Dan 4 | EngLXX | STEP | I Nabuchodonosor was thriving in my house, and prospering.

Daniel 4

1 I Nabuchodonosor was thriving in my house, and prospering. 2 I saw a vision, and it terrified me, and I was troubled on my bed, and the visions ofmy head troubled me. 3 And I made a decree to bring in before me all the wise men of Babylon, that they mightmake known to me the interpretation of the dream. 4 So the enchanters, magicians, soothsayers,and Chaldeans came in: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known to methe interpretation thereof; 5 until Daniel came, whose name is Baltasar, according to the name of my God, who has withinhim the Holy Spirit of God; to whom I said, 6 O Baltasar, chief of the enchanters, of whom I know that the Holy Spirit of God is inyou, and no mystery is too hard for you, hear the vision of my dream which I had, and tell me the interpretationof it. 7 I had a vision upon my bed; and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and its heightwas great. 8 The tree grew large and strong, and its height reached to the sky, and its extent to theextremity of the whole earth: 9 its leaves were fair, and its fruit abundant, and in it was meat for all; and under itthe wild beasts of the field took shelter, and the birds of the sky lodged in the branches of it, andall flesh was fed of it. 10 I [*]saw in the night vision upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one camedown from heaven and cried aloud, and thus he said, 11 Cut down the tree, and pluck off its branches, and shake off its leaves, and scatterits fruit: let the wild beasts be removed from under it, and the birds from its branches. 12 Only leave the stump of its roots in the earth, andbind it with an iron and brass band; and it shall lie in the grass that is without and in thedew of heaven, and its portionshall be with the wild beasts in the grass of the field. 13 His heart shall be changed from that of man, and the heart of a wild beast shall be givento him; and seven times shall pass over him. 14 The 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 highover the kingdom of men, and he will give it to whoever he shall please, and will set up overit that which is set at nothing of men. 15 This is the vision which I king Nabuchodonosor saw: and do you, Baltasar, declare theinterpretation, for none of the wise men of my kingdom are able to show me the interpretation of it: butyou, Daniel, are able; for the Holy Spirit of God is in you. 16 Then Daniel, whose name is Baltasar, was amazed about one hour, and his thoughts troubledhim. And Baltasar answered and said,My lord, let the dream be to them that hate you, and the interpretation of it to your enemies. 17 The tree which you saw, that grew large and strong, whose height reached to the sky andits extent to all the earth; 18 and 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:) 19 is yourself, O king; for you are grown great and powerful, and your greatness has increasedand reached to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. 20 And 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, andbind it with a band of iron and brass; and it shall lie in the grass that is without, and inthe dew of heaven, and its portion shall be with wild beasts, until seven times have passed over it; 21 this is the interpretation of it, O king, and it is a decree of the Most High, whichhas come upon my lord the king. 22 And they shall drive you forth from men, and your dwelling shall be with wild beasts,and they shall feed you with grass as an ox, and you shall have your lodging under the dew of heaven,and seven times shall pass over you, until you known that the Most High is Lord of the kingdom of men,and will give it to whom he shall please. 23 And whereas they said, Leave the stumps of the roots of the tree; your kingdom abidessure to you from the time that you shall know the power of the heavens. 24 Therefore, O king, let my counsel please you, and atone for your sins by alms, andyour iniquities by compassion on the poor: it may be God will be longsuffering to your trespasses. 25 All these things came upon king Nabuchodonosor. 26 After a twelvemonth, as he walked in his palace in Babylon, 27 the king answered and said, Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for a royalresidence, by the might of my power, for the honor of my glory? 28 While the word was yet in the king's mouth, there came a voice from heaven,saying, To you, king Nabuchodonosor, they say, The kingdom has departed from you. 29 And theyshall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the wild beasts of the field, andthey shall feed you with grass as an ox: and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that theMost High is Lord of the kingdom of men, and he will give it to whoever he shall please. 30 In the same hour the word was fulfilled upon Nabuchodonosor: and he was driven forthfrom men, and he ate grass as an ox, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until his hairs weregrown like lions'hairs, and his nails as birds'claws. 31 And at the end of the time I Nabuchodonosor lifted up mine eyes to heaven, and my reasonreturned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised him that lives for ever, and gavehim glory; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdomlasts to all generations: 32 and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he does according tohis will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and there is none who shall withstandhis power, and say to him, What has you done? 33 At the same time my reason returned to me, and I came to the honor of my kingdom; andmynatural form returned to me, and my princes, and my nobles, sought me, and I was establishedin my kingdom, and more abundant majesty was added to me. 34 Now 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.