Daniel 4

1 Nebuchadnezzar the king, to all the peoples, nations, and languages living in all the earth: May your peace be increased.

Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all the peoples, the races and the tongues who are dwelling in all the earth, Let, your prosperity, abound!

2 It has seemed good to me to make clear the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done with me.

The signs, and the wonders, which the most high God, hath wrought with me, it is pleasing before me to declare.

3 How great are his signs! and how full of power are his wonders! his kingdom is an eternal kingdom and his rule goes on from generation to generation.

His signs, how great! and, his wonders, how mighty! His kingdom, is an age-abiding kingdom, and, his dominion, lasteth from generation to generation.

4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my place, and all things were going well for me in my great house:

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at peace in mine own house, and was prosperous in my palace.

5 I saw a dream which was a cause of great fear to me; I was troubled by the images of my mind on my bed, and by the visions of my head.

A dream, I saw, and it made me afraid, —and, fancies upon my bed, and visions of my head, terrified me.

6 And I gave orders for all the wise men of Babylon to come in before me so that they might make clear to me the sense of my dream.

Therefore made I a decree, to bring in before me, all the wise men of Babylon, —who, the interpretation of the dream, should make known to me.

7 Then the wonder-workers, the users of secret arts, the Chaldaeans, and the readers of signs came in to me: and I put the dream before them but they did not make clear the sense of it to me.

Then came in the sacred scribes, the magicians, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers, —and, the dream, told I before them, but, the interpretation, could they not make known to me.

8 But at last Daniel came in before me, he whose name was Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and I put the dream before him, saying,

Howbeit, at last, came before me—Daniel, whose, name, was Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and, the dream—before him, I told [saying]:

9 O Belteshazzar, master of the wonder-workers, because I am certain that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and you are troubled by no secret; this is the dream which I saw: make clear to me its sense.

O Belteshazzar, chief of the sacred scribes, because I know that, the spirit of the holy gods, is in thee, —and no secret giveth thee trouble, [therefore], the visions of my dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof, do thou tell.

10 On my bed I saw a vision: there was a tree in the middle of the earth, and it was very high.

The visions then of my head upon my bed [were these], —I was looking, when lo! a tree in the midst of the land, and, the height thereof, was great.

11 And the tree became tall and strong, stretching up to heaven, and to be seen from the ends of the earth:

The tree, grew, and became strong, —and, the height thereof, reached unto the heavens, and, the view thereof, unto the end of all the land:

12 Its leaves were fair and it had much fruit, and in it was food enough for all: the beasts of the field had shade under it, and the birds of heaven were resting in its branches, and it gave food to all living things.

The foliage thereof, was beautiful, and, the fruit thereof, abundant, and there was food for all therein, —under it, the wild beast of the field found shade, and, among its branches, dwelt the birds of the heavens, and, therefrom, was well fed, all flesh.

13 In the visions of my head on my bed I saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven,

I was looking, in the visions of my head, upon my bed, when lo! a watcher and holy one, outer the heavens, coming down.

14 Crying out with a loud voice; and this is what he said: Let the tree be cut down and its branches broken off; let its leaves be taken off and its fruit sent in every direction: let the beasts get away from under it and the birds from its branches:

He cried aloud, and, thus, he said—Hew ye down the tree, and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves, and scatter its fruit, —let the wild beasts flee from under it, and the birds, out of its branches;

15 But keep its broken end and its roots still in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass; let him have the young grass of the field for food, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his part be with the beasts.

Nevertheless, the stock of its roots in the earth, leave ye, yea in a bond of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and, with the dew of the heavens, let it be drenched, and, with the wild beasts, be its portion, amongst, the herbage of the earth;

16 Let his heart be changed from that of a man, and the heart of a beast be given to him; and let seven times go by him.

Let, its heart, from a man’s, be changed, and, the heart of a wild beast, be given to it, —and let seven seasons pass over it.

17 This order is fixed by the watchers, and the decision is by the word of the holy ones: so that the living may be certain that the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of men, and gives it to any man at his pleasure, lifting up over it the lowest of men.

By the decree of the watchers, is the thing, and [by] the mandate of the holy ones, the matter: to the intent that the living, may get to know, that the Most High, hath dominion, over the kingdom of men, and, to whomsoever he pleaseth, he giveth it, and, one low among men, he setteth up over it.

18 This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw; and do you, O Belteshazzar, make clear the sense of it, for all the wise men of my kingdom are unable to make the sense of it clear to me; but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.

This dream, have, I, King Nebuchadnezzar, seen. Thou, therefore, O Belteshazzar, the interpretation, do thou tell, forasmuch as, all the wise men of my kingdom, are unable, the interpretation, to make known to me, but, thou, art able, because, the spirit of the holy gods, is in thee.

19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was at a loss for a time, his thoughts troubling him. The king made answer and said, Belteshazzar, do not be troubled by the dream or by the sense of it. Belteshazzar, answering, said, My lord, may the dream be about your haters, and its sense about those who are against you.

Then, Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for about one moment, and, his thoughts, troubled him. The king spake and said, O Belteshazzar, let neither, the dream, nor the interpretation, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My Lord, The dream, be for them who hate thee, and, the interpretation, for them who are thy foes.

