- Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you. I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the high God has wrought toward me. How great are his signs, and how mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.
- I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house and flourishing in my palace. I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream. Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the fortune-tellers, and I told the dream before them, but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.
- But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. And before him I told the dream, saying, O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no secret troubles you, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen and the interpretation thereof.
- Thus were the visions of my head in my bed: I saw, and behold, a tree in the middle of the earth, and the height thereof was great. The tree grew and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth. The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelled in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from Heaven. He cried aloud and said 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! Nevertheless, 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 it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him, and let seven times pass over him. This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will, and sets up over it the basest of men.
- This dream, I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.
- Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spoke and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation thereof trouble you. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream is to them that hate you, and the interpretation thereof to your enemies. The tree that you saw, which grew and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven and the sight thereof to all the earth, whose leaves were fair and the fruit thereof much, and in it was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelled, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation — it is you, O king, that are grown and become strong; for your greatness is grown and reaches unto heaven, and your dominion to the end of the earth.
- And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from Heaven and saying, Hew the tree down and destroy it, yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with 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 his portion be with the beasts of the field until seven times pass over him — this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High which has come upon my lord the king: that they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; and they shall make you eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever he will. And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots, your kingdom shall be sure unto you, after you shall have known that the heavens do rule.
- Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto you, and break off your sins by righteousness and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, if it may be a lengthening of your tranquility.
- All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months, he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spoke and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from Heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken, The kingdom is departed from you, and they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever he will. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar. And he was driven from men and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.
- And at the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes unto Heaven, and my understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him that lives for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation. And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing, and he does according to his will in the army of Heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stop his hand or say unto him, What are you doing? At the same time, my reason returned unto me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and brightness returned unto me, and my counselors and my lords sought unto me, and I was established in my kingdom and excellent majesty was added unto me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of Heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment; and those that walk in pride, he is able to abase.
Chapter 4