| Chapter 4
|
| 1 |
Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in
all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. |
| 2 | I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the
high God hath wrought toward me. |
| 3
| How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom
is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to
generation. |
| 4 | I
Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace: |
| 5 | I saw a dream which made me
afraid, and the thoughts upon 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 unto me the interpretation of the dream. |
|
7 | Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the
Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did
not make known unto me the interpretation thereof. |
|
8 | But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose
name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my God, and in whom is the
spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying, |
| 9 | O Belteshazzar, master of the
magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no
secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and
the interpretation thereof. |
| 10
| Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree
in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. |
| 11 | The tree grew, and was strong, and the
height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the
earth: |
| 12 | The leaves
thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the
beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in
the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. |
|
13 | I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and,
behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven; |
| 14 | He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew
down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his
fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his
branches: |
| 15 |
Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of
iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the
dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the
earth: |
| 16 | Let his heart
be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven
times pass over him. |
| 17 |
This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the
holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in
the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it
the basest of men. |
| 18 |
This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare
the interpretation thereof, 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. |
|
19 | Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied 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
interpretation thereof to thine enemies. |
| 20 | The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong,
whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the
earth; |
| 21 | Whose leaves
were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; under which
the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven
had their habitation: |
| 22 |
It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is
grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth. |
| 23 | And whereas the king saw
a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree
down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth,
even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let
it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the
field, till seven times pass over him; |
| 24 | This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the
decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king: |
| 25 | That they shall drive thee from men,
and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make
thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and
seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in
the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. |
| 26 | And whereas they commanded to leave
the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that
thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule. |
|
27 | Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto
thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing
mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity. |
| 28 | All this came upon the king
Nebuchadnezzar. |
| 29 | At
the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. |
| 30 | The king spake, and said,
Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by
the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? |
| 31 | While the word was in the king's
mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee
it is spoken; The kingdom is 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 to eat grass as
oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High
ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. |
| 33 | The same hour was the thing
fulfilled upon 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 lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned
unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that
liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is
from generation to generation: |
| 35
| And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed 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 unto him, What doest thou? |
| 36 | At the same time my
reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and
brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me;
and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto
me. |
| 37 | Now I
Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works
are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to
abase. |
