Daniel 4

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 'I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living comfortably in my house, prosperously in my palace.	1 Nabuchodonosor the king, to all peoples, nations, and tongues, that dwell in all the earth, peace be multiplied unto you.
2 I had a dream; it appal ed me. Dread assailed me as I lay in bed; the visions that passed through myhead tormented me.	2 The most high God hath wrought signs and wonders toward me. It hath seemed good to me therefore to publish
3 So I decreed that all the sages of Babylon be summoned to explain to me what the dream meant.	3 His signs, because they are great: and his wonders, because they are mighty: and his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, I and his power to all generations.
4 Magicians, soothsayers, Chaldaeans and exorcists came, and I told them what I had dreamt, but theycould not interpret it for me.	4 I Nabuchodonosor was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace:
5 Daniel, renamed Belteshazzar after my own god, and in whom the spirit of the holy gods resides, thencame into my presence. I told him my dream:	5 I saw a dream that affrighted me: and my thoughts in my bed, and the visions of my head troubled me.
6 ' "Belteshazzar, chief of magicians," I said, "I know that the spirit of the holy gods resides in you and that no mystery puts you at a loss. This is the dream I have had; tel me what it means.	6 Then I set forth a decree, that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought in before me, and that they should shew me the interpretation of the dream.
7 ' "The visions that passed through my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw a tree in the middle of theworld; it was very tal .	7 Then came in the diviners, the wise men, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers, and I told the dream before them: but they did not shew me the interpretation thereof:
8 The tree grew tal er and stronger, until its top reached the sky and it could be seen from the very endsof the earth.	8 Till their colleague Daniel came in before me, whose name is Baltassar, according to the name of my god, who hath in him the spirit of the holy gods: and I told the dream before him.
9 Its foliage was beautiful, its fruit abundant, in it was food for al . For the wild animals it provided shade,the birds of heaven nested in its branches, al living creatures found their food on it.	9 Baltassar, prince of the diviners, because I know that thou hast in thee the spirit of the holy gods, and that no secret is impossible to thee: tell me the visions of my dreams that I have seen, and the interpretation of them.
10 ' "I watched the visions passing through my head as I lay in bed: Next, a Watchful One, a holy one,came down from heaven.	10 This was the vision of my head in my bed: I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was exceeding great.
11 At the top of his voice he shouted: Cut the tree down, lop off its branches, strip off its leaves, throwaway its fruit; let the animals flee from its shelter and the birds from its branches.	11 The tree was great, and strong: and the height thereof reached unto heaven: the sight thereof was even to the ends of all the earth.
12 But leave the stump with its roots in the ground, bound with hoops of iron and bronze, in the grass ofthe countryside. Let it be drenched by the dew of heaven and have its lot with the animals, eating grass!	12 Its leaves were most beautiful, and its fruit exceeding much: and in it was food for all: under it dwelt cattle, and beasts, and in the branches thereof the fowls of the air had their abode: and all flesh did eat of it.
13 Let it cease to have a human heart, and be given the heart of a beast, and seven times shal passover him!	13 I saw in the vision of my head upon my bed, and behold a watcher, and a holy one came down from heaven.
14 Such is the sentence proclaimed by the Watchers, the verdict announced by the holy ones- so thatevery living thing may learn that the Most High rules over human sovereignty; he confers it on whom he pleases,and raises the lowest of humankind.	14 He cried aloud, and said thus: Cut down the tree, and chop off the branches thereof: shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruits: let the beasts fly away that are under it, and the birds from its branches.
15 ' "This was the dream I had-I, Nebuchadnezzar the king. Now it is for you, Belteshazzar, to pronounceon its meaning, since not one of the sages in my kingdom has been able to interpret it for me; you, however, cando so, since the spirit of the holy gods resides in you." '	15 Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, and let it be tied with a band of iron, and of brass, among the grass, that is without, and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let its portion be with the wild beasts in the grass of the earth.
16 Daniel, known as Belteshazzar, was confused for a time and upset. The king said, 'Belteshazzar, donot be upset at the dream and its meaning.' Belteshazzar answered, 'My lord, may the dream apply to those whohate you, and its meaning to your foes!	16 Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given him; and let seven times pass over him.
17 The tree you saw, so large and strong and tal that it reached the sky and could be seen throughoutthe world,	17 This is the decree by the sentence of the watchers, and the word And demand of the holy ones; till the living know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men; and he will give it to whomsoever it shall please him, and he will appoint the basest man over it.
18 the tree with beautiful foliage and abundant fruit, with food for al in it, providing shade for the wildanimals, with the birds of heaven nesting in its branches:	18 I king Nabuchodonosor saw this dream: thou, therefore, O Baltassar, tell me quickly the interpretation: for all the wise men of my kingdom axe not able to declare the meaning of it to me: but thou art able, because the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
19 that tree is yourself, Your Majesty, for you have grown great and strong; your stature is now so greatthat it reaches the sky, and your empire extends to the ends of the earth.	19 Then Daniel, whose name was Baltassar, began silently to think within himself for about one hour: and his thoughts troubled him. But the king answering, said: Baltassar, let not the dream and the interpretation thereof trouble thee. Baltassar answered, and said: My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thy enemies.
