M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

22 Therefore three years passed without battle betwixt Syria and Israel.

² And in the third year Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went down to the king of Israel.

³ And the king of Israel said to his servants, Know ye not, that Ramoth of Gilead is ours, and (that) we be negligent to (not) take it (back) from the hand of the king of Syria?

⁴ And he said to Jehoshaphat, Whether thou shalt come with me to fight in Ramoth of Gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, As I am, so and thou (I am ready when thou art/What is mine is yours); my people and thy people be one; and my knights and thy knights be one.

⁵ And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I pray thee, ask thou today the word of the Lord.

⁶ Therefore the king of Israel gathered together [the] prophets, about four hundred men, and he said to them, Ought I to go into Ramoth of Gilead to fight, either ought I to rest? Which answered, Go thou up, and the Lord shall give it in(to) the hand of the king.

⁷ Forsooth Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here any (other) prophet of the Lord, that we (may) ask by him?

⁸ And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, One man, Micaiah, the son of Imlah, is left, by whom we may ask the Lord; but I hate him, for he prophesieth not good to me, but evil. To whom Jehoshaphat said, King, speak thou not so. (And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is one man left, Micaiah, the son of Imlah, by whom we can ask the Lord; but I hate him, for he never prophesieth good things for me, but only evil. To whom Jehoshaphat said, O king, do not thou say such things!)

⁹ Therefore the king of Israel called some chamberlain, and said to him, Haste thou to bring Micaiah, [the] son of Imlah.

¹⁰ Forsooth the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, sat, each in his throne, clothed with king’s ornament, in the large house beside the door, or wicket, of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied in the sight of them. (And so the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, each sat on their throne, clothed with king’s adornment, at the entrance to the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.)

¹¹ Also Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, made to himself horns of iron, and said, The Lord God saith these things, With these thou shalt scatter Syria, till thou do away it. (And Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, made iron horns for himself, and said, The Lord God saith these things, With these horns thou shalt scatter Syria, until thou do it away.)

¹² And all [the] prophets prophesied in like manner, and said, Ascend thou into Ramoth of Gilead, and go thou with prosperity; and the Lord shall betake thine enemies in(to) the hand of the king.

¹³ Soothly the messenger, that went to call Micaiah, spake to him, and said, Lo! the words of the prophets with one mouth preach goods to the king; therefore thy word be like them, and speak thou goods. (And the messenger who went to call Micaiah, spoke to him, and said, Lo! the words of the prophets preach with one mouth good things for the king; and so let thy word/s be like them, and say thou what is good.)

¹⁴ To whom Micaiah said, (As) The Lord liveth, for whatever thing the Lord shall say to me, I shall speak this.

¹⁵ Therefore he came to the king. And the king said to him, Micaiah, ought we (to) go into Ramoth of Gilead to fight, either cease (we)? To which king he answered, Ascend thou, and go in prosperity; and the Lord shall betake it into the hand of the king.

¹⁶ Forsooth the king said to him, Again and again I conjure thee (Again and again I adjure thee), that thou speak not to me, no but that that is sooth in the name of the Lord.

¹⁷ And he said, I saw all Israel scattered in the hills, as sheep not having a shepherd; and the Lord said, These have no lord, each man turn again into his house in peace (and the Lord said, They have no lord, so let each one now return to his house in peace).

¹⁸ Therefore the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Whether I said not to thee, that he prophesieth not good to me, but ever[more] evil? (And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not say to thee, that he never prophesieth good for me, but always evil?)

¹⁹ Soothly that Micaiah added, and said, Therefore hear thou the word of the Lord; I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and I saw all the host of heaven standing nigh [to] him, on the right side and on the left side.

²⁰ And the Lord said, Who shall deceive Ahab, king of Israel, that he ascend, and fall in Ramoth of Gilead? And one said such words, and another in another manner.

²¹ Soothly a spirit went out, and went before the Lord, and said, I shall deceive him.

²² To whom the Lord spake, In what thing? And he said, I shall go out, and I shall be a spirit of leasing in the mouth of all his prophets (and I shall be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets). And the Lord said, Thou shalt deceive (him), and shalt have the mastery; go thou out, and do so.

