Daniel 4

¹Ben Nabukadonosor, sarayımda bolluk içinde ve gür bir canlılıkla gelişmekteyken,

²Bir rüya gördüm ve o beni dehşete düşürdü; yatağımda uzanırken zihnimdeki sarsıntılar ve başımın görümleri beni ürküttü.

³Rüyanın yorumunu bana bildirsinler diye Babil'in bütün bilgelerinin huzuruma getirilmesi için tarafımdan bir ferman çıkarıldı.

⁴Bunun üzerine büyücüler, kâhinler, kader yorumcuları ve Kildaniler içeri girdi; rüyayı onların huzurunda anlattım, ama onun yorumunu bana bildiremediler.

⁵Sonunda, kendisinde kutsal bir Tanrı ruhu barındıran ve adı ilahımın adına göre Baltasar olan Daniel huzuruma geldi; rüyayı ona da anlattım:

⁶"Büyücülerin başı Baltasar!" dedim, "Sende kutsal bir Tanrı ruhu olduğunu ve hiçbir gizemin seni aciz bırakmayacağını biliyorum; gördüğüm rüyamın görümünü dinle ve bana onun yorumunu söyle.

⁷Yatağımda izlediğim görümler şunlardı: Yeryüzünün ortasında çok yüksek bir ağaç durmaktaydı.

⁸Ağaç büyüdü ve güçlendi; boyu göklere erişti ve gövdesinin hacmi bütün yeryüzünün sınırlarına kadar ulaştı.

⁹Yaprakları göz alıcıydı, meyvesi boldu ve onda herkes için yiyecek vardı; altındaki gölgede yabanıl kır hayvanları barınır, dallarında göğün kuşları yuva yapardı ve her canlı beden ondan beslenirdi.

¹⁰Yatağımda gece görümlerini izlerken, gökten bir gözcü, kutsal bir varlık indiğini gördüm.

¹¹Yüksek bir sesle haykırarak şöyle dedi: 'Ağacı kesin, dallarını koparıp atın, yapraklarını silkeleyin ve meyvesini saçın! Hayvanlar onun altından, kuşlar da dallarından kaçsın.

¹²Ancak köklerinin filizini toprakta bırakın; demir ve tunç bir bağla dışarıdaki taze otların arasında kalsın. Göğün çiyiyle ıslansın ve payı yeryüzünün otları arasında hayvanlarla birlikte olsun.

¹³Onun yüreği insanlıktan çıkarılsın ve kendisine bir hayvan yüreği verilsin; üzerinden yedi vakit geçsin.

¹⁴Bu karar gözcülerin hükmüyle, bu talep kutsalların sözüyle verildi; öyle ki, yaşayanlar En Yüce Olan'ın insan krallıkları üzerinde egemenlik sürdüğünü, onu dilediği kişiye verdiğini ve insanların en değersizini bile onun başına geçirebileceğini bilsinler.'

¹⁵Ben Kral Nabukadonosor'un gördüğü rüya işte budur. Şimdi sen, Baltasar, bunun yorumunu söyle; çünkü krallığımın bütün bilgeleri bunun yorumunu bana bildirmekten aciz kaldılar. Ama sen bunu yapabilirsin, çünkü sende kutsal bir Tanrı ruhu vardır."

¹⁶O zaman adı Baltasar olan Daniel yaklaşık bir saat kadar nutku tutulmuş halde kaldı ve düşünceleri onu ürküttü. Kral ona, "Baltasar, bu rüya ve onun yorumu seni telaşlandırmasın" dedi. Baltasar şöyle yanıt verdi: "Efendim, keşke bu rüya senden nefret edenlerin, yorumu da düşmanlarının başına gelseydi!

¹⁷Gördüğün o büyüyen, güçlenen, boyu göklere erişen ve gövde hacmi bütün yeryüzünü kaplayan ağaç,

¹⁸yaprakları taze, meyvesi bol olan, kendisinde herkes için yiyecek barındıran, altında yabanıl hayvanların yaşadığı ve dallarında göğün kuşlarının yuva yaptığı o ağaç;

¹⁹sensin, ey kral! Çünkü sen büyüdün ve güçlendin; büyüklüğün artıp göklere, egemenliğin ise yeryüzünün sınırlarına ulaştı.

