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Daniel 4 - King James 1611 bible

Daniel 4

¹Nebuchad-nezzar the king, vnto all people, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth, Peace be multiplied vnto you.

²I thought it good to shew the signes, and wonders, that the high God hath wrought toward me.

³How great are his signes? and how mighty are his wonders? his kingdome is an euerlasting kingdome, and his dominion is fro generation to generation.

⁴I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace.

⁵I saw a dreame which made me afraid, and the thoughts vpon my bed, and the visions of my head troubled me.

⁶Therefore made I a decree, to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before mee, that they might make knowen vnto me the interpretation of the dreame.

⁷Then came in the Magicians, the Astrologers, the Caldeans, and the Southsayers: and I tolde the dreame before them; but they did not make knowen vnto mee the interpretation thereof.

⁸But 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) & before him I told the dreame, saying,

⁹O Belteshazzar, master of the Magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy Gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dreame that I haue seene, and the interpretation thereof.

¹⁰Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed: I saw, and behold, a tree in the middest of the earth, and the height thereof was great.

¹¹The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached vnto heauen, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth.

¹²The leaues thereof were faire, and the fruite thereof much, and in it was meate for all: the beasts of the field had shadow vnder it, and the foules of the heauen dwelt in the boughes thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.

¹³I sawe in the visions of my head vpon my bed, & behold, a watcher and an holy one came downe from heauen.

¹⁴He cryed aloude, and said thus; Hew downe the tree, and cut off his branches; shake off his leaues, and scatter his fruite; let the beasts get away from vnder it, and the foules from his branches.

¹⁵Neuerthelesse leaue the stumpe of his rootes in the earth, euen with a band of yron and brasse, in the tender grasse of the field, and let it be wet with the dew of heauen, and let his portion be with the beastes in the grasse of the earth.

¹⁶Let his heart bee changed from mans, and let a beasts heart be giuen vnto him, and let seuen times passe ouer him.

¹⁷This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demaund by the word of the Holy ones: to the intent that the liuing may know, that the most High ruleth in the kingdome of men, and giueth it to whomsoeuer hee will, and setteth vp ouer it the basest of men.

¹⁸This dreame, I king Nebuchadnezzar haue seene: Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the Wise men of my kingdome are not able to make knowen vnto mee the interpretation: but thou art able, for the spirit of the holy Gods is in thee.

¹⁹Then Daniel (whose name was Belteshazzar) was astonied for one houre, and his thoughts troubled him: The King spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dreame, or the interpretation thereof trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered; and said; My lord, the dreame be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.

²⁰The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached vnto the heauen, and the sight thereof to all the earth:

²¹Whose leaues were faire, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meate for all, vnder which the beasts of the field dwelt, and vpon whose branches the foules of the heauen had their habitation:

²²It is thou, O King, that art growen and become strong: for thy greatnesse is growen and reacheth vnto heauen, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.

²³And whereas the King saw a watcher, and an holy one comming downe from heauen, and saying, Hew the tree downe, and destroy it, yet leaue the stumpe of the rootes thereof in the earth, euen with a band of yron and brasse in the tender grasse of the field, and let it be wet with the dewe of heauen, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seuen times passe ouer him:

²⁴This is the interpretation, O king, & this is the decree of the most Hie, which is come vpon my lord the king:

²⁵That they shall driue thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eate grasse as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heauen, and seuen times shall passe ouer thee, till thou know that the most high ruleth in the kingdome of men, and giueth it to whomsoeuer he will.

²⁶And whereas they commanded to leaue the stumpe of the tree rootes; thy kingdome shall be sure vnto thee, after that thou shalt haue knowen that the heauens doe rule.

²⁷Wherefore, O King, let my counsell be acceptable vnto thee, and breake off thy sinnes by righteousnesse, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poore; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillitie.

²⁸All this came vpon the King Nebuchad-nezzar.

²⁹At the end of twelue moneths he walked in the palace of the kingdome of Babylon.

³⁰The King spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I haue built for the house of the kingdome, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my maiestie?

³¹While the word was in the Kings mouth, there fell a voice from heauen, saying, O King Nebuchad-nezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdome is departed from thee.

³²And they shall driue thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; they shall make thee to eate grasse as oxen, and seuen times shall passe ouer thee, vntill thou know that the most high ruleth in the kingdome of men, and giueth it to whomsoeuer he will.

³³The same houre was the thing fulfilled vpon Nebuchad-nezzar, and he was driuen from men, and did eate grasse as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heauen, till his haires were growen like Egles feathers, and his nailes like birds clawes.

³⁴And at the end of the dayes, I Nebuchad-nezzar lift vp mine eyes vnto heauen, and mine vnderstanding returned vnto me, and I blessed the most high, and I praised, and honoured him that liueth for euer, whose dominion is an euerlasting dominion, and his kingdome is from generation to generation.

³⁵And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and hee doth according to his will in the armie of heauen, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say vnto him, What doest thou?

³⁶At the same time my reason returned vnto me, and for the glory of my kingdome, mine honour, and brightnes returned vnto me, and my counsellers, and my Lords sought vnto me, and I was established in my kingdome, and excellent Maiestie was added vnto me.

³⁷Now I Nebuchad-nezzar praise, and extoll and honour the King of heauen, all whose workes are truth, and his waies iudgement, and those that walke in pride he is able to abase.