Daniel 4
1 King Nebuchadnezzar, To the people of every nation and language who dwell in all the earth: May your prosperity be multiplied.
NABUCHODONOSOR rex, omnibus populis, gentibus, et linguis, qui habitant in universa terra, pax vobis multiplicetur.
2 I am pleased to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.
Signa, et mirabilia fecit apud me Deus excelsus. Placuit ergo mihi prædicare
3 How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; His dominion endures from generation to generation.
signa eius, quia magna sunt: et mirabilia eius, quia fortia: et regnum eius regnum sempiternum, et potestas eius in generationem et generationem.
4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace.
Ego Nabuchodonosor quietus eram in domo mea, et florens in palatio meo:
5 I had a dream, and it frightened me; while in my bed, the images and visions in my mind alarmed me.
somnium vidi, quod perterruit me: et cogitationes meæ in strato meo, et visiones capitis mei conturbaverunt me.
6 So I issued a decree that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me.
Et per me propositum est decretum ut introducerentur in conspectu meo cuncti sapientes Babylonis, et ut solutionem somnii indicarent mihi.
7 When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, and they could not interpret it for me.
Tunc ingrediebantur arioli, magi, Chaldæi, et aruspices, et somnium narravi in conspectu eorum: et solutionem eius non indicaverunt mihi:
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:
donec collega ingressus est in conspectu meo Daniel, cui nomen Baltassar secundum nomen dei mei, qui habet spiritum deorum sanctorum in semetipso: et somnium coram ipso locutus sum.
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.
Baltassar princeps ariolorum, quoniam ego scio quod spiritum sanctorum deorum habeas in te, et omne sacramentum non est impossibile tibi: visiones somniorum meorum, quas vidi, et solutionem earum narra.
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.
Visio capitis mei in cubili meo: Videbam, et ecce arbor in medio terræ, et altitudo eius nimia.
11 The tree grew large and strong; its top reached the sky, and it was visible to the ends of the earth.
Magna arbor, et fortis: et proceritas eius contingens cælum: aspectus illius erat usque ad terminos universæ terræ.
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.
Folia eius pulcherrima, et fructus eius nimius: et esca universorum in ea: subter eam habitabant animalia, et bestiæ, et in ramis eius conversabantur volucres cæli: et ex ea vescebatur omnis caro.
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.
Videbam in visione capitis mei super stratum meum, et ecce vigil, et sanctus de cælo descendit.
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.
Clamavit fortiter, et sic ait: Succidite arborem, et præcidite ramos eius: excutite folia eius, et dispergite fructus eius: fugiant bestiæ, quæ subter eam sunt, et volucres de ramis eius.
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.
Verumtamen germen radicum eius in terra sinite, et alligetur vinculo ferreo et æreo in herbis, quæ foris sunt, et rore cæli tingatur, et cum feris pars eius in herba terræ.
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.
Cor eius ab humano commutetur, et cor feræ detur ei: et septem tempora mutentur super eum.
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.’
In sententia vigilum decretum est, et sermo sanctorum, et petitio: donec cognoscant viventes quoniam dominatur Excelsus in regno hominum; et cuicumque voluerit, dabit illud, et humillimum hominem constituet super eum.
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.”
Hoc somnium vidi ego Nabuchodonosor rex: tu ergo Baltassar interpretationem narra festinus: quia omnes sapientes regni mei non queunt solutionem edicere mihi: tu autem potes, quia spiritus deorum sanctorum in te est.
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!
Tunc Daniel, cuius nomen Baltassar, cœpit intra semetipsum tacitus cogitare quasi una hora: et cogitationes eius conturbabant eum. Respondens autem rex ait: Baltassar, somnium et interpretatio eius non conturbent te. Respondit Baltassar, et dixit: Domine mi, somnium his, qui te oderunt, et interpretatio eius hostibus tuis sit.
20 The tree you saw that grew large and strong, whose top reached the sky and was visible to all the earth,
Arborem, quam vidisti sublimem, atque robustam, cuius altitudo pertingit ad cælum, et aspectus illius in omnem terram:
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—
et rami eius pulcherrimi, et fructus eius nimius, et esca omnium in ea, subter eam habitantes bestiæ agri, et in ramis eius commorantes aves cæli:
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.
Tu es rex, qui magnificatus es, et invaluisti: et magnitudo tua crevit, et pervenit usque ad cælum, et potestas tua in terminos universæ terræ.
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.’
Quod autem vidit rex vigilem, et sanctum descendere de cælo, et dicere: Succidite arborem, et dissipate illam, attamen germen radicum eius in terra dimittite, et vinciatur ferro et ære in herbis foris, et rore cæli conspergatur, et cum feris sit pabulum eius, donec septem tempora mutentur super eum:
24 This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree that the Most High has issued against my lord the king:
Hæc est interpretatio sententiæ Altissimi, quæ pervenit super dominum meum regem:
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.
Eiicient te ab hominibus, et cum bestiis ferisque erit habitatio tua, et fœnum ut bos comedes, et rore cæli infunderis: septem quoque tempora mutabuntur super te, donec scias quod dominetur Excelsus super regnum hominum, et cuicumque voluerit, det illud.
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.
Quod autem præcepit ut relinqueretur germen radicum eius, id est arboris: regnum tuum tibi manebit postquam cognoveris potestatem esse cælestem.
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.”
Quam ob rem rex consilium meum placeat tibi, et peccata tua eleemosynis redime, et iniquitates tuas misericordiis pauperum: forsitan ignoscet delictis tuis.
28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.
Omnia hæc venerunt super Nabuchodonosor regem.
29 Twelve months later, as he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon,
Post finem mensium duodecim, in aula Babylonis deambulabat.
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?”
Responditque rex, et ait: Nonne hæc est Babylon magna, quam ego ædificavi in domum regni, in robore fortitudinis meæ, et in gloria decoris mei?
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.
Cumque sermo adhuc esset in ore regis, vox de cælo ruit: Tibi dicitur Nabuchodonosor rex: Regnum tuum transibit a te,
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.”
et ab hominibus eiicient te, et cum bestiis et feris erit habitatio tua: fœnum quasi bos comedes, et septem tempora mutabuntur super te, donec scias quod dominetur Excelsus in regno hominum, et cuicumque voluerit, det illud.
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.
Eadem hora sermo completus est super Nabuchodonosor, et ex hominibus abiectus est, et fœnum ut bos comedit, et rore cæli corpus eius infectum est: donec capilli eius in similitudinem aquilarum crescerent, et ungues eius quasi avium.
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.
Igitur post finem dierum ego Nabuchodonosor oculos meos ad cælum levavi, et sensus meus redditus est mihi: et Altissimo benedixi, et viventem in sempiternum laudavi, et glorificavi: quia potestas eius potestas sempiterna, et regnum eius in generationem et generationem.
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?’”
Et omnes habitatores terræ apud eum in nihilum reputati sunt: iuxta voluntatem enim suam facit tam in virtutibus cæli quam in habitatoribus terræ: et non est qui resistat manui eius, et dicat ei: Quare fecisti?
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.
In ipso tempore sensus meus reversus est ad me, et ad honorem regni mei, decoremque perveni: et figura mea reversa est ad me: et optimates mei, et magistratus mei requisierunt me, et in regno meo restitutus sum: et magnificentia amplior addita est mihi.
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.
Nunc igitur ego Nabuchodonosor laudo, et magnifico, et glorifico Regem cæli: quia omnia opera eius vera, et viæ eius iudicia, et gradientes in superbia potest humiliare.
