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chapter 4
1
I
Nabuchodonosor was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace:
2 I saw a dream that affrighted me: and my thoughts in
my bed, and the visions of my head troubled me.
3 Then I set forth a decree, that all the wise men of
Babylon should be brought in before me, and that they should shew me the
interpretation of the dream.
4 Then came in the diviners, the wise men, the
Chaldeans, and the soothsayers, and I told the dream before them: but they did
not shew me the interpretation thereof:
5 Till their colleague Daniel came in before me, whose
name is Baltassar, according to the name of my god, who hath in him the spirit
of the holy gods: and I told the dream before him.
6 Baltassar, prince of the diviners, because I know
that thou hast in thee the spirit of the holy gods, and that no secret is
impossible to thee: tell me the visions of my dreams that I have seen, and the
interpretation of them.
7 This was the vision of my head in my bed: I saw, and
behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was exceeding
great.
8 The tree was great, and strong: and the height
thereof reached unto heaven: the sight thereof was even to the ends of all the
earth.
9 Its leaves were most beautiful, and its fruit
exceeding much: and in it was food for all: under it dwelt cattle, and beasts,
and in the branches thereof the fowls of the air had their abode: and all flesh
did eat of it.
10 I saw in the vision of my head upon my bed, and
behold a watcher, and a holy one came down from heaven.
11 He cried aloud, and said thus: Cut down the tree,
and chop off the branches thereof: shake off its leaves, and scatter its
fruits: let the beasts fly away that are under it, and the birds from its
branches.
12 Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the
earth, and let it be tied with a band of iron, and of brass, among the grass,
that is without, and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let its portion
be with the wild beasts in the grass of the earth.
13 Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a
beast's heart be given him; and let seven times pass over him.
14 This is the decree by the sentence of the watchers,
and the word And demand of the holy ones; till the living know that the most
High ruleth in the kingdom of men; and he will give it to whomsoever it shall
please him, and he will appoint the basest man over it.
15 I king Nabuchodonosor saw this dream: thou,
therefore, O Baltassar, tell me quickly the interpretation: for all the wise
men of my kingdom axe not able to declare the meaning of it to me: but thou art
able, because the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
16 Then Daniel, whose name was Baltassar, began
silently to think within himself for about one hour: and his thoughts troubled
him. But the king answering, said: Baltassar, let not the dream and the
interpretation thereof trouble thee. Baltassar answered, and said: My lord, the
dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thy enemies.
17 The tree which thou sawest which was high and
strong, whose height reached to the skies, and the sight thereof into all tire
earth:
18 And the branches thereof were most beautiful, and
its fruit exceeding much, and in it was food for all, under which the beasts of
the field dwelt, and the birds of the air had their abode in its branches.
19 It is thou, O king, who art grown great and become
mighty: for thy greatness hath grown, and hath reached to heaven, and thy power
unto the ends of the earth.
20 And whereas the king saw a watcher, and a holy one
come down from heaven, and say: Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the
stump of the roots thereof in the earth, and let it be bound with iron and
brass among the grass without, and let it be sprinkled with the dew of heaven,
and let his feeding be with the wild beasts, till seven times pass over him.
21 This is the interpretation of the sentence of the
most High, which is come upon my lord the king.
22 They shall cast thee out from among men, and thy
dwelling shall be with cattle and with wild beasts, and thou shalt eat grass as
an ox, and shalt be wet with the dew of heaven: and seven times shall pass over
thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth over the kingdom of men, and
giveth it to whomsoever he will.
23 But whereas he commanded, that the stump of the
roots thereof, that is, of the tree, should be left: thy kingdom shall remain
to thee after thou shalt have known that power is from heaven.
24 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to
thee, and redeem thou thy sins with alms, and thy iniquities with works of
mercy to the poor: perhaps he will forgive thy offences.
25 All these things came upon king Nabuchodonosor.
26 At the end of twelve months he was walking in the
palace of Babylon.
27 And the king answered, and said: Is not this the
great Babylon, which I have built to be the seat of the kingdom, by the
strength of my power, and in the glory of my excellence?
28 And while the word was yet in the king's mouth, a
voice came down from heaven: To thee, O king Nabuchodonosor, it is said: Thy
kingdom shall pass from thee,
29 And they shall cast thee out from among men, and thy
dwelling shall be with cattle and wild beasts: thou shalt eat grass like an ox,
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.
30 The same hour the word was fulfilled upon
Nabuchodonosor, and he was driven away from among men, and did eat grass like
an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven: till his hairs grew like
the feathers of eagles, and his nails like birds' claws.
31 Now at the end of the days, I Nabuchodonosor lifted
up my eyes to heaven, and my sense was restored to me: and I blessed the most
High, and I praised and glorified him that liveth for ever: for his power is an
everlasting power, and his kingdom is to all generations.
32 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as
nothing before him: for he doth according to his will, I as well with the
powers of heaven, as among the inhabitants of the earth: and there is none that
can resist his hand, and say to him: Why hast thou done it?
33 At the same time my sense returned to me, and I came
to the honour and glory of my kingdom: and my shape returned to me: and my
nobles, and my magistrates sought for me, and I was restored to my kingdom: and
greater majesty was added to me.
34 Therefore I Nabuchodonosor do now praise, and
magnify, and glorify the King of heaven: because all his works are true, and
his ways judgments, and them that walk in pride he is able to abase.
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