Daniel 4

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

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

2 The signs and wonders that God Most High has done with me, it is good before me to show.

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

3 How great His signs! And how mighty His wonders! His kingdom [is] a continuous kingdom, and His rule [is] with generation and 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, have been at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace:

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

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

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 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.

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 And at last Daniel has come up before me, 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:

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, master of the scribes, as I have known that the spirit of the holy gods [is] in you, and no secret presses you, the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation, tell.

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 As for the visions of my head on my bed, I was looking, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height [is] 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 has become great, indeed, strong, and its height reaches to the heavens, and its vision to the end of the whole land;

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 [are] beautiful, and its budding great, and food for all [is] in it: under it the beast of the field takes shade, and in its boughs dwell the birds of the heavens, and of it are all flesh 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 I was looking, in the visions of my head on my bed, and behold, a sifter, even a holy one, from the heavens is coming down.

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 is calling mightily, and thus has 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;

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 the stump of its roots leave in the earth, even with a band of iron and bronze, 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;

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

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 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 wills He gives it, and the lowest of men He raises up over it.

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 dream I have seen, I King Nebuchadnezzar; and you, O Belteshazzar, tell the interpretation, because that all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to cause me to know the interpretation, and you [are] able, for 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 Then Daniel, whose name [is] Belteshazzar, has been astonished about one hour, and his thoughts trouble him; the king has answered and said, “O Belteshazzar, do not let the dream and its interpretation trouble you.” Belteshazzar has answered and said, “My lord, the dream—to those hating 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 that you have seen, that has become great and strong, and its height reaches to the heavens, and its vision to all the land,

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

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 It [is] you, O king, for you have become great and mighty, and your greatness has become great, and has reached to the heavens, and your dominion to the end 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 that which the king has seen—a sifter, even a holy one, coming down from the heavens, and he has 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 bronze, 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, until seven times pass over him.

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 it [is] the decree of the Most High that has come 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 and they are driving you away from men, and your dwelling is with the beast of the field, and they cause you to eat the herb as oxen, and they are wetting you by the dew of the heavens, and pass over you seven times, until you know that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and to whom He wills He gives it.

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 And that which they said—to leave the stump of the roots of the tree; your kingdom abides for you, after that you know that the heavens are ruling.

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, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and your sins by righteousness break off, and your perversity by pitying the poor, behold, it is a lengthening of your ease.”

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—has come on Nebuchadnezzar the king.

All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.

29 At the end of twelve months, on the palace of the kingdom of Babylon he has been walking;

At the end of twelve months, he was walking in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon;

30 the king has answered and said, “Is this not that great Babylon that I have built, for the house of the kingdom, in the might of my strength, and for the glory of my honor?”

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 word is [in] the king’s mouth a voice from the heavens has fallen: “They are saying to you: O Nebuchadnezzar the king, the kingdom has passed 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 and from men they are driving you away, and your dwelling [is] with the beast of the field, they cause you to eat the herb as oxen, and pass over you seven times, until you know that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and to whom He wills He gives it.”

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

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 “And at the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, have lifted up my eyes to the heavens, and my understanding returns to me, and I have blessed the Most High, and the Perpetual Living One I have praised and honored, whose dominion [is] a continuous dominion, and His kingdom with generation and 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 and all who are dwelling on the earth are reckoned as nothing, 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 claps with his hand and says 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 that time my understanding returns to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and my brightness return to me, and to me my counselors and my great men seek, and over my kingdom I have been made right, and abundant greatness has been 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, am praising and exalting and honoring 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.”

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.