²⁰Kralın gökten inen bir gözcü ve kutsal bir varlık gördüğüne gelince; o varlık, 'Ağacı kesin ve mahvedin; ancak köklerinin filizini toprakta bırakın; demir ve tunç bir bağla dışarıdaki taze otların arasında kalsın, göğün çiyiyle ıslansın ve üzerinden yedi vakit geçene dek payı yabanıl hayvanlarla birlikte olsun' dedi.

²¹Ey kral, bunun yorumu ve efendim kralın üzerine erişmiş olan En Yüce Olan'ın fermanı şudur:

²²İnsanlar arasından kovulacaksın, yabanıl hayvanlarla birlikte yaşayacaksın; sana sığır gibi ot yedirecekler ve göğün çiyiyle ıslanacaksın. En Yüce Olan'ın insan krallıkları üzerinde egemenlik sürdüğünü ve onu dilediği kişiye verdiğini anlayana dek, üzerinden yedi vakit geçecek.

²³Ağacın köklerinin filizinin bırakılması emredildiğine göre, göksel yetkinin egemen olduğunu anladığın andan itibaren krallığın sana geri verilecektir.

²⁴Bu yüzden, ey kral, öğüdüm sana hoş görünsün: Günahlarını sadakalarla fidye ödeyip kurtar, adaletsizliklerinden de yoksullara merhamet ederek arın; belki Tanrı suçlarına karşı sabırlı olur."

²⁵Bunların hepsi Kral Nabukadonosor'un üzerine çöktü.

²⁶On iki ay sonra, kral Babil'deki krallık sarayının damında gezinirken,

²⁷Şöyle konuştu: "Kendi gücümün kudretiyle, görkemimin şerefi için krallık sarayı olarak inşa ettiğim büyük Babil bu değil mi?"

²⁸Söz henüz kralın ağzındayken gökten bir ses geldi: "Ey Kral Nabukadonosor, sana şöyle deniyor: Krallık senden geçip gitmiştir!

²⁹İnsanlar arasından kovulacaksın, yabanıl hayvanlarla birlikte yaşayacaksın ve sana sığır gibi ot yedirecekler. En Yüce Olan'ın insan krallıkları üzerinde egemenlik sürdüğünü ve onu dilediği kişiye verdiğini anlayana dek, üzerinden yedi vakit geçecek."

³⁰O anda bu söz Nabukadonosor hakkında yerine geldi; insanlar arasından kovuldu, sığır gibi ot yedi ve bedeni göğün çiyiyle sırılsıklam ıslandı; öyle ki, saçları aslan yelesi gibi uzadı, tırnakları da kuş pençesine döndü.

³¹O günlerin sonunda ben Nabukadonosor, gözlerimi göğe kaldırdım ve zihnim bana geri döndü. En Yüce Olan'ı övdüm, sonsuza dek yaşayana şükredip O'nu yücelttim. Çünkü O'nun egemenliği sonsuz bir egemenliktir ve krallığı kuşaktan kuşağa sürer.

³²Yeryüzünde yaşayanların hepsi hiçbir şeymiş gibi hesaba katılır; O, gökteki güçlere ve yeryüzünde yaşayanlara dilediği gibi davranır. O'nun eline karşı koyacak ya da O'na "Ne yapıyorsun?" diyecek kimse yoktur.

³³Aynı anda zihnim bana geri döndü; krallığımın onuru için görkemim ve eski heybetim bana geri döndü. Tiranlarım ve soylularım beni aradılar; krallığımda yeniden pekiştim ve bana daha büyük bir azamet verildi.

³⁴Şimdi ben Nabukadonosor, Göğün Kralı'nı övüyor, O'nu yüceltiyor ve onurlandırıyorum. Çünkü O'nun bütün işleri gerçek, yolları adildir; kibir içinde yürüyenleri alçaltmaya gücü yeter.

¹ΕΓΩ Ναβουχοδονόσορ εὐθηνῶν ἤμην ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ μου καὶ εὐθαλῶν.

²ἐνύπνιον εἶδον, καὶ ἐφοβέρισέ με, καὶ ἐταράχθην ἐπὶ τῆς κοίτης μου, καὶ αἱ ὁράσεις τῆς κεφαλῆς μου ἐτάραξάν με.

