Daniel

Nabuchodonosor the king, to all the nations, tribes, and languages, who dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you.

It seemed good to me to declare to you the signs and wonders which the Most High God has wrought with 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 Nabuchodonosor was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace.

I saw a dream, and it terrified me, and the visions upon my bed troubled me.

So I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

Then the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers came in: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known to me the interpretation of it.

Until Daniel came in before me, whose name was Baltasar, after the name of my god, who has in him the Holy Spirit of God; and I told the dream before him.

Baltasar, chief of the magicians, I know that the Holy Spirit of God is in thee, and no mystery is too hard for thee; hear the vision of the dream which I saw, and tell me the interpretation.

These were the visions of my head upon my bed. I was looking, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.

The tree grew large, and was strong, and its height reached to the sky, and its extent to the extremity of the whole earth.

Its leaves were fair, and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all; and under it the wild beasts of the field lodged, and the birds of the sky took shelter in its branches.

I saw in the vision of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven;

and he cried aloud, and thus he said, Cut down the tree, and lop off its branches, and shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit; let the beasts be removed from under it, and the birds from its branches.

Only leave the stump of its roots in the earth, and bind it with a band of iron and brass; and it shall lie in the grass that is without, and be wet with the dew of heaven, and its portion shall be with the beasts in the grass of the field.

His heart shall be changed from man's, and the heart of a beast shall be given to him; and seven times shall pass over him.

The matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand is a word of the holy ones; that the living may know that the Most High is Lord of the kingdom of men, and he will give it to whomsoever he shall please, and will set up over it him that is despised of men.

This is the dream which I, king Nabuchodonosor, have seen. And thou, Baltasar, declare the interpretation, for all the wise men of my kingdom cannot make known to me the interpretation: but thou, Daniel, canst, for the Holy Spirit of God is in thee.

Then Daniel, whose name was Baltasar, was amazed for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. And Baltasar answered and said, My lord, let the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation of it to thine enemies.

The tree which thou sawest, that grew large and strong, whose height reached to the sky, and its extent to all the earth;

and its leaves were flourishing, and its fruit abundant, and there was food for all in it; and under it the wild beasts lodged, and the birds of the sky took shelter in its branches:

it is thou, O king, that art grown great and powerful; thy greatness is increased, and has reached to the sky, and thy dominion to the ends of the earth.

And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Cut down the tree, and destroy it; only leave the stump of its roots in the earth, and bind it with a band of iron and brass; and it shall lie in the grass that is without, and be wet with the dew of heaven, and its portion shall be with the wild beasts, until seven times have passed 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.

And they shall drive thee out from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the wild beasts of the field, and they shall feed thee with grass as an ox, and thou shalt be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High is Lord of the kingdom of men, and will give it to whomsoever he shall please.

And whereas he said, Leave the stump of the tree of thy roots, thy kingdom shall be sure to thee from the time that thou shalt know the power of heaven.

Wherefore, O king, let my counsel please thee, and atone for thy sins by alms, and thine iniquities by pity to the poor: peradventure God will be long-suffering to thine offences.

All these things came upon king Nabuchodonosor.

At the end of twelve months he was walking on the palace of Babylon,

the king answered and said, Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for a royal residence, by my mighty power, for the honour of my glory?

While the word was yet in the king's mouth, there came a voice from heaven, saying, To thee, king Nabuchodonosor, they say, The kingdom has departed from thee.

And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the wild beasts of the field; and they shall feed thee with grass as an ox, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High is Lord of the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever he will.

In the same hour the word was fulfilled upon Nabuchodonosor: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hair was grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.

And at the end of the time I Nabuchodonosor lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised him that lives for ever, for his power is everlasting, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:

and all the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing: and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among them that dwell in the earth; and there is none who shall withstand his power, and say, What hast thou done?

At the same time my understanding returned to me, and I came to the honour of my kingdom; and my natural form returned to me, and my princes and my nobles sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and abundant majesty was added to me.

Now I Nabuchodonosor praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven: for all his works are true, and his ways are judgment: and all that walk in pride he is able to abase.