²³ Now therefore, lo! the Lord gave a spirit of leasing in the mouth of all (these) prophets that be here; and the Lord spake evil against thee. (And so now, lo! the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of thine that be here; and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee.)

²⁴ Forsooth Zedekiah, [the] son of Chenaanah, nighed, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Whether the Spirit of the Lord forsook me, and spake to thee?

²⁵ And Micaiah said, Thou shalt see in that day (Thou shalt see on that day), when thou shalt go into a closet within (a) closet, (so) that thou be hid.

²⁶ And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and dwell he at Amon, [the] prince of the city, and at Joash, the son of Amalek; (And the king of Israel said, Take hold of Micaiah, and deliver him to Amon, the ruler of the city, and Joash, the son of Ahab;)

²⁷ and say ye to them, The king saith these things, Send ye this man into prison, and sustain ye him with bread of tribulation, and with water of anguish, till I turn again in peace (until I safely return).

²⁸ And Micaiah said, If thou shalt turn again in peace, the Lord spake not in me (If thou shalt safely return, then the Lord hath not spoken by me). And he said, Hear ye, all peoples.

²⁹ Therefore the king of Israel ascended, and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, into Ramoth of Gilead. (And so the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went up to Ramoth of Gilead.)

³⁰ Therefore the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Take thou armours, and enter thou into battle, and be thou clothed in thy clothes, that is, in (the) noble signs of the king. Certainly the king of Israel changed his clothing, and entered into battle. (And so the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Take thou up thy arms, or thy weapons, and enter thou into the battle, and be thou clothed in thy clothes, that is, in the noble signs of the king. But the king of Israel changed his own clothes, and only then entered into the battle.)

³¹ Soothly the king of Syria had commanded to [the] two and thirty princes of chariots, and said, Ye shall not fight against any man [the] less, either [the] more, but against the king of Israel only. (And the king of Syria had commanded to the thirty-two leaders of his chariots, and said, Ye shall not fight against any lesser man, or against any greater man, but only against the king of Israel.)

³² Therefore when the princes of (the) chariots had seen Jehoshaphat, they supposed that he was (the) king of Israel, and by fierceness made, they fought against him. And Jehoshaphat cried [out], calling (for) God’s help, and declaring his banner;

³³ and the princes of [the] chariots understood, that it was not the king of Israel, and they ceased from (pursuing) him.

³⁴ Soothly some man bent a bow, and directed an arrow into uncertain, and by hap he smote the king of Israel betwixt the lung and the stomach. And the king said to his charioteer, Turn thine hand, and cast me out of the host, for I am wounded grievously (And the king said to his charioteer, Turn thy hand, and take me out of the battle, for I am grievously wounded).

³⁵ Therefore [the] battle was joined in that day, and the king of Israel stood in his chariot against (the) men of Syria, and he was dead at eventide. Forsooth the blood of the wound floated down into the bottom of the chariot. (And so the battle was joined on that day, and the king of Israel stood in his chariot facing the Syrians, and then he died that evening. And the blood from his wound flowed down into the bottom of his chariot.)

³⁶ And a crier sounded in all the host, before that the sun went down, and said, Each man turn again into his city, and into his land (Each man return to his own city, and to his own land).

³⁷ Forsooth the king was dead, and was borne into Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.

³⁸ And they washed his chariot in the cistern of Samaria, and dogs licked his blood, and they washed the armours, by the word of the Lord which he had spoken. (And they washed his chariot at the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and they washed his arms, or his weapons/and the whores washed themselves in it, according to the word which the Lord had spoken.)

³⁹ Soothly the residue of [the] words of Ahab, and all things which he did, and the house of ivory which he builded, and of all [the] cities which he builded (and the ivory house and all the cities which he built), whether these be not written in the book of [the] words of [the] days of the kings of Israel?

⁴⁰ Therefore Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah, his son, reigned for him. (And so Ahab died, and his son Ahaziah reigned for him.)

⁴¹ Forsooth Jehoshaphat, [the] son of Asa, began to reign on Judah in the fourth year of Ahab, king of Israel.