³καὶ δι’ ἐμοῦ ἐτέθη δόγμα τοῦ εἰσαγαγεῖν ἐνώπιόν μου πάντας τοὺς σοφοὺς Βαβυλῶνος, ὅπως τὴν σύγκρισιν τοῦ ἐνυπνίου γνωρίσωσί μοι.

⁴καὶ εἰσεπορεύοντο οἱ ἐπαοιδοί, μάγοι, γαζαρηνοί, Χαλδαῖοι, καὶ τὸ ἐνύπνιον ἐγὼ εἶπα ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν, καὶ τὴν σύγκρισιν αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐγνώρισάν μοι,

⁵ἕως ἦλθε Δανιήλ, οὗ τὸ ὄνομα Βαλτάσαρ κατὰ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ μου, ὃς πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἅγιον ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἔχει, καὶ τὸ ἐνύπνιον ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ εἶπα·

⁶Βαλτάσαρ ὁ ἄρχων τῶν ἐπαοιδῶν, ὃν ἐγὼ ἔγνων ὅτι πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἅγιον ἐν σοὶ καὶ πᾶν μυστήριον οὐκ ἀδυνατεῖ σε, ἄκουσον τὴν ὅρασιν τοῦ ἐνυπνίου μου, οὗ εἶδον, καὶ τὴν σύγκρισιν αὐτοῦ εἰπόν μοι·

⁷ἐπὶ τῆς κοίτης μου ἐθεώρουν, καὶ ἰδοὺ δένδρον ἐν μέσῳ τῆς γῆς, καὶ τό ὕψος αὐτοῦ πολύ.

⁸ἐμεγαλύνθη τὸ δένδρον καὶ ἴσχυσε, καὶ τὸ ὕψος αὐτοῦ ἔφθασεν ἕως τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τὸ κῦτος αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ πέρας ἁπάσης τῆς γῆς·

⁹τὰ φύλλα αὐτοῦ ὡραῖα, καὶ ὁ καρπὸς αὐτοῦ πολύς, καὶ τροφὴ πάντων ἐν αὐτῷ· καὶ ὑποκάτω αὐτοῦ κατεσκήνουν τὰ θηρία τὰ ἄγρια, καὶ ἐν τοῖς κλάδοις αὐτοῦ κατῴκουν τὰ ὄρνεα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἐτρέφετο πᾶσα σάρξ.

¹⁰ἐθεώρουν ἐν ὁράματι τῆς νυκτὸς ἐπὶ τῆς κοίτης μου, καὶ ἰδοὺ εἲρ καὶ ἅγιος ἀπ’ οὐρανοῦ κατέβη

¹¹καὶ ἐφώνησεν ἐν ἰσχύϊ καὶ οὕτως εἶπε· ἐκκόψατε τὸ δένδρον καὶ ἐκτίλατε τοὺς κλάδους αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκτινάξατε τὰ φύλλα αὐτοῦ καὶ διασκορπίσατε τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ· σαλευθήτωσαν τὰ θηρία ὑποκάτωθεν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ ὄρνεα ἀπὸ τῶν κλάδων αὐτοῦ·

¹²πλὴν τὴν φυὴν τῶν ῥιζῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ γῇ ἐάσατε καὶ ἐν δεσμῷ σιδηρῷ καὶ χαλκῷ καὶ ἐν τῇ χλόῃ τῇ ἔξω, καὶ ἐν τῇ δρόσῳ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κοιτασθήσεται, καὶ μετὰ τῶν θηρίων ἡ μερὶς αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ χόρτῳ τῆς γῆς.

¹³ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀλλοιωθήσεται, καὶ καρδία θηρίου δοθήσεται αὐτῷ, καὶ ἑπτὰ καιροὶ ἀλλαγήσονται ἐπ’ αὐτόν.

¹⁴διὰ συγκρίματος εἲρ ὁ λόγος, καὶ ρῆμα ἁγίων τὸ ἐπερώτημα, ἵνα γνῶσιν οἱ ζῶντες ὅτι Κύριός ἐστιν ὁ ὕψιστος τῆς βασιλείας τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ᾧ ἐὰν δόξῃ, δώσει αὐτὴν καὶ ἐξουδένωμα ἀνθρώπων ἀναστήσει ἐπ’ αὐτήν.

