CHAPTER 4
1 Nebuchadnezzar, the king, writeth thus to all peoples, [folks], and languages, that dwell in all earth, peace be multiplied to you.
2 High God made at me miracles and marvels; therefore it pleased me to preach his miracles,
3 for those be great, and his marvels, for those be strong; and his realm is an everlasting realm, and his power is into generation and into generation.
4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was restful in mine house, and flourishing in my palace;
5 I saw a dream that made me afeared; and my thoughts in my bed, and the sights of mine head, disturbed me.
6 And a decree was set forth by me, that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought in before my sight, and that they should show to me the solving of the dream.
7 Then false diviners, astronomers, Chaldees, and beholders of altars entered; and I told the dream in the sight of them, and they showed not to me the solving thereof,
8 till the fellow in office, Daniel, to whom the name was Belteshazzar, by the name of my god, entered in my sight, the Daniel hath the spirit of holy gods in himself; and I spake the dream before him.
9 Belteshazzar, prince of diviners, whom I know, that thou hast in thee the spirit of holy gods, and each sacrament, either private, is not impossible to thee, tell thou to me the visions of my dreams which I saw, and the solving of those.
10 This is the vision of mine head in my bed. I saw, and lo! A tree was in the midst of earth, and the highness thereof was full great.
11 And the tree was great and strong, and the height thereof touched heaven, and the beholding thereof was unto the ends of all earth.
12 The leaves thereof were full fair, and the fruit thereof was full much, and the meat of all was in it; beasts and wild beasts dwelled under it, and birds of the air lived in the branches thereof, and each man ate of it.
13 Thus I saw in the vision of mine head, on my bed. And lo! A watcher, and holy came down from heaven,
14 and he cried strongly, and said thus, Hew ye down the tree, and cut you down the boughs thereof, and shake ye away the leaves thereof, and scatter ye abroad the fruits thereof; beasts flee away, that be under it, and birds from the boughs thereof.
15 Nevertheless suffer you the seed of the roots thereof in [the] earth, and be he bound with a band of iron and of brass, in herbs that be withoutforth; and in the dew of heaven be he dyed, and his part be with wild beasts in the herb of the earth.
16 His heart be changed from man’s heart, and the heart of a wild beast be given to him, and seven times be changed on him.
17 In the sentence of the watchers it is deemed, and it is the word and asking of saints, till living men know, that [the] high God is Lord in the realm of men; and he shall give it to whomever he will, and he shall ordain on it the meekest man.
18 I, Nebuchadnezzar, the king, saw this dream. Therefore thou, Belteshazzar, tell hastily the interpreting, for all the wise men of my realm be not able to say to me the solving; but thou mayest, for the spirit of [the] holy gods is in thee.
19 Then Daniel, to whom the name was Belteshazzar, began to think privily within himself, as in one hour, and his thoughts disturbed him. Forsooth the king answered, and said, Belteshazzar, the dream and the interpreting thereof, disturb not thee. Belteshazzar answered, and said, my lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpreting thereof be to thine enemies.
20 The tree which thou sawest high and strong, whose height stretched till to heaven, and the beholding thereof into each land?
21 and the fairest branches thereof, and the fruit thereof full much, and the meat of all in it, and beasts of the field dwelling under it, and the birds of the air dwelling in the boughs thereof,
22 thou art, king, that art magnified, and waxedest strong, and thy greatness increased, and came till to heaven, and thy power into the ends of all earth.
23 Soothly that the king saw a watcher and holy come down from heaven, and say, Hew ye down the tree, and destroy ye it, nevertheless leave ye the seed of roots thereof in earth, and be he bound with iron and brass, in herbs withoutforth; and be he besprinkled with the dew of heaven, and his meat be with wild beasts, till seven times be changed on him;
24 this is the interpreting of the sentence of the Highest, which sentence is come on my lord, the king.
25 They shall cast thee out from men, and thy dwelling shall be with beasts and wild beasts, and thou shalt eat hay, as an ox doeth, but also thou shalt be beshed with the dew of heaven, also seven times shall be changed on thee, till thou know that [the] high God is Lord over the realm of men, and giveth it to whomever he will.
26 Forsooth that he commanded that the seed of roots thereof, that is, of the tree, should be left, thy realm shall still dwell to thee, after that thou knowest that the power is of heaven.
27 Wherefore, king, my counsel please thee, and again-buy thy sins with alms-deeds, and again-buy thy wickednesses with mercies of poor men; in hap God shall forgive thy trespasses.
28 All these things came on Nebuchadnezzar, the king.
29 After the end of twelve months he walked in the hall of the palace of Babylon;
30 and the king answered, and said, whether this is not Babylon, the great city, which I builded into the house of the realm, in the might of my strength, and in the glory of my fairness?
31 When the word was yet in the mouth of the king, a voice fell down from heaven, Nebuchadnezzar, king, it is said to thee, Thy realm is passed from thee,
32 and they shall cast thee out from men, and thy dwelling shall be with beasts and wild beasts; thou shalt eat hay, as an ox doeth, and seven times shall be changed on thee, till thou know that [the] high God is Lord in the realm of men, and giveth it to whomever he will.
33 In the same hour the word was fulfilled [up] on Nebuchadnezzar, and he was cast out from men, and he ate hay, as an ox doeth, and his body was coloured with the dew of heaven, till his hairs waxed at the likeness of eagles’ feathers, and his nails as the nails, [or claws], of birds.
34 Therefore after the end of days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised mine eyes to heaven, and my wit was yielded to me; and I blessed the Highest, and I praised, and glorified him that liveth without end; for why his power is everlasting power, and his realm is in generation and into generation.
35 And all the dwellers of earth be areckoned into nought at him; for by his will he doeth, both in the hosts of heaven, and in the dwellers of earth, and none is that against-standeth his hand, and saith to him, Why didest thou so?
36 In that time my wit turned again to me, and I came fully to the honour and fairness of my realm, and my figure turned again to me; and my best men and my magistrates sought me, and I was set in my realm, and my great doing was increased even greater to me.
37 Now therefore I Nebuchadnezzar praise, and magnify, and glorify the king of heaven; for all his works be true, and all his ways be dooms; and he may make meek, [or low], them that go in pride.