⁴² Jehoshaphat was of five and thirty years, when he began to reign, and he reigned five and twenty years in Jerusalem; the name of his mother was Azubah, [the] daughter of Shilhi.

⁴³ And he went in all the way of Asa, his father, and [he] bowed not [aside] from it; and he did that, that was rightful in the sight of the Lord. Nevertheless he did not away [the] high things, for yet the people made sacrifice, and burnt incense, in high places. (And he went in all the ways of his father Asa, and he turned not aside from them; and he did what was right before the Lord. But he did not do away the hill shrines, for yet the people offered sacrifices, and burned incense, at the hill shrines.)

⁴⁴ And Jehoshaphat had peace with the king of Israel.

⁴⁵ Soothly the residue of [the] words of Jehoshaphat, and the works and (the) battles, which he did, whether these be not written in the book of [the] words of [the] days of the kings of Judah?

⁴⁶ But also he took away from the land the relics of [the] men turned into women’s conditions, that (were) left in the days of Asa, his father. (And he also did away from the land the male and female whores, who served at the hill shrines, who were still there from the days of his father Asa.)

⁴⁷ Neither a king was ordained then in Edom (And there was not a king then in Edom, that is, Idumea); (but a deputy, appointed by the king of Judah, ruled over it).

⁴⁸ Forsooth king Jehoshaphat made ships in the sea, that should sail into Ophir for gold, and those might not go, for they were broken in Eziongeber. (And King Jehoshaphat made ships of the sea, to sail to Ophir for gold, but they never arrived there, for they were wrecked at Eziongeber.)

⁴⁹ Then Ahaziah, [the] son of Ahab, said to Jehoshaphat, My servants (shall) go with thine in (our) ships. And Jehoshaphat would not (But Jehoshaphat would not consent to that).

⁵⁰ And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with them in the city of David, his (fore)father; and Jehoram^[a], his son, reigned for him.

⁵¹ Forsooth Ahaziah, [the] son of Ahab, began to reign on Israel, in Samaria, in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah; and Ahaziah reigned on Israel two years.

⁵² And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went in the way of his father, and of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam, [the] son of Nebat, that made Israel to do sin.

⁵³ And he served Baal, and worshipped him, and wrathed the Lord God of Israel, by all things which his father had done. (And he served Baal, and worshipped him, and stirred the Lord God of Israel to anger, by doing all the evil things which his father had done.)

5 But, brethren, of times and moments ye need not that I write to you.

² For ye yourselves know diligently, that the day of the Lord shall come, as a thief in the night.

³ For when they shall say peace is, and secureness, then sudden death shall come on them^[a], as sorrow to a woman that is with child, and they shall not escape.

⁴ But, brethren, ye be not in darknesses, that that day as a thief catch you.

⁵ For all ye be the sons of light, and sons of [the] day; we be not of night, neither of darknesses.

⁶ Therefore sleep we not as others; but wake we, and be we sober.

⁷ For they that sleep, sleep in the night, and they that be drunken, be drunken in the night.

⁸ But we that be of the day, be sober, clothed in the habergeon of faith and of charity, and in the helmet of hope of health [clothed in the habergeon of faith and charity, and in the helmet, hope of health].

⁹ For God putted not us [put not us] into wrath, but into the purchasing of health by our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁰ that was dead for us; that whether we wake, whether we sleep, we live together with him.

¹¹ For which thing comfort ye together, and edify ye each other, as [and] ye do.

¹² And, brethren, we pray you, that ye know them that travail among you, and be sovereigns to you in the Lord, and teach you [that ye know them that travail among you, and be before to you in the Lord, and admonish, or teach, you],

¹³ that ye have them more abundantly in charity; and for the work of them, have ye peace with them.

¹⁴ And, brethren, we pray you, reprove unpeaceable men [reprove ye, or chastise, unquiet men]. Comfort ye men of little heart, receive ye frail men [receive ye sick men], be ye patient to all men.

¹⁵ See ye, that no man yield evil for evil to any man; but evermore follow ye that that is good, each to other and to all men [but evermore follow ye that that is good, together and into all men].

