KJ3 Literal Translation
Daniel 4
Nebuchadnezzar confesses Jehovah's kingdom, relates his dream. Daniel hears the dream. He interprets it.
1Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, the nations, and the tongues that dwell in all the earth: Your peace be great.
2It seemed good before me to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done with me.
3How great are His signs! And how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His rule is from generation and generation.
4I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house, and flourishing in my palace.
5I saw a dream, and it terrified me, and the thoughts on my bed and visions of my head troubled me.
6And I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the meaning of the dream.
7Then the magicians, the conjurers, the Chaldeans, and those determining came in. And I told the dream before them, but they did not make its meaning known to me.
8But at 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 I spoke the dream before him, saying,
9O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no secret constrains you, speak to me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its meaning.
10As to the visions of my head on my bed, I was looking, and, behold, a tree was in the midst of the earth. And its height was great.
11The tree became great and strong, and its height reached to the heaven, and its appearance to the end of all the earth.
12Its leaves were beautiful, and its fruit plentiful, and food for all was in it. The beast of the field sought shade under it, and the birds of the heaven dwelt in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
13I was looking in the visions of my head on my bed. And, behold, a watcher, even a holy one, came down from the heaven.
14He cried with might and thus he said, Cut down the tree and cut off its branches. Shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beast flee from under it, and the birds leave its branches.
15But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a fetter of iron and bronze, in the grass of the field. And let it be wet with the dew of the heaven, and his lot be with the beast in the grass of the earth.
16Let his heart be changed from man's, and let the heart of a beast be given to him. And let seven times pass over him.
17The word is by the decree of the watchers, and the command and the affair is of the holy ones, so that the living may know that the Most High is ruling in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He will. And He sets up over it the lowliest of men.
18And this is the dream I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. And you, O Belteshazzar, speak to me its meaning. All accordingly all this the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known the meaning to me. But you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.
19Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was stunned for one moment, and his thoughts troubled him. The king answered and said, O Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning trouble you. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream is to those who hate you, and its meaning is to your enemies.
20The tree that you saw, which became great and strong, whose height reached to the heaven and its appearance to all the earth,
21and its leaves being beautiful, and its fruit plentiful, and food for all being in it, under which the beast of the field dwelt, and in its branches the birds of the heaven dwelt:
22It was you, O king, for you have become great and strong. For your greatness has grown and reaches to the heaven, and your rule is to the end of the earth.
23And as the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from the heaven, and saying, Cut the tree down, and destroy it. Yet leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and bronze, in the grass of the field. And let him be wet with the dew of the heavens, and his lot be with the beast of the field, until seven times pass over him.
24This is the meaning, O king, and this the decree of the Most High, which has come on my lord the king:
25And you shall be driven from men, and your abode shall be with the beast of the field. And you shall be fed with grass like oxen. And you shall be wet with dew of the heaven; and seven times shall pass over you until you have known that the Most High is ruling in the kingdom of men, and He gives it to whomever He desires.
26And in that they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots, Your kingdom shall be enduring to you after you have known that Heaven is ruling.
27So, O king, let my counsel be pleasing to you: Even break off your sins by righteousness, and your iniquities by pitying the humble one, whether there will be duration to your prosperity.
28All this came on Nebuchadnezzar the king.
29At the end of twelve months, he was walking in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.
30The king answered and said, Is this not 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?
31The word was still in the king's mouth when a voice fell from the heaven, saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: The kingdom has been taken from you!
32And you shall be driven from men, and your abode will be with the beast of the field. You shall be fed with the grass like oxen, and seven times shall pass by over you until you know that the Most High is ruling in the kingdom of men, and that He gives it to whomever He desires.
33In its moment the thing was fulfilled on Nebuchadnezzar. And he was driven from men, and he ate the grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the heaven, until his hair had grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.
34And at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to the heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High. And I praised and honored Him who lives forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom from generation and generation.
35And all those living in the earth are counted as nothing. And He does according to His will among the army of Heaven, and among those living in the earth. And no one is able to strike His hand or say to Him, What are You doing?
36In its moment my reason and the glory of my kingdom returned to me, my majesty, and my brightness returned to me. And my advisers and my nobles sought to me. And I was re-established in my kingdom, and excellent greatness was added to me.
37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and honor the King of Heaven, for all His works are truth, and His ways are justice. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride.
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