23
And regarding that which the king saw, one who was a watchman and holy who came down from heaven and said, Hew the tree down and destroy it; yet leave the stump of its roots in the earth, and with a band of iron and of brass
let it remain bound in the green grass of the field, and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and
let his portion
be with the beasts of the field until seven times pass over him:
24
this
is the interpretation, O king, and this
is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king:
25
that they shall drive thee from among men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall feed thee with grass of the field as the oxen, and with the dew of heaven shalt thou be bathed, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou shalt understand that the most High takes rule over the kingdom of men and that he shall give it to whoever he will.
26
And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots in the earth; thy kingdom shall remain sure unto thee, that thou shalt understand that the rule
is in the heavens.
27
Therefore, O king, approve my counsel and redeem thy sins with righteousness and thine iniquities with mercies unto the poor: behold the medicine for thy sin.
28
All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.
29
At the end of twelve months as he was walking upon the palace of the kingdom of Babylon,
30
the king spoke and said, Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for
the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the glory of my greatness?
31
The word was yet in the king’s mouth when there fell a voice from heaven,
saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee;
32
and they drive thee from among men, and thy dwelling
shall be with the beasts of the field; and they shall feed thee as the oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee until thou know that the most High takes rule in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever he will.
33
The same hour the word was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from among men and ate grass as the oxen, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like eagles’
feathers and his nails like birds’
claws.