Daniel 4

1 Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell on all the earth, May your welfare increase.

'Nebuchadnezzar the king to all peoples, nations, and languages, who are dwelling in all the earth: Your peace be great!

2 The signs and wonders which the most high God hath wrought toward me I find it for good to make known.

The signs and wonders that God Most High hath done with me, it is good before me to shew.

3 His signs—how great are they! and his wonders— how mighty are they! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his rule is over every generation.

His signs how great! and His wonders how mighty! His kingdom [is] a kingdom age-during, and His rule [is] with generation and generation.

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

'I, Nebuchadnezzar, have been at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace:

5 I saw a dream which terrified me; and the thoughts upon my couch and the visions of my head troubled me.

a dream I have seen, and it maketh me afraid, and the conceptions on my bed, and the visions of my head, do trouble me.

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

And by me a decree is made, to cause all the wise men of Babylon to come up before me, that the interpretation of the dream they may cause me to know.

7 Then came up the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers; and the dream did I recite before them; but its interpretation did they not make known unto me.

Then coming up are the scribes, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers, and the dream I have told before them, and its interpretation they are not making known to me.

8 But at the last came up 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 did I recite before him, [saying, ]

And at last come up before me hath Daniel, whose name [is] Belteshazzar — according to the name of my god — and in whom [is] the spirit of the holy gods, and the dream before him I have told:

9 O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, of whom I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and that no secret is concealed from thee, tell me the visions of my dream which I have seen, with its interpretation.

'O Belteshazzar, master of the scribes, as I have known that the spirit of the holy gods [is] in thee, and no secret doth press thee, the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation, tell.

10 And the visions of my head on my couch were, [that] I saw, and behold, there was a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.

As to the visions of my head on my bed, I was looking, and lo, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height [is] great:

11 The tree grew, and was strong, and its height reached unto heaven, and it was visible to the end of all the earth.

become great hath the tree, yea, strong, and its height doth reach to the heavens, and its vision to the end of the whole land;

12 Its foliage was splendid, and its fruit large, and on it was food for all: under it sought the beasts of the field for shade, and in its boughs dwelt the fowls of heaven, and from it was fed all flesh.

its leaves [are] fair, and its budding great, and food for all [is] in it: under it take shade doth the beast of the field, and in its boughs dwell do the birds of the heavens, and of it fed are all flesh.

13 I saw in the visions of my head on my couch, and, behold, a watcher who was also a holy one came down from heaven.

'I was looking, in the visions of my head on my bed, and lo, a sifter, even a holy one, from the heavens is coming down.

14 He called with might, and thus he said, Hew down the trees and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves, and scatter its fruit; let the beasts flee away from under it, and the fowls from among its branches:

He is calling mightily, and thus hath said, Cut down the tree, and cut off its branches, shake off its leaves, and scatter its budding, move away let the beast from under it, and the birds from off its branches;

15 Nevertheless leave the body of its roots in the earth, but [bound] with fetters of iron and copper, among the grass of the field; and let it be made wet with the dew of heaven, and let its portion be with the beasts on the herbage of the earth;

but the stump of its roots leave in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field, and with the dew of the heavens is it wet, and with the beasts [is] his portion in the herb of the earth;

16 Let his heart be changed not to be human, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times elapse over him.

his heart from man's is changed, and the heart of a beast is given to him, and seven times pass over him;

17 Through the resolve of the watchers is this decree, and by the order of the holy ones is this decision: to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth over the kingdom of men, and that he can give it to whomsoever he pleaseth, and can set up over it the lowest of men.

by the decree of the sifters [is] the sentence, and by the saying of the holy ones the requirement, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and to whom He willeth He giveth it, and the lowest of men He doth raise up over it.

18 This dream have I, king Nebuchadnezzar, seen; but thou, O Belteshazzar, relate its interpretation, 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.

'This dream I have seen, I king Nebuchadnezzar; and thou, O Belteshazzar, the interpretation tell, because that all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to cause me to know the interpretation, and thou [art] able, for the spirit of the holy gods [is] in thee.

19 Then was Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, astounded for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king then commenced, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or its interpretation, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, O that the dream might be for those that hate thee, and its interpretation for thy enemies.

'Then Daniel, whose name [is] Belteshazzar, hath been astonished about one hour, and his thoughts do trouble him; the king hath answered and said, O Belteshazzar, let not the dream and its interpretation trouble thee. Belteshazzar hath answered and said, My lord, the dream — to those hating thee, and its interpretation — to thine enemies!

20 The tree that thou hast seen, which grew, and was strong, the height of which reached unto the heaven, and which was visible to all the earth;

The tree that thou hast seen, that hath become great and strong, and its height doth reach to the heavens, and its vision to all the land,

21 The foliage of which was splendid, and the fruit of which was large, and on which was food for all; under which dwelt the beasts of the field, and in the boughs of which nestled the fowls of the heaven: —

and its leaves [are] fair, and its budding great, and food for all [is] in it, under it dwell doth the beast of the field, and on its boughs sit do the birds of the heavens.

