Daniel 4:27

Bible in Basic English

For this cause, O King, let my suggestion be pleasing to you, and let your sins be covered by righteousness and your evil-doing by mercy to the poor, so that the time of your well-being may be longer.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Therefore, may my advice seem good to you my king. Separate yourself from your sins by doing what is right, and from your injustices by showing mercy to the needy. Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity.”

Hebrew Names Version
Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and break off your sins by righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if there may be a lengthening of your tranquillity.

King James Version
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.

English Standard Version
Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity."

New American Standard Bible
'Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: wipe away your sin by doing righteousness, and your wrongdoings by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.'

New Century Version
So, O king, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Stop doing wicked things and be kind to the poor. Then you might continue to be successful."

Amplified Bible
'Therefore, O king, let my advice to you be [considered and found] acceptable; break away now from your sins and exhibit your repentance by doing what is right, and from your wickedness by showing mercy to the poor, so that [if you repent] there may possibly be a continuance of your prosperity and tranquility and a healing of your error.'

Geneva Bible (1587)
Wherefore, O King, let my counsell be acceptable vnto thee, and breake off thy sinnes by righteousnes, and thine iniquities by mercy toward the poore: lo, let there be an healing of thine errour.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.'

Berean Standard Bible
Therefore, may my advice be pleasing to you, O king. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity."

Contemporary English Version
Your Majesty, please be willing to do what I say. Turn from your sins and start living right; have mercy on those who are mistreated. Then all will go well with you for a long time.

Complete Jewish Bible
the king said, ‘Bavel the great! I built it as a royal residence by my power and force to enhance the glory of my majesty!'

Darby Translation
Therefore, 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.

Easy-to-Read Version
So, King, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Stop doing bad things and be kind to poor people. Then you might continue to be successful."

George Lamsa Translation
Wherefore, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and get rid of your sins by means of almsgiving, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the weak, till your transgressions are removed from you.

Good News Translation
So then, Your Majesty, follow my advice. Stop sinning, do what is right, and be merciful to the poor. Then you will continue to be prosperous."

Lexham English Bible
Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you and your sin remove with righteousness and your iniquity with having mercy on the oppressed, in case there might be a prolongation of your prosperity.'"

Literal Translation
So, O king, let my advice be pleasing to you: Even break off your sins by righteousness, and your iniquities by pitying the poor, whether there will be duration to your prosperity.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wherfore (o kinge) be contet with my councel, that thou mayest lowse thy synnes with rightuousnesse, ad thyne offences with mercy to poore people: for soch thinges shall prolonge thy peace.

American Standard Version
Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if there may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
The king spoke, and said: 'Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for a royal dwelling-place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?'

King James Version (1611)
Wherefore, O King, let my counsell be acceptable vnto thee, and breake off thy sinnes by righteousnesse, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poore; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillitie.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Wherfore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable vnto thee, and breake of thy sinnes by righteousnesse, and thyne iniquities by mercie towarde the poore: lo, let there be a healing of thyne errour.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
the king answered and said, Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for a royal residence, by the might of my power, for the honour of my glory?

English Revised Version
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 there may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.

World English Bible
Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and break off your sins by righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if there may be a lengthening of your tranquillity.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Wherfor, kyng, my counsel plese thee, and ayenbie thi synnes with almesdedis, and ayenbie thi wickidnessis with mercies of pore men; in hap God schal foryyue thi trespassis.

Update Bible Version
Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and break off your sins by righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if there may be a lengthening of your tranquillity.

Webster's Bible Translation
Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thy iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.

New English Translation
Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps your prosperity will be prolonged."

New King James Version
Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity."

New Living Translation
"‘King Nebuchadnezzar, please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.'

New Life Bible
So, O king, may my words be pleasing to you. Turn away from your sins by doing what is right and good. Turn away from your wrong-doing by being kind to the poor. Then it may be that things will keep going well for you.'

New Revised Standard
Therefore, O king, may my counsel be acceptable to you: atone for your sins with righteousness, and your iniquities with mercy to the oppressed, so that your prosperity may be prolonged."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Wherefore, O king, let, my counsel, be pleasing unto thee, thy sin, then, - by righteousness, break thou off, and, thine iniquities, by shewing favour to the oppressed, - if so be it may become the lengthening out of thy security.

