Daniel 4

1 King Nebuchadnezzar, To the people of every nation and language who dwell in all the earth: May your prosperity be multiplied.

Nebuchadnezzar the king to all people, nations, and languages that dwell upon the whole earth. Peace be multiplied to you!

2 I am pleased to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.

I have thought it good to show the signs and wonders which the Most High God hath wrought toward me.

3 How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; His dominion endures from generation to generation.

How great are his signs, and how mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endureth from generation to generation.

4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace.

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house, and flourishing in my palace.

5 I had a dream, and it frightened me; while in my bed, the images and visions in my mind alarmed me.

There I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.

6 So I issued a decree that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me.

Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me; that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

7 When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, and they could not interpret it for me.

Then came in the scribes, the magicians, the Chaldaeans, and the astrologers; and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known to me its interpretation.

8 But at last, into my presence came Daniel (whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods). And I told him the dream:

But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods, and I told him the dream.

9 “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery baffles you. So explain to me the visions I saw in my dream, and their interpretation.

O Belteshazzar, chief of the scribes, since I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret is too hard for thee, tell me the visions of my dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.

10 In these visions of my mind as I was lying in bed, I saw this come to pass: There was a tree in the midst of the land, and its height was great.

The visions of my head were these. I saw, and behold a tree in the midst, whose height was very great.

11 The tree grew large and strong; its top reached the sky, and it was visible to the ends of the earth.

The tree was large and strong, and its height reached to heaven, and it might be seen to the end of the whole earth.

12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit was abundant, and upon it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, in its branches the birds of the air nested, and from it every creature was fed.

The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the birds of heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.

13 As I lay on my bed, I also saw in the visions of my mind a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven.

I saw, in the visions of my head upon my bed, and behold, a watcher, even a holy one, came down from heaven;

14 He called out in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and chop off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it, and the birds from its branches.

he cried aloud, and spake thus: Hew down the tree, and cut off its branches; shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit; let the beasts go away from under it, and the birds from its branches.

15 But leave the stump with its roots in the ground, and a band of iron and bronze around it, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven and graze with the beasts on the grass of the earth.

Yet leave the stump of its roots in the earth, in bands of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and he shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and his portion shall be with the beasts in the grass of the field.

16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man, and let him be given the mind of a beast till seven times pass him by.

His heart shall be changed, and be no more that of a man, and a beast's heart shall be given him, and seven times shall pass over him.

17 This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the lowliest of men.’

By a decision of the watchers is the decree, and by a command of the holy ones is the sentence; to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdoms of men, and giveth them to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over them the lowest of men.

18 This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because none of the wise men of my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you are able, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw, and do thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but thou art able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.

19 For a time, Daniel, who was also known as Belteshazzar, was perplexed, and his thoughts alarmed him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.” “My lord,” replied Belteshazzar, “may the dream apply to those who hate you, and its interpretation to your enemies!

Then Daniel, who was called Belteshazzar, was amazed 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 signification of it to thine enemies!

20 The tree you saw that grew large and strong, whose top reached the sky and was visible to all the earth,

The tree which thou sawest, which was large and strong, whose height reached to heaven, and which might be seen by all the earth,

21 whose foliage was beautiful and whose fruit was abundant, providing food for all, under which the beasts of the field lived, and in whose branches the birds of the air nested—

whose leaves were fair, and whose fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which all the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whoso branches the birds of heaven had their lodging, —

22 you, O king, are that tree! For you have become great and strong; your greatness has grown to reach the sky, and your dominion extends to the ends of the earth.

it is thou, O king, who art become great and strong; for thy greatness is immense, and reacheth to heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.

23 And you, O king, saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying: ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump with its roots in the ground, and a band of iron and bronze around it, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and graze with the beasts of the field till seven times pass him by.’

And whereas the king saw a watcher, even a holy one, coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down and destroy it, yet leave the stump of its roots in the earth, in bands of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field, and he shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and his portion shall be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him;

24 This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree that the Most High has issued against my lord the king:

this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which is come upon my lord, the king;

25 You will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field. You will feed on grass like an ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.

they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall let thee eat grass as oxen, and be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdoms of men, and giveth them to whomsoever he will.

26 As for the command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots, your kingdom will be restored to you as soon as you acknowledge that Heaven rules.

And whereas it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, thy kingdom shall be sure to thee after thou shalt have acknowledged that Heaven ruleth.

27 Therefore, may my advice be pleasing to you, O king. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity.”

Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thy iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening out of thy tranquility.

28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.

All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.

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

At the end of twelve months, he was walking in the palace of the kingdom 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?”

and the king spake and said, Is not this the great Babylon which I have built for the seat of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?

31 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.

While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven: “To thee it is said, O Nebuchadnezzar! the kingdom is departed from thee.

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.”

And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; they shall make thee eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdoms of men, and giveth them to whomsoever he will.”

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.

The same hour was the word fulfilled against 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.

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.

But at the end of the days, I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored Him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and whose kingdom endureth from generation to generation.

35 All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’”

And all the inhabitants of the earth are counted 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 to him, What doest thou?

36 At the same time my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne, and surpassing greatness was added to me.

At the same time my reason returned to me, and also the glory of my kingdom, my honor, and my splendor returned to me; and my counsellors and my lords sought me; and I was established in my kingdom, and I received yet greater majesty.

37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride.

Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; all whose works are truth and his ways justice; and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.