¹⁵τοῦτο τὸ ἐνύπνιον, ὃ εἶδον ἐγὼ Ναβουχοδονόσορ ὁ βασιλεύς, καὶ σύ, Βαλτάσαρ, τὸ σύγκριμα εἰπόν, ὅτι πάντες οἱ σοφοὶ τῆς βασιλείας μου οὐ δύνανται τὸ σύγκριμα αὐτοῦ δηλῶσαί μοι, σὺ δέ, Δανιήλ, δύνασαι, ὅτι πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἅγιον ἐν σοί. -

¹⁶Τότε Δανιήλ, οὗ τὸ ὄνομα Βαλτάσαρ, ἀπηνεώθη ὡσεὶ ὥραν μίαν, καὶ οἱ διαλογισμοὶ αὐτοῦ συνετάρασσον αὐτόν. καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ εἶπεν· Βαλτάσαρ, τὸ ἐνύπνιον καὶ ἡ σύγκρισις μὴ κατασπευσάτω σε· καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Βαλτάσαρ καὶ εἶπε· κύριε, τὸ ἐνύπνιον ἔστω τοῖς μισοῦσί σε καὶ ἡ σύγκρισις αὐτοῦ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς σου.

¹⁷τὸ δένδρον, ὃ εἶδες τὸ μεγαλυνθὲν καὶ τὸ ἰσχυκός, οὗ τὸ ὕψος ἔφθανεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὸ κῦτος αὐτοῦ εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν

¹⁸καὶ τὰ φύλλα αὐτοῦ εὐθαλῆ καὶ ὁ καρπὸς αὐτοῦ πολὺς καὶ τροφὴ πᾶσιν ἐν αὐτῷ, ὑποκάτω αὐτοῦ κατῴκουν τὰ θηρία τὰ ἄγρια καὶ ἐν τοῖς κλάδοις αὐτοῦ κατεσκήνουν τὰ ὄρνεα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ,

¹⁹σὺ εἶ, βασιλεῦ, ὅτι ἐμεγαλύνθης καὶ ἴσχυσας καὶ ἡ μεγαλωσύνη σου ἐμεγαλύνθη καὶ ἔφθασεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἡ κυριεία σου εἰς τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς.

²⁰καὶ ὅτι εἶδεν ὁ βασιλεὺς εἲρ καὶ ἅγιον καταβαίνοντα ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ εἶπεν· ἐκτίλατε τὸ δένδρον καὶ διαφθείρατε αὐτό, πλὴν τὴν φυὴν τῶν ριζῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ γῇ ἐάσατε καὶ ἐν δεσμῷ σιδηρῷ καὶ ἐν χαλκῷ καὶ ἐν τῇ χλόῃ τῇ ἔξω, καὶ ἐν τῇ δρόσῳ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ αὐλισθήσεται, καὶ μετὰ θηρίων ἀγρίων ἡ μερὶς αὐτοῦ, ἕως οὗ ἑπτὰ καιροὶ ἀλλοιωθῶσιν ἐπ’ αὐτόν,

²¹τοῦτο ἡ σύγκρισις αὐτοῦ, βασιλεῦ. καὶ σύγκριμα ῾Υψίστου ἐστίν, ὃ ἔφθασεν ἐπὶ τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν βασιλέα,

²²καὶ σὲ ἐκδιώξουσιν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ μετὰ θηρίων ἀγρίων ἔσται ἡ κατοικία σου, καὶ χόρτον ὡς βοῦν ψωμιοῦσί σε καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς δρόσου τοῦ οὐρανοῦ αὐλισθήσῃ, καὶ ἑπτὰ καιροὶ ἀλλαγήσονται ἐπὶ σέ, ἕως οὗ γνῷς ὅτι κυριεύει ὁ ῞Υψιστος τῆς βασιλείας τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ᾧ ἂν δόξῃ, δώσει αὐτήν.

²³καὶ ὅτι εἶπαν· ἐάσατε τὴν φυὴν τῶν ριζῶν τοῦ δένδρου, ἡ βασιλεία σου σοὶ μενεῖ, ἀφ’ ἧς ἂν γνῷς τὴν ἐξουσίαν τὴν οὐράνιον.