22 It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong; and thy greatness is grown apace, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion is to the end of the earth.

'Thou it [is], O king, for thou hast become great and mighty, and thy greatness hath become great, and hath reached to the heavens, and thy dominion to the end of the earth;

23 And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, who said, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the body of its roots in the earth, but [bound] in fetters of iron and copper, among the grass of the field; and let it be made wet with the dew of heaven, and let its portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times elapse over it: —

and that which the king hath seen — a sifter, even a holy one, coming down from the heavens, and he hath said, Cut down the tree, and destroy it; but the stump of its roots leave in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field, and with the dew of the heavens it is wet, and with the beast of the field [is] his portion, till that seven times pass over him.

24 This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the resolve of the Most High, which will come over my lord the king:

'This [is] the interpretation, O king, and the decree of the Most High it [is] that hath come against my lord the king:

25 They will drive thee away from men, and with the beasts of the field is thy dwelling to be, and they will suffer thee to eat herbs like oxen, and they will suffer thee to be made wet with the dew of heaven, and seven times will elapse over thee; until that thou wilt know that the Most High ruleth over the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he pleaseth.

and they are driving thee away from men, and with the beast of the field is thy dwelling, and the herb as oxen they do cause thee to eat, and by the dew of the heavens they are wetting thee, and seven times do pass over thee, till that thou knowest that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and to whom He willeth He giveth it.

26 And whereas they ordered to leave the body of the roots of the tree: thy kingdom will remain unto thee, as soon as thou wilt know that the Heavens do rule.

And that which they said — to leave the stump of the roots of the tree; thy kingdom for thee abideth, after that thou knowest that the heavens are ruling.

27 Therefore, O king, let my counsel be agreeable unto thee, and atone for thy sins by righteousness, and for thy iniquities by showing kindness to the poor: perhaps thy prosperity may [thereby] endure long.

'Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and thy sins by righteousness break off, and thy perversity by pitying the poor, lo, it is a lengthening of thine ease.

28 All this came over king Nebuchadnezzar.

'All — hath come on Nebuchadnezzar the king.

29 At the end of twelve months he was walking upon the royal palace at Babylon.

'At the end of twelve months, on the palace of the kingdom of Babylon he hath been walking;

30 The king commenced, and said, Is not this Babylon the great, that I myself have built for a royal residence by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?

the king hath answered and said, Is not this that great Babylon that I have built, for the house of the kingdom, in the might of my strength, and for the glory of mine honour?

31 The word was still in the king's mouth, when there fell a voice from heaven, [saying, ] To thee it is said, O king Nebuchadnezzar, The kingdom departeth from thee.

'While the word is [in] the king's mouth a voice from the heavens hath fallen: To thee they are saying: O Nebuchadnezzar the king, the kingdom hath passed from thee,

32 And from men will they drive thee away, and with the beasts of the field shall thy dwelling be; herbs like oxen will they suffer thee to eat, and seven times shall elapse over thee: until thou wilt know that the Most High ruleth over the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he pleaseth.

and from men they are driving thee away, and with the beast of the field [is] thy dwelling, the herb as oxen they do cause thee to eat, and seven times do pass over thee, till that thou knowest that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and to whom He willeth He giveth it.

33 At the same hour the word was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar; and from men was he driven away, and herbs like oxen had he to eat, and with the dew of heaven was his body made wet: till his hair was grown like eagles' [feathers], and his nails were like birds' [claws].—

'In that hour the thing hath been fulfilled on Nebuchadnezzar, and from men he is driven, and the herb as oxen he eateth, and by the dew of the heavens his body is wet, till that his hair as eagles' hath become great, and his nails as birds.'

34 But at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes unto heaven, and my understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and glorified the Everliving, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and whose kingdom is over every generation;

'And at the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, mine eyes to the heavens have lifted up, and mine understanding unto me returneth, and the Most High I have blessed, and the Age-during Living One I have praised and honoured, whose dominion [is] a dominion age-during, and His kingdom with generation and generation;

35 And [by whom] all the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nought; and [who] according to his pleasure doth with the host of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth; while there is none that can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

and all who are dwelling on the earth as nothing are reckoned, and according to his will He is doing among the forces of the heavens and those dwelling on the earth, and there is none that doth clap with his hand, and saith to Him, What hast Thou done?

36 At the same time my understanding returned unto me; and with the glory of my kingdom, my honor and my splendor returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought for me: and I was replaced in my kingdom, and additional greatness was added unto me.

'At that time my understanding doth return unto me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honour and my brightness doth return unto me, and to me my counsellors and my great men do seek, and over my kingdom I have been made right, and abundant greatness hath been added to me.

37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and glorify the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and whose ways are justice; and who is able to bring low those that walk in pride.

'Now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, am praising and exalting and honouring the King of the heavens, for all His works [are] truth, and His paths judgment, and those walking in pride He is able to humble.'