King James Version

Daniel 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.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Daniel 4:14.

בִּגְזֵרַ֤תbigzeratin decreeגְּזֵרָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “in decree”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1510a decreedecree.עִירִין֙irinwatcherעִירnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “watcher”, the ordinary formH5894a watcher, i.e. an angel (as guardian)watcher.פִּתְגָמָ֔אpitgamaanswerפִּתְגָּםnoun, common, masculine, singular, determined, definite article — “answer”, the definite formH6600a word, answer, letter or decreeanswer, letter, matter, word.וּמֵאמַ֥רumemarand appointmentמֵאמַרconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “and appointment”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3983{something (authoritatively) said, i.e. an edict}appointment, word.קַדִּישִׁ֖יןqadishinsaintקַדִּישׁadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “saint”, the ordinary formH6922{sacred (ceremonially or morally); (as noun) God (by eminence), an angel, a saint, a sanctuary}holy (One), saint.שְׁאֵֽלְתָ֑אsheeletademandשְׁאֵלָאnoun, common, feminine, singular, determined, definite article — “demand”, the definite formH7595properly, a question (at law), i.e. judicial decision or mandatedemand.עַדaduntilעַדpreposition — “until”H5705{as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)}[idiom] and, at, for, (hither-) to, on till, (un-) to, until, within.דִּבְרַ֡תdivratintentדִּבְרָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “intent”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1701{a reason, suit or style}intent, sake.דִּ֣יdithatדִּיparticle, relative — “that”H1768that, used as relative conjunction, and especially (with a preposition) in adverbial phrases; also as preposition of[idiom] as, but, for(-asmuch [phrase]), [phrase] now, of, seeing, than, that, therefore, until, [phrase] what (-soever), when, which, whom, whose.יִנְדְּע֣וּןyindeunknowיְדַעverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “know”, an unfinished actionH3046{to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)}certify, know, make known, teach.חַ֠יַּיָּאchayayalifeחַיadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, determined, definite article — “life”, the definite formH2417alive; also (as noun in plural) lifelife, that liveth, living.דִּֽיdithatדִּיparticle, relative — “that”H1768that, used as relative conjunction, and especially (with a preposition) in adverbial phrases; also as preposition of[idiom] as, but, for(-asmuch [phrase]), [phrase] now, of, seeing, than, that, therefore, until, [phrase] what (-soever), when, which, whom, whose.שַׁלִּ֨יטshalitcaptainשַׁלִּיטadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “captain”, the ordinary formH7990mighty; abstractly, permission; concretely, a premiercaptain, be lawful, rule(-r).עליאlyhighעִלַּיnoun, common, masculine, singular, determined, definite article — “high”, the definite formH5943supreme (i.e. God)(most) high.עִלָּאָ֜הilaahhighעִלַּיnoun, common, masculine, singular, determined, definite article — “high”, the definite formH5943supreme (i.e. God)(most) high.בְּמַלְכ֣וּתbemalkhutin kingdomמַלְכוּpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “in kingdom”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4437dominion (abstractly or concretely)kingdom, kingly, realm, reign.אנושאnvshmanאֱנָשׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, determined, definite article — “man”, the definite formH606a manman, [phrase] whosoever.אֲנָשָׁ֗אanashamanאֱנָשׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, determined, definite article — “man”, the definite formH606a manman, [phrase] whosoever.וּלְמַןulemanand to whatמָןconjunction, preposition, pronoun, indefinite, common, singular — “and to what”H4479who or what (properly, interrogatively, hence, also indefinitely and relatively)what, who(-msoever, [phrase] -so).דִּ֤יdithatדִּיpronoun, indefinite, common, singular — “that”H1768that, used as relative conjunction, and especially (with a preposition) in adverbial phrases; also as preposition of[idiom] as, but, for(-asmuch [phrase]), [phrase] now, of, seeing, than, that, therefore, until, [phrase] what (-soever), when, which, whom, whose.יִצְבֵּא֙yitsbewillצְבָאverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “will”, a completed actionH6634to pleasewill, would.יִתְּנִנַּ֔הּyitninahgive payנְתַןverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “give pay”, an unfinished actionH5415givebestow, give pay.וּשְׁפַ֥לushefaland basestשְׁפַלconjunction, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, construct — “and basest”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8215lowbasest.אֲנָשִׁ֖יםanashimmanאֱנָשׁnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “man”, the ordinary formH606a manman, [phrase] whosoever.יְקִ֥יםyeqimriseקוּםverb, aphel, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “rise”, an unfinished actionH6966{to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)}appoint, establish, make, raise up self, (a-) rise (up), (make to) stand, set (up).עליהlyhagainstעַלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “against”H5922{above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications}about, against, concerning, for, (there-) fore, from, in, [idiom] more, of, (there-, up-) on, (in-) to, [phrase] why with.עֲלַֽהּalahagainstעַלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “against”H5922{above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications}about, against, concerning, for, (there-) fore, from, in, [idiom] more, of, (there-, up-) on, (in-) to, [phrase] why with.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(4-14) The matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence 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 lowest of men.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

The sentence 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 lowest of men.

Young’s Literal Translation

by the decree of the sifters [is] the sentence, and by the saying of the holy ones the requirement, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and to whom He willeth He giveth it, and the lowest of men He doth raise up over it.

World English Bible

“‘The sentence 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 rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will, and sets up over it the lowest of men.’

Darby Translation

This sentence is by the decree of the watchers, and the decision by the word of the holy ones: that the living may know that the Most High ruleth over the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

Douay-Rheims

The tree which thou sawest which was high and strong, whose height reached to the skies, and the sight thereof into all tire earth:

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Cut down the tree, and pluck off its branches, and shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit: let the wild beasts be removed from under it, and the birds from its branches.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

καὶ ἐφώνησεν ἐν ἰσχύϊ, καὶ οὕτως εἶπεν, ἐκκόψατε τὸ δένδρον, καὶ ἐκτίλατε τοὺς κλάδους αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκτινάξατε τὰ φύλλα αὐτοῦ, καὶ διασκορπίσατε τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ· σαλευθήτωσαν τὰ θηρία ὑποκάτωθεν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ ὄρνεα ἀπὸ τῶν κλάδων αὐτοῦ.