| 4:1 |
Nebuchadnezzar the king,
unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in
all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. |
| 4:2 |
I thought it good to shew
the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought
toward me. |
| 4:3 |
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. |
| 4:4 |
I Nebuchadnezzar was at
rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace: |
| 4:5 |
I saw a dream which made
me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions
of my head troubled me. |
| 4:6 |
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. |
| 4:7 |
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. |
| 4:8 |
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, |
| 4:9 |
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. |
| 4:10 |
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. |
| 4:11 |
The tree grew, and was
strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and
the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: |
| 4:12 |
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. |
| 4:13 |
I saw in the visions of
my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy
one came down from heaven; |
| 4:14 |
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: |
| 4:15 |
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: |
| 4:16 |
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. |
| 4:17 |
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. |
| 4:18 |
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. |
| 4:19 |
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. |
| 4:20 |
The tree that thou
sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached
unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth; |
| 4:21 |
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: |
| 4:22 |
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. |
| 4:23 |
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; |
| 4:24 |
This is the
interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the
most High, which is come upon my lord the king: |
| 4:25 |
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. |
| 4:26 |
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. |
| 4:27 |
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. |
| 4:28 |
All this came upon the
king Nebuchadnezzar. |
| 4:29 |
At the end of twelve
months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. |
| 4:30 |
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? |
| 4:31 |
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. |
| 4:32 |
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. |
| 4:33 |
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. |
| 4:34 |
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: |
| 4:35 |
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? |
| 4:36 |
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
counsellers and my lords sought unto me; and I was
established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was
added unto me. |
| 4:37 |
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. |