²⁴διὰ τοῦτο, βασιλεῦ, ἡ βουλή μου ἀρεσάτω σοι καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου ἐν ἐλεημοσύναις λύτρωσαι καὶ τὰς ἀδικίας ἐν οἰκτιρμοῖς πενήτων· ἴσως ἔσται μακρόθυμος τοῖς παραπτώμασί σου ὁ Θεός. -

²⁵Ταῦτα πάντα ἔφθασεν ἐπὶ Ναβουχοδονόσορ τὸν βασιλέα.

²⁶μετὰ δωδεκάμηνον ἐπὶ τῷ ναῷ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι περιπατῶν

²⁷ἀπεκρίθη ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ εἶπεν· οὐχ αὕτη ἐστὶ Βαβυλὼν ἡ μεγάλη, ἣν ἐγὼ ᾠκοδόμησα εἰς οἶκον βασιλείας ἐν τῷ κράτει τῆς ἰσχύος μου εἰς τιμὴν τῆς δόξης μου;

²⁸ἔτι τοῦ λόγου ἐν τῷ στόματι τοῦ βασιλέως ὄντος, φωνὴ ἀπ’ οὐρανοῦ ἐγένετο· σοὶ λέγουσι, Ναβουχοδονόσορ βασιλεῦ, ἡ βασιλεία παρῆλθεν ἀπὸ σοῦ,

²⁹καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων σέ ἐκδιώξουσι, καὶ μετὰ θηρίων ἀγρίων ἡ κατοικία σου καὶ χόρτον ὡς βοῦν ψωμιοῦσί σε, καὶ ἑπτὰ καιροὶ ἀλλαγήσονται ἐπὶ σέ, ἕως οὗ γνῷς, ὅτι κυριεύει ὁ ῞Υψιστος τῆς βασιλείας τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ᾧ ἂν δόξῃ, δώσει αὐτήν.

³⁰αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ ὁ λόγος συνετελέσθη ἐπὶ Ναβουχοδονόσορ, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐξεδιώχθη καὶ χόρτον ὡς βοῦς ἤσθιε, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς δρόσου τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐβάφη, ἕως οὗ αἱ τρίχες αὐτοῦ ὡς λεόντων ἐμεγαλύνθησαν καὶ οἱ ὄνυχες αὐτοῦ ὡς ὀρνέων. -

³¹Καὶ μετὰ τὸ τέλος τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐγὼ Ναβουχοδονόσορ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνέλαβον, καὶ αἱ φρένες μου ἐπ’ ἐμὲ ἐπεστράφησαν, καὶ τῷ ῾Υψίστῳ ηὐλόγησα καὶ τῷ ζῶντι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ᾔνεσα καὶ ἐδόξασα, ὅτι ἡ ἐξουσία αὐτοῦ ἐξουσία αἰώνιος καὶ ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ εἰς γενεὰν καὶ γενεάν,

³²καὶ πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὴν γῆν ὡς οὐδὲν ἐλογίσθησαν, καὶ κατὰ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ ποιεῖ ἐν τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἐν τῇ κατοικίᾳ τῆς γῆς, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὃς ἀντιποιήσεται τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐρεῖ αὐτῷ· τί ἐποίησας;

³³αὐτῷ τῷ καιρῷ αἱ φρένες μου ἐπεστράφησαν ἐπ’ ἐμέ, καὶ εἰς τὴν τιμὴν τῆς βασιλείας μου ἦλθον, καὶ ἡ μορφή μου ἐπέστρεψεν ἐπ’ ἐμέ, καὶ οἱ τύραννοί μου καὶ οἱ μεγιστᾶνές μου ἐζήτουν με, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν μου ἐκραταιώθην, καὶ μεγαλωσύνη περισσοτέρα προσετέθη μοι.

³⁴νῦν οὖν ἐγὼ Ναβουχοδονόσορ αἰνῶ καὶ ὑπερυψῶ καὶ δοξάζω τὸν βασιλέα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ὅτι πάντα τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἀληθινὰ καὶ αἱ τρίβοι αὐτοῦ κρίσεις, καὶ πάντας τοὺς πορευομένους ἐν ὑπερηφανίᾳ δύναται ταπεινῶσαι.

¹I Nabuchodonosor was thriving in my house, and prospering.

²I saw a vision, and it terrified me, and I was troubled on my bed, and the visions of my head troubled me.