¹⁶ Evermore joy ye;

¹⁷ without ceasing pray ye;

¹⁸ in all things do ye thankings. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus, in all you.

¹⁹ Do not ye quench the Spirit,

²⁰ do not ye despise prophecies.

²¹ But prove ye all things, and hold ye that thing that is good. [But prove ye all things, hold ye that thing that is good.]

²² Abstain you from all evil species. [Abstain ye you from all evil species, or likeness.]

²³ And God himself of peace make you holy by all things, that your spirit be kept whole, and soul, and body, without plaint, in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁴ God is true, that called you, which also shall do [work of grace in you].

²⁵ Brethren, pray ye for us.

²⁶ Greet ye well all brethren in holy kiss.

²⁷ I charge you by the Lord, that this epistle be read to all holy brethren.

²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

4 Nebuchadnezzar, the king, writeth thus to all peoples, [folks,] and languages, that dwell in all earth, peace be multiplied to you. (King Nebuchadnezzar writeth this to all the peoples, and nations, of every language, who live on all the earth, peace be multiplied to you.)

² (The) High God made at me miracles and marvels; therefore it pleased me to preach his miracles, (The Most High God made miracles and marvels before me; and so it pleased me to preach about his miracles,)

³ for those be great, and his marvels, for those be strong; and his realm is an everlasting realm, and his power is into generation and into generation. (for they be great, and his marvels, for they be overwhelming; and his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his power is forever and ever.)

⁴ I, Nebuchadnezzar, was restful in mine house (was comfortable in my house), and flourishing in my palace;

⁵ I saw a dream that made me afeared; and my thoughts in my bed, and the sights of mine head, disturbed me. (I had a dream that made me afraid; and my thoughts on my bed, and the sights in my head, greatly disturbed me.)

⁶ And a decree was set forth by me, that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought in before my sight, and that they should show to me the solving of the dream (and that they should tell me the dream’s interpretation).

⁷ Then false diviners, astronomers, Chaldees, and beholders of altars entered; and I told the dream in the sight of them, and they showed not to me the solving thereof, (Then the fortunetellers, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the beholders on altars entered; and I told them the dream, but they could not tell me its interpretation,)

⁸ till the fellow in office, Daniel, to whom the name was Belteshazzar, by the name of my god, entered in my sight, the which Daniel hath the spirit of (the) holy gods in himself; and I spake the dream before him. (And I said,)

⁹ Belteshazzar, prince of (false) diviners, whom I know, that thou hast in thee the spirit of holy gods, and each sacrament, either private, is not impossible to thee, tell thou to me the visions of my dreams which I saw, and the solving of those. (O Belteshazzar, the chief of the fortunetellers, whom I know, that thou hast in thee the spirit of the holy gods, and every secret, or mystery, or hidden truth, is not impossible to thee, listen thou to me about the vision of my dream which I saw, and then tell me its interpretation.)

¹⁰ This is the vision of mine head in my bed. I saw, and lo! a tree was in the midst of (the) earth, and the highness thereof was full great. (This is the vision that I had in my head on my bed. I saw, and lo! a tree was in the midst of the earth, and its height was very great.)

¹¹ And the tree was great and strong, and the height thereof touched heaven (and its height touched the heavens, or the sky), and the beholding thereof was unto the ends of all (the) earth.

¹² The leaves thereof were full fair, and the fruit thereof was full much, and the meat of all was in it; beasts and wild beasts dwelled under it, and birds of the air lived in the branches thereof, and each man ate of it. (Its leaves were beautiful, and its fruit was bountiful, and there was food on it for all; the wild beasts lived under it, and the birds of the air lived in its branches, and all who were alive ate from it.)

¹³ Thus I saw in the vision of mine head, on my bed. And lo! a waker, and holy came down from heaven, (This I saw in the vision in my head, on my bed. And lo! a watcher, yea, a holy one, came down from heaven,)

¹⁴ and he cried (out) strongly, and said thus, Hew ye down the tree, and cut ye down the boughs thereof, and shake ye away the leaves thereof, and scatter ye abroad the fruits thereof; beasts flee away, that be under it, and birds from the boughs thereof. (and he cried out loudly, and said this, Cut ye down the tree, and cut ye off its branches, and shake ye away its leaves, and scatter ye abroad its fruits; let the beasts flee away, that be under it, and the birds fly away from its branches.)

