Daniel

4 Nebuchadnezzar the king unto all the peoples, the races and the tongues who are dwelling in all the earth, Let your prosperity abound!

2 The signs and the wonders, which the most high God hath wrought with me it is pleasing before me to declare.

3 His signs how great! And his wonders how mighty! His kingdom is an age-abiding kingdom, And his dominion lasteth from generation to generation.

4 I, Nebuchadnezzar was at peace in mine own house, and was prosperous in my palace.

5 A dream I saw and it made me afraid,—and fancies upon my bed, and visions of my head terrified me.

6 Therefore made I a decree, to bring in before me all the wise men of Babylon,—who the interpretation of the dream should make known to me.

7 Then came in the sacred scribes, the magicians, the Chaldeans and the astrologers,—and the dream told I before them, but the interpretation could they not make known to me.

8 Howbeit at last came before me—Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and the dream—before him I told [saying]:

9 O Belteshazzar, chief of the sacred scribes, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee,—and no secret giveth thee trouble [therefore] the visions of my dream which I have seen and the interpretation thereof do thou tell.

10 The visions then of my head upon my bed [were these],—I was looking, when lo! a tree in the midst of the land And the height thereof was great.

11 The tree grew and became strong,—And the height thereof reached unto the heavens, And the view thereof unto the end of all the land:

12 The foliage thereof was beautiful And the fruit thereof abundant, And there was food for all therein,—Under it the wild beast of the field found shade And among its branches dwelt the birds of the heavens, And therefrom was well fed all flesh.

13 I was looking in the visions of my head upon my bed, when lo! a watcher and holy one out of the heavens coming down.

14 He cried aloud and thus he said—Hew ye down the tree And lop off its branches, Strip off its leaves And scatter its fruit,—Let the wild beasts flee from under it, And the birds out of its branches;

15 Nevertheless the stock of its roots in the earth leave ye, yea in a bond of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, And with the dew of the heavens let it be drenched, And with the wild beasts be its portion, amongst the herbage of the earth;

16 Let its heart from a man’s be changed, And the heart of a wild beast be given to it,—And let seven seasons pass over it.

17 By the decree of the watchers is the thing, And [by] the mandate of the holy ones the matter: To the intent that the living may get to know that the Most High hath dominion over the kingdom of men and to whomsoever he pleaseth he giveth it, and one low among men he setteth up over it.

18 This dream have I, King Nebuchadnezzar seen. Thou therefore O Belteshazzar the interpretation do thou tell forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are unable the interpretation to make known to me, but thou art able because the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.

19 Then Daniel whose name was Belteshazzar was astonished for about one moment. and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake and said, O Belteshazzar, let neither the dream nor the interpretation trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My Lord, The dream be for them who hate thee And the interpretation for them who are thy foes.

20 The tree which thou sawest, which grew and became strong, Whose height reached unto the heavens, And the view thereof to all the earth:

21 Whose foliage was beautiful And whose fruit abundant, And food for all was in it,—Under it dwelt the wild beasts of the field, And in the branches thereof nestled the birds of the heavens:

22 Thyself it is, O king, in that thou art grown and become strong,—and thy greatness hath grown and reached to the heavens, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.

23 And whereas the king saw a watcher and holy one coming down out of the heavens who said, Hew ye down the tree and despoil it, Nevertheless the stock of its roots—in the earth leave ye, even in a bond of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field,—And with the dew of the heavens let it be drenched and along with the wild beasts of the field be its portion, Until that seven seasons pass over it

24 This is the interpretation, O king,—and the decree of the Most High it is, which hath come upon my lord the king:

25 That thee are they going to drive forth from among men And along with the wild beasts of the field shall be thy dwelling And grass—like oxen will they suffer thee to eat And with the dew of the heavens will they suffer thee to be drenched, And seven seasons shall pass over thee,—Until that thou come to know that the Most High hath dominion over the kingdom of men, And to whomsoever he pleaseth he giveth it.

26 And whereas they gave word to leave the stock of the roots of the tree thy kingdom unto thee is sure,—after that thou come to know, that the heavens have dominion.

27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be pleasing unto thee, Thy sin then—by righteousness break thou off And thine iniquities by shewing favour to the oppressed,—If so be it may become the lengthening out of thy security.

28 All this came upon Nebuchadnezzar the king.

29 At the end of twelve months over the palace of the kingdom of Babylon was he walking:

30 the king spake and said, Is not this Babylon the great,—which I myself have built as the home of the kingdom, by the might of my power and for the dignity of my majesty?

31 While yet the word was in the mouth of the king a voice out of the heavens fell,—Unto thee is it said, O Nebuchadnezzar the king, The kingdom hath departed from thee;

32 And from among men are they going to drive thee forth And with the wild beast of the field shall be thy dwelling, Grass—like oxen will they suffer thee to eat, And seven seasons shall pass over thee,—Until that thou come to know that the Most High hath dominion over the kingdom of men, and to whomsoever he pleaseth he giveth it.

33 Immediately the word was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar And from among men was he driven forth And grass—like oxen did he eat And with the dew of the heavens his body was drenched,—until that his hair like to eagles’ feathers was grown and his nails like birds’ claws.

34 And at the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, mine eyes unto the heavens did uplift, And mine understanding unto me returned, And the Most High I blessed And to him that liveth age-abidingly I rendered praise and honour,—Whose dominion is an age-abiding dominion, And his kingdom lasteth from generation to generation;

35 And all the inhabitants of the earth as nothing are accounted, And according to his own pleasure dealeth he—With the army of the heavens, And the inhabitants of the earth,—And none there is who can smite upon his hand, Or say to him, What hast thou done?

36 At the same time mine understanding returned unto me And for the dignity of my kingdom my majesty and my brightness returned unto me, And unto me my nearest friends and my nobles did seek,—And over my kingdom was I restored, And surpassing greatness was added unto me.

37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar am praising and extolling and honouring the King of the Heavens, All whose works are truth, And his ways right; And them who walk in pride he is able to abase.