THE BOOK OF
DANIEL
Daniel 4 ©
Nebuchadnezzar declares unto all people, and makes a public confession before them of the wonders that God had wrought toward him, v. 1, etc. For that end he relates the dream that he had, 4. And how Daniel did interpret it, in great astonishment, 18, 19, 20, etc. Daniel exhorts the king to repentance, 27. How the event confirmed the truth of Daniel’s interpretation, 28, etc. For which the king again praises God the Lord, 37.
NEBUCHADNEZZAR1 the king, unto 2all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; 3Peace be multiplied unto you.
4I thought it good to shew 5the signs and wonders that 6the high God hath wrought toward me.
How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! hisa kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is 7from generation to generation.
¶I Nebuchadnezzar 8was at rest 9in mine house, and 10flourishing in my palace:
I saw 11a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.
Therefore 12made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, 13that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.
Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but 14they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.
¶15But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was 16Belteshazzar, according to the name 17of my god, and in whom is 18the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying,
O Belteshazzar, 19master of the magicians, 20because I know 21that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret 22troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, 23and the interpretation thereof.
Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold 24a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.
The tree 25grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, 26and the sight thereof to the end 27of all the earth:
28The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat 29for all: the beasts of the field had shadow 30under it, and the fowls of the heaven 31dwelt in the boughs thereof, and 32all flesh was fed of it.
33I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, 34a watcher and 35an holy one 36came down from heaven;
He cried aloud, and 37said 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:
38Nevertheless 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 39it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts 40in the grass of the earth:
41Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let 42seven times pass over him.
This matter 43is by the decree of the watchers, 44and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that 45the 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.
This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as 46all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou art able; for 47the spirit 48of the holy gods is in thee.
¶ 49Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts 50troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, 51let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream 52be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.
53The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, 54whose height reached unto the heaven, 55and the sight thereof to all the earth;
56Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the field 57dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their 58habitation:
59It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for 60thy greatness is grown, 61and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.
62And 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 63the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even 64with 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 65his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him;
This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king:
That theyb shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and 66they shall make thee 67to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, 68till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
69And whereas 70they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; 71thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that 72the heavens do rule.
Wherefore, O king, 73let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and 74break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy 75to the poor; 76if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
¶ 77All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.
78At the end of twelve months 79he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.
80The king spake, and said, 81Is not 82this great Babylon, 83that I have built for the house of the kingdom 84by the might of my power, and 85for the honour of my majesty?
86While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice 87from heaven, saying, 88O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom 89is departed from thee.
And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee 90to eat grass as oxen, and 91seven 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.
92The same hour was the thing fulfilled 93upon Nebuchadnezzar: and 94he was driven from men, and 95did eat grass as oxen, and 96his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till 97his hairs 98were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.
And at the end 99of the days I Nebuchadnezzar 100lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and 101mine 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:
And 102all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will 103in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can 104stay his hand, or say unto him, 105What doest thou?
At the same time my reason 106returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and 107brightness returned unto me; and my 108counsellers and my 109lords 110sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was 111added unto me.
112Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and 113honour the King of heaven, 114all whose works are truth, and 115his ways 116judgment: and those that walk in pride 117he is able to abase.