20 'And the Watchful One seen by the king, the holy one coming down from heaven and saying, "Cut thetree down and destroy it, but leave stump and roots in the ground, bound with hoops of iron and bronze in thegrass of the countryside; let it be drenched by the dew and have its lot with the wild animals until seven timeshave passed over it":	20 The tree which thou sawest which was high and strong, whose height reached to the skies, and the sight thereof into all tire earth:
21 the meaning of this, Your Majesty, the verdict of the Most High passed on my lord the king, is this:	21 And the branches thereof were most beautiful, and its fruit exceeding much, and in it was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and the birds of the air had their abode in its branches.
22 You wil be driven from human society and wil make your home with the wild animals, you will feed ongrass, as oxen do, you wil be drenched by the dew of heaven; seven times will pass over you until you havelearnt that the Most High rules over human sovereignty and confers it on whom he pleases.	22 It is thou, O king, who art grown great and become mighty: for thy greatness hath grown, and hath reached to heaven, and thy power unto the ends of the earth.
23 'And the order, "Leave the stump and roots of the tree", means that your kingdom wil be kept for youuntil you come to understand that Heaven rules all.	23 And whereas the king saw a watcher, and a holy one come down from heaven, and say: Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, and let it be bound with iron and brass among the grass without, and let it be sprinkled with the dew of heaven, and let his feeding be with the wild beasts, till seven times pass over him.
24 May it please the king to accept my advice: by upright actions break with your sins, break with yourcrimes by showing mercy to the poor, and so live long and peacefully.'	24 This is the interpretation of the sentence of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king.
25 This al happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.	25 They shall cast thee out from among men, and thy dwelling shall be with cattle and with wild beasts, and thou shalt eat grass as an ox, and shalt be wet with the dew of heaven: and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth over the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
26 At the end of twelve months, while strol ing on the roof of the royal palace in Babylon,	26 But whereas he commanded, that the stump of the roots thereof, that is, of the tree, should be left: thy kingdom shall remain to thee after thou shalt have known that power is from heaven.
27 the king was saying, 'Great Babylon! Was it not built by me as a royal residence, by the force of mymight and for the majesty of my glory?'	27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to thee, and redeem thou thy sins with alms, and thy iniquities with works of mercy to the poor: perhaps he will forgive thy offences.
28 The words were not out of his mouth when a voice came down from heaven: 'Of you, KingNebuchadnezzar, it is decreed: the empire has been taken from you,	28 All these things came upon king Nabuchodonosor.
29 you wil be driven from human society and wil make your home with the wild animals; you wil feed ongrass, as oxen do, and seven times wil pass over you until you have learnt that the Most High rules over humansovereignty and gives it to whom he pleases.'	29 At the end of twelve months he was walking in the palace of Babylon.
30 The words were immediately fulfilled: Nebuchadnezzar was driven from human society and ate grassas oxen do; he was drenched by the dew of heaven; his hair grew like an eagle's feathers, and his nails becamelike a bird's talons.	30 And the king answered, and said: Is not this the great Babylon, which I have built to be the seat of the kingdom, by the strength of my power, and in the glory of my excellence?
31 'When the time was over, I, Nebuchad- nezzar, raised my eyes to heaven: my reason returned. And Iblessed the Most High, praising and glorifying him who lives for ever, for his empire is an everlasting empire, hiskingship endures, age after age.	31 And while the word was yet in the king's mouth, a voice came down from heaven: To thee, O king Nabuchodonosor, it is said: Thy kingdom shall pass from thee,
32 Al who dwel on earth count for nothing; as he thinks fit, he disposes the army of heaven and thosewho dwel on earth. No one can arrest his hand or ask him, "What have you done?"	32 And they shall cast thee out from among men, and thy dwelling shall be with cattle and wild beasts: thou shalt eat grass like an ox, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
33 'At that moment my reason returned and, for the honour of my royal state, my glory and splendourreturned too. My counsel ors and noblemen acclaimed me; I was restored to my throne, and to my pastgreatness even more was added.	33 The same hour the word was fulfilled upon Nabuchodonosor, and he was driven away from among men, and did eat grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven: till his hairs grew like the feathers of eagles, and his nails like birds' claws.
34 And now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, extol and glorify the King of heaven, al of whose deeds are true,al of whose ways are right, and who can humble those who walk in pride.'	34 Now at the end of the days, I Nabuchodonosor lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my sense was restored to me: and I blessed the most High, and I praised and glorified him that liveth for ever: for his power is an everlasting power, and his kingdom is to all generations.
	35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing before him: for he doth according to his will, I as well with the powers of heaven, as among the inhabitants of the earth: and there is none that can resist his hand, and say to him: Why hast thou done it?
	36 At the same time my sense returned to me, and I came to the honour and glory of my kingdom: and my shape returned to me: and my nobles, and my magistrates sought for me, and I was restored to my kingdom: and greater majesty was added to me.
	37 Therefore I Nabuchodonosor do now praise, and magnify, and glorify the King of heaven: because all his works are true, and his ways judgments, and them that walk in pride he is able to abase.