¹⁵ Nevertheless suffer ye the seed of the roots thereof in [the] earth, and be he bound with a band of iron and of brass, in herbs that be withoutforth; and in the dew of heaven be he dyed, and his part be with wild beasts in the herb of the earth. (But allow ye the stump of the tree, with its roots, to remain in the ground, and be it bound with a band of iron and of bronze, amidst the herbs that be outside; and let the man be sprinkled with the dew of heaven, and his part be with the wild beasts amidst the herbs, or upon the pastures, of the land.)

¹⁶ His heart be changed from man’s heart, and the heart of a wild beast be given to him, and seven times be changed on him. (And let his heart be changed from a man’s heart, and the heart of a wild beast be given to him, and then let seven years pass over him.)

¹⁷ In the sentence of wakers it is deemed, and it is the word and asking of saints, till living men know, that [the] high God is Lord in the realm of men; and he shall give it to whomever he will, and he shall ordain on it the meekest man. (In the decision of the watchers so it is determined, and it is the word and the asking of the saints, until all those living know, that the Most High God is Lord over the kingdom of people; and he shall give it to whomever he will, and he may ordain upon it even the most humble person.)

¹⁸ I, Nebuchadnezzar, the king, saw this dream. Therefore thou, Belteshazzar, tell hastily the interpreting, for all the wise men of my realm be not able to say to me the solving; but thou mayest, for the spirit of [the] holy gods is in thee. (I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had this dream. And so, O Belteshazzar, quickly tell me its interpretation, for all the wise men of my kingdom cannot tell me its interpretation; but I know that thou can, for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.)

¹⁹ Then Daniel, to whom the name was Belteshazzar, began to think privily within himself, as in one hour, and his thoughts disturbed him. Forsooth the king answered, and said, Belteshazzar, the dream and the interpreting thereof, disturb not thee. Belteshazzar answered, and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpreting thereof be to thine enemies. (Then Daniel, who was called Belteshazzar, began to think privately within himself, for one hour, and his thoughts disturbed him. And the king said, Belteshazzar, do not let the dream, or its interpretation, disturb thee. And Belteshazzar answered, My lord, I wish that the dream was for those who hate thee, and its interpretation was for thy enemies, and not for thee.)

²⁰ The tree which thou sawest high and strong, whose height stretched till to heaven (whose height stretched unto the heavens, or up to the sky), and the beholding thereof into each land,

²¹ and the fairest branches thereof, and the fruit thereof full much, and the meat of all in it, and (the) beasts of the field dwelling under it, and the birds of the air dwelling in the boughs thereof, (and its beautiful branches, and its bountiful fruit, and the food on it for all, and the beasts of the field living under it, and the birds of the air living in its branches,)

²² thou art, king, that art magnified, and waxedest strong, and thy greatness increased, and came till to heaven, and thy power into the ends of all earth. (thou art it, O king, who was magnified, and grewest strong, and thy greatness increased, and came unto the heavens, or up to the sky, and thy power unto the ends of all the earth.)

²³ Soothly that the king saw a waker and holy come down from heaven, and say, Hew ye down the tree, and destroy ye it, nevertheless leave ye the seed of (the) roots thereof in (the) earth, and be he bound with iron and brass, in herbs withoutforth; and be he besprinkled with the dew of heaven, and his meat be with wild beasts, till seven times be changed on him; (Truly that the king saw a watcher, yea, a holy one, come down from heaven, and say, Cut ye down the tree, and destroy ye it, but leave ye the stump of the tree, with its roots, in the ground, and be it bound with a band of iron and of bronze, amidst the herbs that be outside; and let the man be sprinkled with the dew of heaven, and his food be with the wild beasts, until seven years pass over him;)

²⁴ this is the interpreting of the sentence of the Highest, which sentence is come on my lord, the king. (this is the interpretation of the decree from the Most High God, which decree is come upon my lord, the king.)

