CHAPTER 4
1 Nebuchadnezzar, the king, writeth thus to all peoples, [folks], and languages, that dwell in all earth, peace be multiplied to you. (King Nebuchadnezzar writeth this to all the peoples, and nations, of every language, who live on all the earth, peace be multiplied to you.)
2 (The) High God made at me miracles and marvels; therefore it pleased me to preach his miracles, (The Most High God made miracles and marvels before me; and so it pleased me to preach about 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. (for they be great, and his marvels, for they be overwhelming; and his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his power is forever and ever.)
4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was restful in mine house (or was comfortable in my 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. (I had a dream that made me afraid; and my thoughts on my bed, and the sights in my head, greatly 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 (or and that they should tell me the dream’s interpretation).
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, (Then the fortune-tellers, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the beholders on altars entered; and I told them the dream, but they could not tell me its interpretation,)
8 till the fellow in office, Daniel, to whom the name was Belteshazzar, by the name of my god, entered in my sight, the which Daniel hath the spirit of (the) holy gods in himself; and I spake the dream before him. (And I said),
9 Belteshazzar, prince of (false) 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. (O Belteshazzar, the chief of the fortune-tellers, whom I know, that thou hast in thee the spirit of the holy gods, and every secret, or mystery, or hidden truth, is not impossible to thee, listen thou to me about the vision of my dream which I saw, and then tell me its interpretation.)
10 This is the vision of mine head in my bed. I saw, and lo! a tree was in the midst of (the) earth, and the highness thereof was full great. (This is the vision that I had in my head on my bed. I saw, and behold! a tree was in the midst of the earth, and its height was very great.)
11 And the tree was great and strong, and the height thereof touched heaven (or and its height touched the heavens, or the sky), and the beholding thereof was unto the ends of all (the) 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. (Its leaves were beautiful, and its fruit was bountiful, and there was food on it for all; the wild beasts lived under it, and the birds of the air lived in its branches, and all who were alive ate from it.)
13 Thus I saw in the vision of mine head, on my bed. And lo! a waker, and holy came down from heaven, (This I saw in the vision in my head, on my bed. And behold! a watcher, yea, a holy one, came down from heaven,)
14 and he cried (out) strongly, and said thus, Hew ye down the tree, and cut ye 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. (and he cried out loudly, and said this, Cut ye down the tree, and cut ye off its branches, and shake ye away its leaves, and scatter ye abroad its fruits; let the beasts flee away, that be under it, and the birds fly away from its branches.)
15 Nevertheless suffer ye 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. (But allow ye the stump of the tree, with its roots, to remain in the ground, and be it bound with a band of iron and of bronze, amidst the herbs that be outside; and let the man be sprinkled, or drenched, with the dew of heaven, and his part be with the wild beasts amidst the herbs, or upon the pastures, of the land.)
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. (And let his heart be changed from a man’sheart, and the heart of a wild beast be given to him, and then let seven years pass over him.)
17 In the sentence of wakers 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. (In the decision of the watchers so it is determined, and it is the word and the asking of the saints, until all those living know, that the Most High God is Lord over the kingdom of people; and he shall give it to whomever he will, and he may ordain upon it even the most humble person.)
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. (I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had this dream. And so, O Belteshazzar, quickly tell me its interpretation, for all the wise men of my kingdom cannot tell me its interpretation; but I know that thou can, 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. (Then Daniel, who was called Belteshazzar, began to think privately within himself, for one hour, and his thoughts disturbed him. And the king said, Belteshazzar, do not let the dream, or its interpretation, disturb thee. And Belteshazzar answered, My lord, I wish that the dream was for those who hate thee, and its interpretation was for thy enemies, and not for thee.)
20 The tree which thou sawest high and strong, whose height stretched till to heaven (or whose height stretched unto the heavens, or up to the sky), 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 (the) beasts of the field dwelling under it, and the birds of the air dwelling in the boughs thereof, (and its beautiful branches, and its bountiful fruit, and the food on it for all, and the beasts of the field living under it, and the birds of the air living in its branches,)
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. (thou art it, O king, who was magnified, and grewest strong, and thy greatness increased, and came unto the heavens, or up to the sky, and thy power unto the ends of all the earth.)
23 Soothly that the king saw a waker and holy come down from heaven, and say, Hew ye down the tree, and destroy ye it, nevertheless leave ye the seed of (the) roots thereof in (the) 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; (Truly that the king saw a watcher, yea, a holy one, come down from heaven, and say, Cut ye down the tree, and destroy ye it, but leave ye the stump of the tree, with its roots, in the ground, and be it bound with a band of iron and of bronze, amidst the herbs that be outside; and let the man be sprinkled with the dew of heaven, and his food be with the wild beasts, until seven years pass over him;)
24 this is the interpreting of the sentence of the Highest, which sentence is come on my lord, the king. (this is the interpretation of the decree from the Most High God, which decree is come upon 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. (They shall throw thee out from among people, and thy habitation shall be with the beasts and the wild beasts, and thou shalt eat grass, like an ox doeth, but also thou shalt be sprinkled with the dew of heaven, and seven years shall pass over thee, until thou knoweth, or thou acknowledgeth, that the Most High God is Lord over the kingdom of people, and giveth it to whomever he will.)
26 Forsooth that he commanded that the seed of (the) 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. (And that he commanded that the stump of the tree, with its roots, should be left, so thy kingdom shall still remain with thee, after that thou knowest, or thou acknowledgest, that the power is from 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. (And so, O king, let my counsel please thee, and redeem thy sins with alms-deeds, and redeem thy wickednesses with mercies for the poor; perhaps God shall forgive thy trespasses.)
28 All these things came on Nebuchadnezzar, the king. (And indeed all these things came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.)
29 After the end of twelve months he walked in the hall (of the palace) of Babylon; (Yea, after twelve months, when he walked in the hall of the palace in 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? (and the king said to himself, Is this not Babylon, the great city, which I have built into the capital of my kingdom, or of my empire, by the might of my strength, and in the glory of my beauty?)
31 When the word was yet in the mouth of the king, a voice fell down from heaven, (and said), Nebuchadnezzar, king, it is said to thee, Thy realm is passed from thee, (And when these words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came down from heaven, and said, King Nebuchadnezzar, it is said to thee, Thy kingdom hath now passed from thee or Thy kingdom is now taken away 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. (and they shall throw thee out from among people, and thy habitation shall be with the beasts and the wild beasts; thou shalt eat grass, like an ox doeth, and seven years shall pass over thee, until thou knowest, or thou acknowledgest, that the Most High God is the Lord over the kingdom of people, 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 (the) claws], of birds. (In that same hour the word was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar, and he was thrown out from among people, and he ate grass, like an oxdoeth, and his body was sprinkled with the dew of heaven, until his hair grew into the likeness of eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.)
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. (And so at the end of these days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised up my eyes to heaven, and my mind, or my sanity, was restored to me; and I blessed the Most High God, and I praised, and glorified him who liveth forever; because his power is everlasting power, and his kingdom is forever and ever.)
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 (can) against-standeth his hand, and saith to him, Why didest thou so? (And all the inhabitants of the earth be reckoned as nothing by him; for he doeth by his will, both to the armies of heaven, and to the inhabitants of the earth, and there is no one who can stand against his power, and can say 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, (or At that time my mind, or my sanity, returned to me, and I was fully restored to the honour and beauty and glory of my kingdom); and my best men and my magistrates sought me (out), 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 (make) low], them that go in pride. (And so now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, and magnify, and glorify the King of heaven; for all his works be true, and all his ways be right and just; and he can humble, or make low, all those who go in pride.)