [him] glory; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom [lasts] to all generations:
35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing before him: for he doth according to his will, I as well with the powers of heaven, as among the inhabitants of the earth: and there is none that can resist his hand, and say to him: Why hast thou done it?
and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and amongst the inhabitants of the earth: and there is none who shall withstand his power, and say to him, What has you done?
36 At the same time my sense returned to me, and I came to the honour and glory of my kingdom: and my shape returned to me: and my nobles, and my magistrates sought for me, and I was restored to my kingdom: and greater majesty was added to me.
At the same time my reason returned to me, and I came to the honour of my kingdom; and my [natural] form returned to me, and my princes, and my nobles, sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and more abundant majesty was added to me.
37 Therefore I Nabuchodonosor do now praise, and magnify, and glorify the King of heaven: because all his works are true, and his ways judgments, and them that walk in pride he is able to abase.
Now therefore I Nabuchodonosor praise and greatly exalt and glorify the King of heaven; for all his works are true, and his paths are judgement: and all that walk in pride he is able to abase.

< Daniel 4 >