²⁵ They shall cast thee out from men, and thy dwelling shall be with beasts and wild beasts, and thou shalt eat hay, as an ox doeth, but also thou shalt be beshed with the dew of heaven, also seven times shall be changed on thee, till thou know that [the] high God is Lord over the realm of men, and giveth it to whomever he will. (They shall throw thee out from among people, and thy habitation shall be with the beasts and the wild beasts, and thou shalt eat grass, like an ox doeth, but also thou shalt be sprinkled with the dew of heaven, and seven years shall pass over thee, until thou knoweth, or thou acknowledgeth, that the Most High God is Lord over the kingdom of people, and giveth it to whomever he will.)

²⁶ Forsooth that he commanded that the seed of (the) roots thereof, that is, of the tree, should be left, thy realm shall (still) dwell to thee, after that thou knowest that the power is of heaven. (And that he commanded that the stump of the tree, with its roots, should be left, so thy kingdom shall still remain with thee, after that thou knowest, or thou acknowledgest, that the power is from heaven.)

²⁷ Wherefore, king, my counsel please thee, and again-buy thy sins with alms-deeds, and again-buy thy wickednesses with mercies of poor men; in hap God shall forgive thy trespasses. (And so, O king, let my counsel please thee, and redeem thy sins with alms-deeds, and redeem thy wickednesses with mercies for the poor; perhaps God shall forgive thy trespasses.)

²⁸ All these things came on Nebuchadnezzar, the king. (And indeed all these things came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.)

²⁹ After the end of twelve months he walked in the hall (of the palace) of Babylon; (Yea, after twelve months, when he walked in the hall of the palace in Babylon;)

³⁰ and the king answered, and said, Whether this is not Babylon, the great city, which I builded into the house of (the) realm, in the might of my strength, and in the glory of my fairness? (and the king said to himself, Is this not Babylon, the great city, which I have built into the capital of my kingdom, or of my empire, by the might of my strength, and in the glory of my beauty?)

³¹ When the word was yet in the mouth of the king, a voice fell down from heaven, (and said,) Nebuchadnezzar, king, it is said to thee, Thy realm is passed from thee, (And when these words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came down from heaven, and said, King Nebuchadnezzar, it is said to thee, Thy kingdom hath now passed from thee/Thy kingdom is now taken away from thee,)

³² and they shall cast thee out from men, and thy dwelling shall be with beasts and wild beasts; thou shalt eat hay, as an ox doeth, and seven times shall be changed on thee, till thou know that [the] high God is Lord in the realm of men, and giveth it to whomever he will. (and they shall throw thee out from among people, and thy habitation shall be with the beasts and the wild beasts; thou shalt eat grass, like an ox doeth, and seven years shall pass over thee, until thou knowest, or thou acknowledgest, that the Most High God is the Lord over the kingdom of people, and giveth it to whomever he will.)

³³ In the same hour the word was fulfilled [up]on Nebuchadnezzar, and he was cast out from men, and he ate hay, as an ox doeth, and his body was coloured with the dew of heaven, till his hairs waxed at the likeness of eagles’ (feathers), and his nails as the nails, [or (the) claws,] of birds. (In that same hour the word was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar, and he was thrown out from among people, and he ate grass, like an ox doeth, and his body was sprinkled with the dew of heaven, until his hair grew into the likeness of eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.)

³⁴ Therefore after the end of days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised mine eyes to heaven, and my wit was yielded to me; and I blessed the Highest, and I praised, and glorified him that liveth without end; for why his power is everlasting power, and his realm is in generation and into generation. (And so at the end of these days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised up my eyes to heaven, and my mind, or my sanity, was restored to me; and I blessed the Most High God, and I praised, and glorified him who liveth forever; because his power is everlasting power, and his kingdom is forever and ever.)

³⁵ And all the dwellers of earth be areckoned into nought at him; for by his will he doeth, both in the hosts of heaven, and in the dwellers of earth, and none is that (may) against-standeth his hand, and saith to him, Why didest thou so? (And all the inhabitants of the earth be reckoned as nothing by him; for he doeth by his will, both to the armies of heaven, and to the inhabitants of the earth, and there is no one who can stand against his power, and can say to him, Why didest thou so?)

