The King James Version of the Bible
Part 267
2172 words | Chapter 267
ication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had
set up.
3:3 Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the
treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the
provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image
that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the
image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
3:4 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people,
nations, and languages, 3:5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the
cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of
musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar
the king hath set up: 3:6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth
shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
3:7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the
cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all
the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped
the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
3:8 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused
the Jews.
3:9 They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for
ever.
3:10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear
the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer,
and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:
3:11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be
cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
3:12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the
province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O
king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the
golden image which thou hast set up.
3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before
the king.
3:14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden
image which I have set up? 3:15 Now if ye be ready that at what time
ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and
dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image
which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the
same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that
God that shall deliver you out of my hands? 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are
not careful to answer thee in this matter.
3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the
burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O
king.
3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve
thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
3:19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage
was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he
spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times
more than it was wont to be heated.
3:20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to
bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the
burning fiery furnace.
3:21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their
hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the
burning fiery furnace.
3:22 Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the
furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took
up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
3:23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down
bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
3:24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste,
and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men
bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the
king, True, O king.
3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the
midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth
is like the Son of God.
3:26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery
furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye
servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
3:27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s
counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies
the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither
were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
3:28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and
delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the
king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor
worship any god, except their own God.
3:29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and
language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall
be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver
after this sort.
3:30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the
province of Babylon.
4:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages,
that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.
4:2 I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God
hath wrought toward me.
4:3 How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his
kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation
to generation.
4:4 I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my
palace: 4:5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon
my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.
4:6 Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon
before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of
the dream.
4:7 Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and
the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not
make known unto me the interpretation thereof.
4:8 But 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: and before him I told the dream, saying, 4:9
O 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 dream that I have seen, and the interpretation
thereof.
4:10 Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a
tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.
4:11 The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached
unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: 4:12
The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it
was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the
fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed
of it.
4:13 I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a
watcher and an holy one came down from heaven; 4:14 He cried aloud,
and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off
his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under
it, and the fowls from his branches: 4:15 Nevertheless leave the stump
of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the
tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven,
and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth: 4:16
Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given
unto him; and let seven times pass over him.
4:17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by
the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that
the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to
whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
4:18 This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O
Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the
wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the
interpretation: but thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is
in thee.
4:19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one
hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said,
Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof,
trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to
them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.
4:20 The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose
height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the
earth; 4:21 Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in
it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and
upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation: 4:22
It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy
greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the
end of the earth.
4:23 And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down
from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave
the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron
and brass, in the tender 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, till seven times pass over him; 4:24 This is the
interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which
is come upon my lord the king: 4:25 That they shall drive thee from
men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they
shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the
dew of heaven, 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.
4:26 And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots;
thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known
that the heavens do rule.
4:27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and
break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing
mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
4:28 All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.
4:29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the
kingdom of Babylon.
4:30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have
built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for
the honour of my majesty? 4:31 While the word was in the king’s
mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar,
to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.
4:32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be
with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as
oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the
most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he
will.
4:33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he
was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet
with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’
feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.
4:34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes
unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed
the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever,
whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from
generation to generation: 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth
are reputed as nothing: and he doeth accordi
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