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King of Babylon, who founded the great city of Babylon and designed the cistern and above it the orchard (called the hanging gardens) and planted in it every sort of plant. His wife was delighted by strolling in it and surveying the whole land, herself seen by no one. Nebuchadnezzar passed through and said with great pretension and conceit: "is this not Babylon the great, which I fashioned for a royal house in the might of my strength for the honour of my reputation?" And as these words were still in his mouth, a voice came out of the sky: "I tell you Nebuchadnezzar, your kingdom has passed from you and I will drive you away from men and your dwelling will be among the beasts, and make you to eat hay like an ox and for seven years things will be different for you until you know this: that the Lord most high rules the kingdom of men and he will give it to whom he thinks fit." And in that hour the word came to pass for Nebuchadnezzar and he was banished from men and ate hay like an ox and his body was drenched in the dew of heaven until his hair grew long like a lion's and his nails like a bird's. After these things again he spoke of his re-establishment: "in that moment was my mind turned from myself and went to the honor of my kingdom, and my shape changed for me, and my nobles and my grandees[1] sought me out and I ruled my kingdom, and prodigious majesty was set upon me. Now then, I, Nebuchadnezzar, proclaim and exalt and recognize the king of heaven, for all his works are true and his ways are judgement, and he can lower all those who walk in arrogance." And Isaiah[2] speaks about him.

*nabouxodono/sor, basileu\s *babulw=nos, o( kti/sas th\n *babulw=na po/lin mega/lhn kai\ kinste/rnan kai\ e)pa/nw au)th=s kh=pon [to\n klhqe/nta kremasto/n] texnhsa/menos kai\ katafuteu/sas e)n au)tw=| pantodapa\ ge/nh futw=n. ei)s tou=ton h( gunh\ au)tou= peripolou=sa kai\ pa=san gh=n e)kei/nhn e)popteu/ousa katete/rpeto, u(p' ou)deno\s o(rwme/nh. o( de\ *nabouxodono/sor diaporeuo/menos e)/fh meta\ e)pa/rsews pollh=s kai\ a)lazonei/as: ou)x au(/th e)sti\ *babulw\n h( mega/lh, h(\n e)gw\ ei)s oi)=kon basilei/as e)n tw=| kra/tei th=s i)sxu/os mou ei)s timh\n th=s do/chs mou w)|kodo/mhsa; kai\ e)/ti tou= lo/gou e)n tw=| sto/mati au)tou= o)/ntos, fwnh\ e)k tou= ou)ranou= e)ge/neto: soi le/gw, *nabouxodono/sor: h( basilei/a sou parh=lqen a)po\ sou=, kai\ a)po\ tw=n a)nqrw/pwn e)kdiw/cw se, kai\ meta\ qhri/wn h( katoi/khsi/s sou, kai\ xo/rton w(s bou=n ywmiou=si/ se, kai\ e(pta\ kairoi\ a)llagh/sontai e)pi/ se, e(/ws ou(= gnw=|s, o(/ti kurieu/ei o( u(/yistos th=s basilei/as tw=n a)nqrw/pwn kai\ w(=| e)a\n do/ch|, dw/sei au)th/n. kai\ au)th=| th=| w(/ra| o( lo/gos sunetele/sqh e)pi\ *nabouxodono/sor kai\ a)po\ tw=n a)nqrw/pwn e)cediw/xqh kai\ xo/rton w(s bou=s h)/sqie kai\ a)po\ th=s dro/sou tou= ou)ranou= to\ sw=ma au)tou= e)ba/fh, e(/ws ou(= ai( tri/xes au)tou= w(s le/ontos e)megalu/nqhsan kai\ oi( o)/nuxes w(s o)rne/ou. meta\ de\ tau=ta pa/lin fhsi\n o( au)to\s peri\ th=s au(tou= a)pokatasta/sews: e)n tw=| kairw=| e)kei/nw| ai( fre/nes mou e)pestra/fhsan e)p' e)me\ kai\ ei)s timh\n th=s basilei/as mou h)=lqon, kai\ h( morfh/ mou e)pe/streyen e)p' e)me/, kai\ oi( tu/rannoi/ mou kai\ oi( megista=ne/s mou e)zh/toun me, kai\ e)pi\ th\n basilei/an mou e)krataiw/qhn, kai\ megalwsu/nh perissote/ra prosete/qh moi. nu=n ou)=n e)gw\ *nabouxodono/sor ai)nw= kai\ u(peruyw= kai\ doca/zw to\n basile/a tou= ou)ranou=, o(/ti pa/nta ta\ e)/rga au)tou= a)lhqina\ kai\ ai( tri/boi au)tou= kri/seis kai\ pa/ntas tou\s poreuome/nous e)n u(perhfani/a| du/natai tapeinw=sai. kai\ *)hsai/+as de\ le/gei peri\ au)tou=.

Catharine Roth (modified translation, added note) on 4 December 2003@00:31:00.
David Whitehead (added x-ref and more keywords; cosmetics) on 4 December 2003@03:22:30.
Catharine Roth (added variant spellings, web links) on 4 December 2003@10:58:34.
David Whitehead (another x-ref; more keywords; tweaking) on 30 May 2013@06:23:10.
Catharine Roth (coding) on 9 November 2014@00:55:35.
Catharine Roth (tweaked translation) on 10 October 2020@18:43:27.

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