Douay-Rheims Bible
27 [24] [fn] Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to thee, and redeem thou thy sins with alms, and thy iniquities with works of mercy to the poor: perhaps he will forgive thy offences.

Revised Standard Version
Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you; break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your tranquillity."

Young's Literal Translation
`Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and thy sins by righteousness break off, and thy perversity by pitying the poor, lo, it is a lengthening of thine ease.

THE MESSAGE
"So, king, take my advice: Make a clean break with your sins and start living for others. Quit your wicked life and look after the needs of the down-and-out. Then you will continue to have a good life."

Contextual Overview

¹⁹ Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was at a loss for a time, his thoughts troubling him. The king made answer and said, Belteshazzar, do not be troubled by the dream or by the sense of it. Belteshazzar, answering, said, My lord, may the dream be about your haters, and its sense about those who are against you. ²⁰ The tree which you saw, which became tall and strong, stretching up to heaven and seen from the ends of the earth; ²¹ Which had fair leaves and much fruit, and had in it food for all; under which the beasts of the field were living, and in the branches of which the birds of heaven had their resting-places: ²² It is you, O King, who have become great and strong: for your power is increased and stretching up to heaven, and your rule to the end of the earth. ²³ And as for the vision which the king saw of a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven, saying, Let the tree be cut down and given to destruction; ²⁴ This is the sense of it, O King, and it is the decision of the Most High which has come on my lord the king: ²⁵ That they will send you out from among men, to be with the beasts of the field; they will give you grass for your food like the oxen, and you will be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven times will go by you, till you are certain that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and gives it to any man at his pleasure. ²⁶ And as they gave orders to let the broken end and the roots of the tree be, so your kingdom will be safe for you after it is clear to you that the heavens are ruling. ²⁷ For this cause, O King, let my suggestion be pleasing to you, and let your sins be covered by righteousness and your evil-doing by mercy to the poor, so that the time of your well-being may be longer.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

let: Genesis 41:33-37, Psalms 119:46, Acts 24:25, 2 Corinthians 5:11

break: Job 34:31, Job 34:32, Proverbs 16:6, Proverbs 28:13, Isaiah 55:6, Isaiah 55:7, Ezekiel 18:21, Ezekiel 18:27-32, Matthew 3:8, Acts 8:22, Acts 26:20, James 4:8-10, 1 Peter 4:8

by showing: Psalms 41:1-3, Isaiah 58:5-7, Isaiah 58:10-12, Ezekiel 18:7, Luke 11:41, Acts 10:2-4, Galatians 5:6, Galatians 5:13, Galatians 5:22, Ephesians 4:28

if it: 1 Kings 21:29, Joel 2:14, Jonah 3:9, Zephaniah 2:2, Zephaniah 2:3

lengthening of thy tranquillity: or, healing of thine error

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 24:13 - shall be Job 30:25 - was Proverbs 10:2 - but Proverbs 10:32 - know Proverbs 11:17 - merciful Proverbs 14:21 - he that hath Proverbs 28:2 - but Proverbs 29:14 - king Proverbs 31:9 - General Ecclesiastes 11:2 - for Isaiah 1:17 - seek Isaiah 16:3 - execute Isaiah 58:7 - to deal Jeremiah 29:7 - seek Jeremiah 38:20 - Obey Ezekiel 18:17 - hath taken Daniel 3:24 - O king Hosea 6:6 - I desired Jonah 3:8 - let Micah 7:13 - General Habakkuk 2:12 - him Matthew 5:7 - are Matthew 5:42 - General Matthew 6:1 - alms Matthew 25:35 - I was an Mark 6:20 - feared Luke 3:11 - He that hath two Luke 16:9 - Make