³⁶ In that time my wit turned again to me, and I came fully to the honour and fairness of my realm, and my figure turned again to me (At that time my mind, or my sanity, returned to me, and I was fully restored to the honour and beauty and glory of my kingdom); and my best men and my magistrates sought me (out), and I was set in my realm, and my great doing was increased (even) greater to me.

³⁷ Now therefore I Nebuchadnezzar praise, and magnify, and glorify the King of heaven; for all his works be true, and all his ways be dooms; and he may make meek, [or (make) low,] them that go in pride. (And so now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, and magnify, and glorify the King of heaven; for all his works be true, and all his ways be right and just; and he can humble, or make low, all those who go in pride.)

108 The song of the psalm of David. Mine heart is ready, God, mine heart is ready; I shall sing, and I shall say psalm in my glory. (God, my heart is ready, my heart is ready; I shall sing, yea, I shall sing a song.)^[a]

² My glory, rise thou up, psaltery and harp, rise thou up; I shall rise up early. (My spirit, rise thou up; lute and harp, rise thou up; yea, I shall rise up in the morning.)

³ Lord, I shall acknowledge to thee among peoples; and I shall say psalm to thee among nations. (Lord, I shall praise thee/I shall confess thee/I shall give thanks to thee among the peoples; and I shall sing a song to thee among the nations, or among the heathen.)

⁴ For why, God, thy mercy is great on heavens; and thy truth is till to the clouds. (For, O God, thy love reacheth above the heavens; and thy faithfulness up to the clouds.)

⁵ God, be thou enhanced above heavens; and thy glory over all earth. (God, be thou exalted above the heavens; and let thy glory be over all the earth.)

⁶ That thy darlings be delivered, make thou safe with thy right hand, and hear [thou] me; (Save thy dear ones; yea, save thou us with thy right hand, and answer thou me.)^[b]

⁷ God spake in his holy (place). I shall make full out joy, and I shall part Shechem; and I shall mete the great valley of tabernacles. (God spoke in his holiness/God spoke from his sanctuary, and he said, I shall rejoice, and I shall divide Shechem; and I shall measure out the Succoth Valley.)

⁸ Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; and Ephraim is the up-taking of mine head. Judah is my king; (Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, and Judah is my sceptre.)

⁹ Moab is the cauldron of mine hope. Into Idumea I shall stretch forth my shoe; aliens be made friends to me. (But Moab is my washbowl. And I shall throw my shoes at Edom; and Philistia shall be made subject to me.)

¹⁰ Who shall lead me forth into a strong city; who shall lead me forth till into Idumea? (Who shall lead me forth into the fortified city? who shall lead me unto Edom?)

¹¹ Whether not thou, God, that hast put us away; and, God, shalt thou not go out in our virtues? (Shalt not thou, God, even though thou hast cast us off, or rejected us? or shalt not thou, God, go out with our hosts, or our armies, any more?)

¹² Give thou help to us (out) of tribulation; for the help of man is vain. (Lord, give thou us help in the time of trouble; for the help of man is worthless, yea, but an empty hope.)

¹³ We shall make virtue in God; and he shall bring our enemies to nought. (With God’s help, we shall do valiantly/we shall have the victory; and he shall bring down our enemies into nothing.)

109 To victory, the psalm of David. God, hold thou not still my praising; (To victory, the song of David. God of my praises, be thou not silent;)

² for the mouth of the sinner, and the mouth of the guileful man, is opened on me. They spake against me with a guileful tongue, (for the mouth of the sinner, and the mouth of the deceitful, were opened against me. Yea, they spoke against me with their lying tongues,)

³ and they (en)compassed me with words of hatred; and fought against me without cause. (and they surrounded me with hateful words; and fought against me for no reason.)

⁴ For that thing that they should love me (for), they backbited me; but I prayed (for them).

⁵ And they setted against me evils for goods (And they paid me back evil for good); and hatred for my love.

⁶ Ordain thou a sinner on him; and the devil stand on his right half. (Ordain thou a sinner over my enemy; and let the devil stand at his right hand.)