20 The tree which you saw, which became tall and strong, stretching up to heaven and seen from the ends of the earth;

The tree which thou sawest, which grew and became strong, whose, height, reached unto the heavens, and, the view, thereof to all the earth:

21 Which had fair leaves and much fruit, and had in it food for all; under which the beasts of the field were living, and in the branches of which the birds of heaven had their resting-places:

Whose, foliage, was beautiful, and whose, fruit, abundant, and, food for all, was in it, —under it, dwelt the wild beasts of the field, and, in the branches thereof, nestled the birds of the heavens:

22 It is you, O King, who have become great and strong: for your power is increased and stretching up to heaven, and your rule to the end of the earth.

Thyself, it is, O king, in that thou art grown, and become strong, —and, thy greatness hath grown, and reached to the heavens, and, thy dominion, to the end of the earth.

23 And as for the vision which the king saw of a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven, saying, Let the tree be cut down and given to destruction;

And, whereas the king saw a watcher and holy one coming down out of the heavens, who said, Hew ye down the tree and despoil it, nevertheless, the stock of its roots—in the earth, leave ye, even in a bond of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, —and, with the dew of the heavens, let it he drenched, and, along with the wild beasts of the field, be its portion, until that, seven seasons, pass over it.

24 This is the sense of it, O King, and it is the decision of the Most High which has come on my lord the king:

This, is the interpretation, O king, —and, the decree of the Most High, it is, which hath come upon my lord the king:

25 That they will send you out from among men, to be with the beasts of the field; they will give you grass for your food like the oxen, and you will be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven times will go by you, till you are certain that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and gives it to any man at his pleasure.

That, thee, are they going to drive forth from among men, and, along with the wild beasts of the field, shall be thy dwelling, and, grass—like oxen, will they suffer, thee, to eat, and, with the dew of the heavens, will they suffer, thee, to be drenched, and, seven seasons, shall pass over thee, —until that thou come to know, that the Most High, hath dominion, over the kingdom of men, and, to whomsoever he pleaseth, he giveth it.

26 And as they gave orders to let the broken end and the roots of the tree be, so your kingdom will be safe for you after it is clear to you that the heavens are ruling.

And, whereas they gave word to leave the stock of the roots of the tree, thy kingdom, unto thee, is sure, —after that thou come to know, that the heavens, have dominion.

27 For this cause, O King, let my suggestion be pleasing to you, and let your sins be covered by righteousness and your evil-doing by mercy to the poor, so that the time of your well-being may be longer.

Wherefore, O king, let, my counsel, be pleasing unto thee, thy sin, then, —by righteousness, break thou off, and, thine iniquities, by shewing favour to the oppressed, —if so be it may become the lengthening out of thy security.

28 All this came to King Nebuchadnezzar.

All this, came upon Nebuchadnezzar the king.

29 At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of his great house in Babylon.

At the end of twelve months, over the palace of the kingdom of Babylon, was he walking:

30 The king made answer and said, Is this not great Babylon, which I have made for the living-place of kings, by the strength of my power and for the glory of my honour?

the king spake and said, Is not, this, Babylon the great, —which, I myself, have built as the home of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the dignity of my majesty?

31 While the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice came down from heaven, saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is said: The kingdom has gone from you:

While yet the word was in the mouth of the king, a voice, out of the heavens, fell, —Unto thee, is it said, O Nebuchadnezzar the king, The kingdom, hath departed from thee;

32 And they will send you out from among men, to be with the beasts of the field; they will give you grass for your food like the oxen, and seven times will go by you, till you are certain that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and gives it to any man at his pleasure.

And, from among men, are they going to drive, thee, forth, and, with the wild beast of the field, shall be thy dwelling, grass—like oxen, will they suffer, thee, to eat, and, seven seasons, shall pass over thee, —until that thou come to know that the Most High, hath dominion, over the kingdom of men, and, to whomsoever he pleaseth, he giveth it.

33 That very hour the order about Nebuchadnezzar was put into effect: and he was sent out from among men, and had grass for his food like the oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hair became long as eagles' feathers and his nails like those of birds.

Immediately, the word, was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar, and, from among men, was he driven forth, and, grass—like oxen, did he eat, and, with the dew of the heavens, his body was drenched, —until that, his hair, like to eagles’ feathers, was grown, and his nails, like birds’ claws.

34 And at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifting up my eyes to heaven, got back my reason, and, blessing the Most High, I gave praise and honour to him who is living for ever, whose rule is an eternal rule and whose kingdom goes on from generation to generation.

And, at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, mine eyes unto the heavens, did uplift, and, mine understanding, unto me, returned, and, the Most High, I blessed, and, to him that liveth age-abidingly, I rendered praise and honour, —whose dominion, is an age-abiding dominion, and, his kingdom, lasteth from generation to generation;

35 And all the people of the earth are as nothing: he does his pleasure in the army of heaven and among the people of the earth: and no one is able to keep back his hand, or say to him, What are you doing?

And, all the inhabitants of the earth, as nothing, are accounted, and, according to his own pleasure, dealeth he—with the army of the heavens, and the inhabitants of the earth, —and none there is who can smite upon his hand, or say to him, What hast thou done?

36 At the same time my reason came back to me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my honour and my great name came back to me; and my wise men and my lords were turned to me again; and I was made safe in my kingdom and had more power than before.

At the same time, mine understanding, returned unto me, and, for the dignity of my kingdom, my majesty and my brightness, returned unto me, and, unto me, my nearest friends and my nobles, did seek, —and, over my kingdom, was I restored, and, surpassing greatness, was added unto me.

37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, give worship and praise and honour to the King of heaven; for all his works are true and his ways are right: and those who go in pride he is able to make low.

Now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, am praising and extolling and honouring the King of the Heavens, all whose works, are truth, and, his ways, right; and, them who walk in pride, he is able to abase,