Danihelis Prophetæ 4

1 NABUCHODONOSOR rex, omnibus populis, gentibus, et linguis, qui habitant in universa terra, pax vobis multiplicetur.

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

2 Signa, et mirabilia fecit apud me Deus excelsus. Placuit ergo mihi prædicare

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

3 signa eius, quia magna sunt: et mirabilia eius, quia fortia: et regnum eius regnum sempiternum, et potestas eius in generationem et generationem.

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

4 Ego Nabuchodonosor quietus eram in domo mea, et florens in palatio meo:

I Nabuchodonosor was thriving in my house, and prospering.

5 somnium vidi, quod perterruit me: et cogitationes meæ in strato meo, et visiones capitis mei conturbaverunt 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 Et per me propositum est decretum ut introducerentur in conspectu meo cuncti sapientes Babylonis, et ut solutionem somnii indicarent mihi.

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 Tunc ingrediebantur arioli, magi, Chaldæi, et aruspices, et somnium narravi in conspectu eorum: et solutionem eius non indicaverunt mihi:

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 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.

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 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.

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 Visio capitis mei in cubili meo: Videbam, et ecce arbor in medio terræ, et altitudo eius nimia.

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

11 Magna arbor, et fortis: et proceritas eius contingens cælum: aspectus illius erat usque ad terminos universæ terræ.

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

12 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.

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 Videbam in visione capitis mei super stratum meum, et ecce vigil, et sanctus de cælo descendit.

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 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.

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 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.

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 Cor eius ab humano commutetur, et cor feræ detur ei: et septem tempora mutentur super eum.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 Arborem, quam vidisti sublimem, atque robustam, cuius altitudo pertingit ad cælum, et aspectus illius in omnem terram:

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

21 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:

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 Tu es rex, qui magnificatus es, et invaluisti: et magnitudo tua crevit, et pervenit usque ad cælum, et potestas tua in terminos universæ terræ.

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 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:

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 Hæc est interpretatio sententiæ Altissimi, quæ pervenit super dominum meum regem:

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 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.

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 Quod autem præcepit ut relinqueretur germen radicum eius, id est arboris: regnum tuum tibi manebit postquam cognoveris potestatem esse cælestem.

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 Quam ob rem rex consilium meum placeat tibi, et peccata tua eleemosynis redime, et iniquitates tuas misericordiis pauperum: forsitan ignoscet delictis tuis.

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 Omnia hæc venerunt super Nabuchodonosor regem.

All these things came upon king Nabuchodonosor.

29 Post finem mensium duodecim, in aula Babylonis deambulabat.

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

30 Responditque rex, et ait: Nonne hæc est Babylon magna, quam ego ædificavi in domum regni, in robore fortitudinis meæ, et in gloria decoris mei?

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 Cumque sermo adhuc esset in ore regis, vox de cælo ruit: Tibi dicitur Nabuchodonosor rex: Regnum tuum transibit a te,

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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?

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 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.

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 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.

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.