⁷ When he is deemed, go he out condemned; and his prayer be made into sin. (When he is judged, let him go out condemned; and let his prayer be made into sin.)

⁸ His days be made few; and another take his bishopric. (Let his days be made few; and another take his office.)

⁹ (Let) His sons be made fatherless; and his wife a widow.

¹⁰ His sons trembling be borne over, and beg; and be they cast out of their habitations. (Let his sons and daughters be made vagrants, and go begging; yea, let them be thrown out of their dwelling places.)

¹¹ An usurer seek all his chattel; and aliens ravish his travails. (Let an usurer take away all his chattel, or his substance; and let foreigners, or strangers, take all that he hath worked for.)

¹² None helper be to him; neither any be that have mercy on his motherless children. (Let there be no one to help him; nor let anyone have mercy on his motherless children.)

¹³ His sons be made into perishing (Let all his sons and daughters die); (and) the name of him be done away in one generation.

¹⁴ The wickedness of his fathers come again into mind in the sight of the Lord; and the sin of his mother be not done away. (Let the wickedness of his forefathers be remembered by the Lord; and let his mother’s sin be not done away, or wiped out.)

¹⁵ Be they made ever[more] against the Lord; and the mind of them perish from earth. (Let their sins be before the Lord forevermore; but let the remembrance of these people perish from all the earth.)

¹⁶ For that thing that he thought not to do mercy, and he pursued a poor man and a beggar; and to slay a man compunct in heart. (Because he never thought to show mercy, or love, but he persecuted the poor and the needy; and he even killed the broken-hearted.)

¹⁷ And he loved cursing, and it shall come to him; and he would not blessing, and it shall be made far from him. (And because he loved to curse others, now let it come to him; and because he delighted not to give anyone a blessing, now let it be made far from him.)

¹⁸ And he clothed cursing as a cloth, and it entered as water into his inner things; and as oil in his bones. (He clothed himself in cursing, like with a cloak, and it entered into his inner things, like water; yea, like oil into his bones.)

¹⁹ Be it made to him as a cloth, with which he is covered; and as a girdle, with which he is ever[more] girded. (Let it be made to him like a cloak, with which he is covered; yea, like a girdle, with which he is girded forevermore.)

²⁰ This is the work of them that backbite me with the Lord; and that speak evils against my life. (Let this be the reward of those who backbite me with the Lord; yea, those who speak evil against me.)

²¹ And thou, Lord God, do with me for thy name; for thy mercy is sweet. Deliver thou me, (But thou, Lord God, do with me for the sake of thy name; for thy love is good. Save thou me,)

²² for I am needy and poor (for I am poor and needy); and mine heart is troubled within me.

²³ I am taken away as a shadow, when it boweth away; and I am shaken away as locusts. (I fade away like a shadow in the evening; and I am shaken off like a bug.)

²⁴ My knees be made feeble with fasting; and my flesh was changed for oil. (My knees be made weak with fasting; and my flesh wasteth away for lack of oil.)

²⁵ And I am made (a) shame to them; they saw me, and moved their heads (they saw me, and shook their heads).

²⁶ My Lord God, help thou me; make thou me safe by thy mercy. (My Lord God, help thou me; save thou me in thy mercy/save thou me because of thy love.)

²⁷ And they shall know, that this is thine hand; and (that) thou, Lord, hast done it.

²⁸ And they shall curse, and thou shalt bless, they that rise against me, be shamed; but thy servant shall be glad. (And they shall curse, but thou shalt bless, so let those who rise against me, be put to shame; but thy servant shall be glad.)

²⁹ They that backbite me, be clothed with shame; and be they covered with their shame, as with a double cloth. (Let those who backbite me, be clothed with shame; yea, let them be covered with their shame, like with a cloak.)

³⁰ I shall acknowledge to the Lord greatly with my mouth; and I shall praise him in the middle of many men. (With my mouth I shall greatly thank the Lord; yea, I shall praise him in the midst of many people.)

³¹ Which stood nigh on the right half of a poor man; to make safe my soul from pursuers. (For he standeth close to the right hand of the poor; to save them from their pursuers, or their persecutors.)