Daniel 4

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

King Nabuchodonosor to all nations, tribes, and tongues, who dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied to you.

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

It seemed good to me to declare to you the signs and wonders which the most high God has wrought with me,

3 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.

how great and mighty [they are]: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his power to all generations.

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

I Nabuchodonosor was thriving in my house, and prospering.

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

I saw a vision, and it terrified me, and I was troubled on my bed, and the visions of my head troubled me.

6 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.

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

7 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.

So the enchanters, magicians, soothsayers, [and] Chaldeans came in: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known to me the interpretation thereof;

8 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.

until Daniel came, whose name is Baltasar, according to the name of my God, who has within him the Holy Spirit of God; to whom I said,

9 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.

O Baltasar, chief of the enchanters, of whom I know that the Holy Spirit of God is in thee, and no mystery is too hard for thee, hear the vision of my dream which I had, and tell me the interpretation of it.

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

I had a vision upon my bed; and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.

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

The tree grew large and strong, and its height reached to the sky, and its extent to the extremity of the whole earth:

12 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.

its leaves were fair, and its fruit abundant, and in it was meat for all; and under it the wild beasts of the field took shelter, and the birds of the sky lodged in the branches of it, and all flesh was fed of it.

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

I beheld in the night vision upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven, and cried aloud, and thus he said,

14 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.

Cut down the tree, and pluck off its branches, and shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit: let the wild beasts be removed from under it, and the birds from its branches.

15 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.

Only leave the stump of its roots in the earth, and [bind it] with an iron and brass band; and it shall lie in the grass that is without and in the dew of heaven, and its portion [shall be] with the wild beasts in the grass of the field.

16 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.

His heart shall be changed from that of man, and the heart of a wild beast shall be given to him; and seven times shall pass over him.

17 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.

The matter is by the decree of the watcher, and the demand is a word of the holy ones; that the living may know that the Lord is most high [over] the kingdom of men, and he will give it to whomsoever he shall please, and will set up over it that which is set at nought of men.

18 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.

This is the vision which I king Nabuchodonosor saw: and do thou, Baltasar, declare the interpretation, for none of the wise men of my kingdom are able to shew me the interpretation of it: but thou, Daniel, art able; for the Holy Spirit of God is in thee.

19 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!

Then Daniel, whose name is Baltasar, was amazed about one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. And Baltasar answered and said, [My] lord, let the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation of it to thine enemies.

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

The tree which thou sawest, that grew large and strong, whose height reached to the sky and its extent to all the earth;

21 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, —

and whose leaves were flourishing, and its fruit abundant, (and it was meat for all; under it the wild beasts lodged, and the birds of the sky took shelter in its branches: )

22 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.

is thyself, O king; for thou art grown great and powerful, and thy greatness has increased and reached to heaven, and thy dominion to the ends of the earth.

23 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;

And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, and he said, Strip the tree, and destroy it; only leave the stump of its roots in the ground, and [bind it] with a band of iron and brass; and it shall lie in the grass that is without, and in the dew of heaven, and its portion shall be with wild beasts, until seven times have passed over it;

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

this is the interpretation of it, O king, and it is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king.

25 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.

And they shall drive thee forth from men, and thy dwelling shall be with wild beasts, and they shall feed thee with grass as an ox, and thou shalt have thy lodging under the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High is Lord of the kingdom of men, and will give it to whom he shall please.

26 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.

And whereas they said, Leave the stumps of the roots of the tree; thy kingdom abides [sure] to thee from the time that thou shalt know the power of the heavens.

27 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.

Therefore, O king, let my counsel please thee, and atone for thy sins by alms, and [thine] iniquities by compassion on the poor: it may be God will be long-suffering to thy trespasses.

28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.

All these things came upon king Nabuchodonosor.

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

After a twelvemonth, as he walked in his palace in Babylon,

30 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?

the king answered and said, Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for a royal residence, by the might of my power, for the honour of my glory?

31 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.

While the word was yet in the king’s mouth, there came a voice from heaven, [saying], To thee, king Nabuchodonosor, they say, The kingdom has departed from thee.

32 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.”

And they [shall] drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the wild beasts of the field, and they shall feed thee with grass as an ox: and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High is Lord of the kingdom of men, and he will give it to whomsoever he shall please.

33 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.

In the same hour the word was fulfilled upon Nabuchodonosor: and he was driven forth from men, and he ate grass as an ox, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until his hairs were grown like lions’ [hairs], and his nails as birds’ [claws].

34 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.

And at the end of the time I Nabuchodonosor lifted up mine eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised him that lives for ever, and gave [him] glory; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom [lasts] to all generations:

35 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?

and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and there is none who shall withstand his power, and say to him, What hast thou done?

36 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.

At the same time my reason returned to me, and I came to the honour of my kingdom; and my [natural] form returned to me, and my princes, and my nobles, sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and more abundant majesty was added to me.

37 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.

Now therefore I Nabuchodonosor praise and greatly exalt and glorify the King of heaven; for all his works are true, and his paths are judgment: and all that walk in pride he is able to abase.