4:1 King Nabuchodonosor to all nations,
tribes, and tongues, who dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied to you.
4:2 It seemed good to me to declare to you the signs and wonders which the
most high God has wrought with me,
4:3 how great and mighty [they are]: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and his power to all generations.
4:4 I Nabuchodonosor was thriving in my house, and prospering.
4:5 I saw a vision, and it terrified me, and I was troubled on my bed, and
the visions of my head troubled me.
4:6 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.
4:7 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;
4:8 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,
4:9 O Baltasar, chief of the enchanters, of whom I know that the Holy Spirit
of God is in thee, and no mystery is too hard for thee, hear the vision of
my dream which I had, and tell me the interpretation of it.
4:10 I had a vision upon my bed; and behold a tree in the midst of the
earth, and its height was great.
4:11 The tree grew large and strong, and its height reached to the sky, and
its extent to the extremity of the whole earth:
4:12 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.
4:13 I beheld 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,
4:14 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.
4:15 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.
4:16 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.
4:17 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 whomsoever he shall please, and
will set up over it that which is set at nought of men.
4:18 This is the vision which I king Nabuchodonosor saw: and do thou,
Baltasar, declare the interpretation, for none of the wise men of my kingdom
are able to shew me the interpretation of it: but thou, Daniel, art able;
for the Holy Spirit of God is in thee.
4:19 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 thee, and the interpretation of it to thine
enemies.
4:20 The tree which thou sawest, that grew large and strong, whose height
reached to the sky and its extent to all the earth;
4:21 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:)
4:22 is thyself, O king; for thou art grown great and powerful, and thy
greatness has increased and reached to heaven, and thy dominion to the ends
of the earth.
4:23 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;
4:24 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.
4:25 And they shall drive thee forth from men, and thy dwelling shall be
with wild beasts, and they shall feed thee with grass as an ox, and thou
shall have thy lodging under the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass
over thee, until thou known that the Most High is Lord of the kingdom of
men, and will give it to whom he shall please.
4:26 And whereas they said, Leave the stumps of the roots of the tree; thy
kingdom abides [sure] to thee from the time that thou shalt know the power
of the heavens.
4:27 Therefore, O king, let my counsel please thee, and atone for thy sins
by alms, and [thine] iniquities by compassion on the poor: it may be God
will be long-suffering to thy trespasses.
4:28 All these things came upon king Nabuchodonosor.
4:29 After a twelvemonth, as he walked in his palace in Babylon,
4:30 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?
4:31 While the word was yet in the king's mouth, there came a voice from
heaven, [saying], To thee, king Nabuchodonosor, they say, The kingdom has
departed from thee.
4:32 And they [shall] drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with
the wild beasts of the field, and they shall feed thee with grass as an ox:
and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High is
Lord of the kingdom of men, and he will give it to whomsoever he shall
please.
4:33 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].
4:34 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:
4:35 and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he
does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants
of the earth: and there is none who shall withstand his power, and say to
him, What has thou done?
4:36 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.
4:37 Now therefore I Nabuchodonosor praise and greatly exalt and glorify the
King of heaven; for all his works are true, and his paths are judgment: and
all that walk in pride he is able to abase. |
4:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all
people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be
multiplied unto you.
4:2 I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath
wrought toward me.
4:3 How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is
an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.
4:4 I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my
palace:
4:5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the
visions of my head troubled me.
4:6 Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before
me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.
4:7 Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the
soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known
unto me the interpretation thereof.
4:8 But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar,
according to the name of my God, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods:
and before him I told the dream, saying,
4:9 O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit
of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the
visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.
4:10 Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree
in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.
4:11 The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto
heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:
4:12 The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was
meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of
the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.
4:13 I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and
an holy one came down from heaven;
4:14 He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his
branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get
away from under it, and the fowls from his branches:
4:15 Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a
band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet
with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass
of the earth:
4:16 Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given
unto him; and let seven times pass over him.
4:17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the
word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most
High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and
setteth up over it the basest of men.
4:18 This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar,
declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my
kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art
able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
4:19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour,
and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let
not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar
answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the
interpretation thereof to thine enemies.
4:20 The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height
reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth;
4:21 Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat
for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches
the fowls of the heaven had their habitation:
4:22 It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness
is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the
earth.
4:23 And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from
heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump
of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in
the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and
let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over
him;
4:24 This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most
High, which is come upon my lord the king:
4:25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the
beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they
shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, 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.
4:26 And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy
kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the
heavens do rule.
4:27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break
off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the
poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
4:28 All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.
4:29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of
Babylon.
4:30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built
for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of
my majesty?
4:31 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.
4:32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the
beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven
times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the
kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
4:33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was
driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the
dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his
nails like birds' claws.
4:34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto
heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most
High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is
an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:
4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he
doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants
of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
4:36 At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my
kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and
my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent
majesty was added unto me.
4:37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven,
all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in
pride he is able to abase. |