Textus Receptus Bibles
Matthew's Bible 1537
| 4:1 | Nabuchodonosor Kynge vnto all people, kynreddes and tunges that dwell vpon the whole earthe: peace be multiplyed among you, |
| 4:2 | I thoughte it good to shew the tokens and meruelous worckes, that the hye God hath wrought vpon me. |
| 4:3 | O how greate are hys tokens, and howe myghtie are hys wonders? His kyngedome is an euerlastynge kyngedome, and hys power lasteth for euer & euer. |
| 4:4 | I Nabuchodonosor beynge at rest in minehouse, and floryshynge in my palace, |
| 4:5 | sawe a dreame, which made me afraied: & the thoughtes that I had vpon my bed, wyth the vysyons of myne heade, troubled me. |
| 4:6 | Then sente I oute a commyssyon, that all they which were of wysdome at Babylon, shulde be broughte before me, to tell me the interpretacyon of the dreame. |
| 4:7 | So there came the sothsayers, charmers, Caldees and coniurers of Deuyls, to whome I tolde the dreame, but what it be tokened, they coulde not shewe me: |
| 4:8 | tyll at the laste, there came one Daniel (otherwyse called Balthazar, accordynge to the name of my God) whiche hath the sprete of the holy Goddes in hym: to whom I tolde the dreame, saying: |
| 4:9 | O Balthasar, thou prince of southsayers: For so muche as I knowe, that thou haste the spryte of the holy Goddes, and no secrete is hyd from the: tell me therfore, what the vysyon of my dreame (that I haue sene) maye sygnifye. |
| 4:10 | I sawe a vysyon in my heade vpon my bed: and beholde, there stode a tre vpon the grounde, |
| 4:11 | whiche was verye hye, greate and myghtye: the heygth reached vnto the heauen, and the bredth extended to all the endes of the earthe, |
| 4:12 | hys leaues were fayre, he had verye muche frute, so that euerye man had ynough to eate therein. The beastes of the feld had shadowes vnder it, and the foules of the ayre dwelte in the bowes therof. Shortly, all creatures fed of it. |
| 4:13 | I sawe in my heade a vysyon vpon my bed: & beholde, a watcher came doune from heauen, |
| 4:14 | & cryed myghtely, sayinge. Hew doune the tre, breake of hys braunches, shake of hys leaues, and scatre hys frute abroade: that all the beastes maye get them awaye from vnder hym, and the foules from his braunches. |
| 4:15 | Neuertheles leaue the grounde of hys rote styll in the earthe, and bynde hym vpon the playne feld, with cheynes of yron and stele. With the dewe of heauen shall he be wet, and he shall haue hys parte in the herbes of the grounde wyth other wylde beastes. |
| 4:16 | That mans herte of his shal be taken from him, and a beastes herte shall be geuen hym, tyll seuen yeares be come and gone vpon hym. |
| 4:17 | This erande of the watcher is a commaundement grounded and sought oute in the councell of him, that is most holye, to learne men for to vnderstande, that the hyest hath power, ouer the kyngedomes of men, and geueth them, to whome it lyketh hym, & bryngeth the very oute castes of men ouer them. |
| 4:18 | Thys is the dreame, that I kynge Nabuchodonosor haue sene. Therfore O Balthasar, tell thou me, what it sygnyfyeth: for so muche as the wyse men of my kyngdome are not able to shewe me, what it meaneth. But thou canst do it, for the spryte of the holy Goddes is in the. |
| 4:19 | Then Daniel (whose name was Balthasar) helde hys peace by the space of an houre, and hys thoughtes troubled hym. So the kynge spake, and sayd: O Balthasar, let neyther the dreame nor the interpretacyon therof feare the. Balthazar aunswered, saying: O my Lorde, this dreame happen to thyne enemyes, & the interpretacyon to thyne aduersaryes. |
| 4:20 | As for the tre, that thou sawest, whiche was so great & mighty, whose height reached vnto the heauen, and hys bredth into all the worlde, |
| 4:21 | whose leues were fayre, and the frute muche, vnder the whiche the beastes of the feld had theyr habitacion, and vpon whose braunches the foules of the ayre dyd syt. |
| 4:22 | Euen thou (O kynge) arte the tre, great & stronge. Thy greatnesse increaseth, and reacheth vnto the heauen, so doth thy power to the endes of the earthe. |