³And I made a decree to bring in before me all the wise men of Babylon, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

⁴So the enchanters, magicians, soothsayers, [and] Chaldeans came in: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known to me the interpretation thereof;

⁵until Daniel came, whose name is Baltasar, according to the name of my God, who has within him the Holy Spirit of God; to whom I said,

⁶O Baltasar, chief of the enchanters, of whom I know that the Holy Spirit of God is in thee, and no mystery is too hard for thee, hear the vision of my dream which I had, and tell me the interpretation of it.

⁷I had a vision upon my bed; and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.

⁸The tree grew large and strong, and its height reached to the sky, and its extent to the extremity of the whole earth:

⁹its leaves were fair, and its fruit abundant, and in it was meat for all; and under it the wild beasts of the field took shelter, and the birds of the sky lodged in the branches of it, and all flesh was fed of it.

¹⁰I beheld in the night vision upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven and cried aloud, and thus he said,

¹¹Cut down the tree, and pluck off its branches, and shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit: let the wild beasts be removed from under it, and the birds from its branches.

¹²Only leave the stump of its roots in the earth, and [bind it] with an iron and brass band; and it shall lie in the grass that is without and in the dew of heaven, and its portion [shall be] with the wild beasts in the grass of the field.

¹³His heart shall be changed from that of man, and the heart of a wild beast shall be given to him; and seven times shall pass over him.

¹⁴The matter is by the decree of the watcher, and the demand is a word of the holy ones; that the living may known that the Lord is most high [over] the kingdom of men, and he will give it to whomsoever he shall please, and will set up over it that which is set at nought of men.

¹⁵This is the vision which I king Nabuchodonosor saw: and do thou, Baltasar, declare the interpretation, for none of the wise men of my kingdom are able to shew me the interpretation of it: but thou, Daniel, art able; for the Holy Spirit of God is in thee.

¹⁶Then Daniel, whose name is Baltasar, was amazed about one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. <And the king answered and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation, trouble thee.> And Baltasar answered and said, [My] lord, let the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation of it to thine enemies.

¹⁷The tree which thou sawest, that grew large and strong, whose height reached to the sky and its extent to all the earth;

¹⁸and whose leaves were flourishing, and its fruit abundant, (and it was meat for all; under it the wild beasts lodged, and the birds of the sky took shelter in its branches:)

¹⁹is thyself, O king; for thou art grown great and powerful, and thy greatness has increased and reached to heaven, and thy dominion to the ends of the earth.

²⁰And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, and he said, Strip the tree, and destroy it; only leave the stump of its roots in the ground, and [bind it] with a band of iron and brass; and it shall lie in the grass that is without, and in the dew of heaven, and its portion shall be with wild beasts, until seven times have passed over it;

²¹this is the interpretation of it, O king, and it is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king.

²²And they shall drive thee forth from men, and thy dwelling shall be with wild beasts, and they shall feed thee with grass as an ox, and thou shall have thy lodging under the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou known that the Most High is Lord of the kingdom of men, and will give it to whom he shall please.

²³And whereas they said, Leave the stumps of the roots of the tree; thy kingdom abides [sure] to thee from the time that thou shalt know the power of the heavens.

²⁴Therefore, O king, let my counsel please thee, and atone for thy sins by alms, and [thine] iniquities by compassion on the poor: it may be God will be long-suffering to thy trespasses.

²⁵All these things came upon king Nabuchodonosor.

²⁶After a twelvemonth, as he walked in his palace in Babylon,

²⁷the king answered and said, Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for a royal residence, by the might of my power, for the honour of my glory?

²⁸While 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.

²⁹And 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 he will give it to whomsoever he shall please.

³⁰In the same hour the word was fulfilled upon Nabuchodonosor: and he was driven forth from men, and he ate grass as an ox, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until his hairs were grown like lions’ [hairs], and his nails as birds’ [claws].

³¹And at the end of the time I Nabuchodonosor lifted up mine eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised him that lives for ever, and gave [him] glory; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom [lasts] to all generations:

³²and 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 there is none who shall withstand his power, and say to him, What has thou done?

³³At the same time my reason 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 more abundant majesty was added to me.

³⁴Now therefore I Nabuchodonosor praise and greatly exalt and glorify the King of heaven; for all his works are true, and his paths are judgment: and all that walk in pride he is able to abase.