| 4:23 | But where as the kynge sawe a watcher euen an holye aungel, that came downe from heauen, and sayde: hewe doune the tre, and destroye it: yet leaue the grounde of the rote in the earthe, and brynge hym vpon the playne felde with cheynes of yron & stele: He shall be wet with the dewe of heauen, and hys parte shalbe with the beastes of the felde, tyll seuen yeares be come and gone vpon him: |
| 4:24 | This (O Kynge) is the interpretacyon, yea it is the very deuyce of him, that is hyest of all, and it toucheth my Lorde the kynge. |
| 4:25 | Thou shalte be caste oute from men, & thy dwellyng shalbe with the beastes of the feld: with grasse shalte thou be fed lyke an oxe. Thou must be wet with the dewe of the heauen, yea seuen yeares shall come, and go vpon the, tyll thou know, that the hyest hath power vpon the kingedomes of men, & geueth them to whome he lyst. |
| 4:26 | Moreouer, where as it was sayde, that the rote of the tree shulde be lefte styll in the grounde: it betokeneth, that thy kyngedome shall remayne whole vnto the, after thou hast learned to know, that the power commeth from heauen. |
| 4:27 | Wherfore, O Kyng, be content with my councel, that thou mayeste lowse thy synnes wyth ryghtuousnesse, and thyne offences with mercye to poore people: for suche thynges shall prolonge thy peace. |
| 4:28 | All these thynges touche the kynge Nabuchodonosor. |
| 4:29 | So after .xij. monethes, the kynge walked vp & doune in the palace of the kyngedome of Babylon, |
| 4:30 | and sayde: Thys is the greate cytye of Babilon, which I my selfe (wyth my power & strengthe) haue made a kynges courte, for the honour of my magestye. |
| 4:31 | Whyle these wordes were yet in the kynges mouthe, there fell a voyce from heauen, saying: O king Nabuchodonosor, to the be it spoken: Thy kingdom shall departe from the, |
| 4:32 | thou shalte be cast oute of mens companye: thy dwelling shalbe with the beastes of the felde, so that thou shalte eate grasse lyke as an oxe, tyll seuen yeares be come & gone ouer the: euen vntill thou knoweste, that the hyest hath power vpon the kyngdoms of men, and that he may geue them, vnto whom it pleaseth hym. |
| 4:33 | The very same houre was this matter fulfylled vpon Nabuchodonosor: so that he was cast oute of mens companye, & ate grasse like an oxe. His body was wet with the dewe of heauen, tyll hys hearres were as greate as Aegles fethers, & hys nales like byrdes clawes. |
| 4:34 | When this tyme was passed, I Nabuchodonosor lyfte vp myne eyes vnto heauen, and myne vnderstandynge was restored vnto me agayne. Then gaue I thanckes vnto the hyghest. I magnifyed and praysed hym that lyueth for euermore, whose power endureth alwaye, and his kingdome from one generacion to another: |
| 4:35 | in comparison of whom al they that dwel vpon the earth, are to be reputed as nothinge. He handleth accordinge to hys wyl, among the powers of heauen & amonge the inhabytours of the earthe: and there is none that maye resyste hys hande, or say: what doest thou? |
| 4:36 | At the same tyme was myne vnderstandyng geuen me agayne, and I was restored to the honoure of my kingedome, to my dignite, & to myne owne shappe agayne. My greate estates and princes soughte vnto me, and I was set in my kyngdome agayn, so that I had yet greater worshyppe. |
| 4:37 | Then dyd I Nabuchodonosor loue, magnifye and prayse the kynge of heauen: for all hys worckes are true, and hys wayes righte. As for those that go on proudely, he is able to brynge them doune. |
Matthew's Bible 1537
The Matthew Bible, also known as Matthew's Version, was first published in 1537 by John Rogers, under the pseudonym "Thomas Matthew". It combined the New Testament of William Tyndale, and as much of the Old Testament as he had been able to translate before being captured and put to death, with the translations of Myles Coverdale as to the balance of the Old Testament and the Apocrypha, except the Apocryphal Prayer of Manasses. It is thus a vital link in the main sequence of English Bible translations.