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to thee,.... Since this is the true interpretation of the dream, and such evils are like to befall thee according to it, permit me, though thou art a king, and I am thy minister or servant, to give thee some advice; and let it be taken in good part, as done with a good design, and a hearty concern for thy welfare:

and break off thy sins by righteousness; this advice carries in it a tacit charge of sins, and a reproof for them; which shows the faithfulness of Daniel: these sins probably, besides pride, intemperance, luxury, and uncleanness, were tyranny, rapine, violence, and oppression of his subjects, to which righteousness is opposed; and by which, that is, by a course and series of righteous living, by administering public justice, and giving to everyone their due, he is advised to break off his sinful course of life; to break off the yoke of his sins upon his neck; to cease from doing evil, and to learn to do well:

and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; to his poor subjects, and especially to the poor captives the Jews, Daniel might chiefly bear upon his mind, whom the king had ill used, shown no compassion to, and had greatly distressed; but is now counselled to relieve their wants, and give generously to them out of the vast treasures he was master of:

if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity; peace or prosperity; perhaps by such a conduct there may be a reprieve for a while, the evil portended and threatened by this dream may be deferred for a time; and though the decree of the most High cannot be altered, yet the execution of it may be protracted, and prosperity be lengthened out. Daniel could not assure the king of this; but as there was a possibility, and even a probability of it, as in the case of Nineveh, and others, whose ruin was threatened, and yet upon repentance was prolonged; it was highly advisable to try the experiment, and make use of such a conduct, in hope of it; and the rather, since the humiliation of princes, and their reformation, though but external, is observed by the Lord, as in the case of Ahab. Aben Ezra, Jacchiades, and Ben Melech, render it, "if it may be an healing of thine error"; that is, the pardon of thy sins, that they may be forgiven thee; see Acts 8:22.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee - Daniel was permitted to see not only the fact that this calamity impended over the king, but the cause of it, and as that cause was his proud and sinful heart, he supposed that the judgment might be averted if the king would reform his life. If the “cause” were removed, he inferred, not unreasonably, that there was a hope that the calamity might be avoided. We cannot but admire here the boldness and fidelity of Daniel, who not only gave a fair interpretation of the dream, in the case submitted to him, but who went beyond that in a faithful representation to the most mighty monarch of the age, that this was in consequence of his wicked life.

And break off thy sins by righteousness - By acts of righteousness or justice; by abandoning a wicked course of life. It is fairly to be inferred from this that the life of the monarch had been wicked - a fact which is confirmed everywhere in his history. He had, indeed, some good qualities as a man, but he was proud; he was ambitious; he was arbitrary in his government; he was passionate and revengeful; and he was, doubtless, addicted to such pleasures of life as were commonly found among those of his station. He had a certain kind of respect for religion, whatever was the object of worship, but this was not inconsistent with a wicked life. The word translated “break off” (פרק p^eraq) is rendered in the Vulgate redime, “redeem,” and so in the Greek of Theodotion, λύτρωσαι lutrōsai, and in the Codex Chisianus. From this use of the word in some of the versions, and from the fact that the word rendered “righteousness” is often employed in the later Hebrew to denote almsgiving (compare the margin in Matthew 6:1, and the Greek text in Tittmann and Hahn where the word δικαιοσύνην dikaiosunēn is used to denote “alms”), the passage here has been adduced in favor of the doctrine of expiatory merits, and the purchase of absolution by almsgiving - a favorite doctrine in the Roman Catholic communion.

But the ordinary and common meaning of the word is not to redeem, but to break, to break off, to abandon. It is the word from which our English word “break” is derived - Germ., “brechen.” Compare Genesis 27:40, “that thou shalt break his yoke;” Exodus 32:2, “Break off the golden ear-rings;” Exodus 32:3, “And all the people brake off the golden ear-rings;” Exodus 32:24, “Whosoever hath any gold let them break it off;” 1 Kings 19:11, “A great and strong wind rent the mountains;” Zechariah 11:16, “And tear their claws in pieces;” Ezekiel 19:12, “her strong rods were broken.” The word is rendered in our common version, “redeem” once Psalms 136:24, “And hath redeemed us from our enemies.” It is translated “rending” in Psalms 7:2, and “deliver” in Lamentations 5:8. It does not elsewhere occur in the Scriptures. The fair meaning of the word is, as in our version, to break off, and the idea of redeeming the soul by acts of charity or almsgiving is not in the passage, and cannot be derived from it. This passage, therefore, cannot be adduced to defend the doctrine that the soul may be redeemed, or that sins may be expiated by acts of charity and almsgiving. It means that the king was to break off his sins by acts of righteousness; or, in other words, he was to show by a righteous life that he had abandoned his evil course. The exhortation is, that he would practice those great duties of justice and charity toward mankind in which he had been so deficient, if, perhaps, God might show mercy, and avert the impending calamity.

And thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor - The peculiar “iniquity” of Nebuchadnezzar may have consisted in his oppressing the poor of his realm in the exorbitant exactions imposed on them in carrying on his public works, and building and beautifying his capital. Life, under an Oriental despot, is regarded as of little value. Sixty thousand men were employed by Mohammed Ali in digging the canal from Cairo to Alexandria, in which work almost no tools were furnished them but their hands. A large portion of them died, and were buried by their fellow-laborers in the earth excavated in digging the canal. Who can estimate the number of men that were recklessly employed under the arbitrary monarch of Egypt on the useless work of building the pyramids? Those structures, doubtless, cost million of lives, and there is no improbability in supposing that Nebuchadnezzar had employed hundreds of thousands of persons without any adequate compensation, and in a hard and oppressive service, in rearing the walls and the palaces of Babylon, and in excavating the canals to water the city and the adjacent country.

No counsel, therefore, could be more appropriate than that he should relieve the poor from those burdens, and do justice to them. There is no intimation that he was to attempt to purchase release from the judgments of God by such acts; but the meaning is, that if he would cease from his acts of oppression, it might be hoped that God would avert the threatened calamity. The duty here enjoined of showing mercy to the poor, is one that is everywhere commanded in the Scriptures, Psalms 41:1; Matthew 19:21; Galatians 2:10, “et saepe.” Its influence in obtaining the Divine favor, or in averting calamity, is also stated. Compare Psalms 41:1, “Blessed is he that considereth the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.” It is a sentiment which occurs frequently in the books of the Apocrypha, and in these books there can be found the progress of the opinion to the point which it reached in the later periods of the Jewish history, and which it has obtained in the Roman Catholic communion, that almsgiving or charity to the poor would be an expiation for sin, and would commend men to God as a ground of righteousness; or, in other words, the progress of the doctrine toward what teaches that works of supererogation may be performed.

Thus in the book of Tob. 4:8-10, “If thou hast abundance, give alms accordingly; if thou have little, be not afraid to give according to that little: for thou layest up a good treasure for thyself against the day of necessity. Because that alms do deliver from death, and suffereth not to come into darkness.” Tob. 12:9, 10, “For alms doth deliver from death, and shall purge away all sin. Those that exercise righteousness and alms shall be filled with life; but they that sin are enemies to their own life.” Tob. 14:10, 11, “Manasses gave alms, and escaped the snares of death which they had set for him; but Aman fell into the snare and perished. Wherefore now, my son, consider what alms doeth, and how righteousness doth deliver.” Ecclesiasticus 29:12, 13, “Shut up alms in thy storehouses; it shall deliver thee from all affliction. It shall fight for thee against thine enemies better than a mighty shield and a strong spear.”

Ecclesiasticus 40:24, “Brethren and help are against time of trouble; but alms shall deliver more than them both.” In these passages there is evidence of the progress of the sentiment toward the doctrine of supererogation; but there is none whatever that Daniel attributed any such efficacy to alms, or that he meant to teach anything more than the common doctrine of religion, that when a man breaks off from his sins it may be hoped that the judgments which impended over him may be averted, and that doing good will meet the smiles and approbation of God. Compare in reference to this sentiment the case of the Ninevites, when the threatening against them was averted by their repentance and humiliation, Jonah 3:10; the case of Hezekiah, when his predicted death was averted by his tears and prayers, Isaiah 38:1-5; and Jeremiah 18:7-8, where this principle of the Divine government is fully asserted.

If it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility - Margin, “or, a healing of thine error. “The Greek of Theodotion here is, “Perhaps God will be long-suffering toward thy offences.” The Greek of the Codex Chisianus is, “And thou mayest remain a long time (πολύημερος γένῃ poluēmeros genē) upon the throne of thy kingdom.” The Vulgate, “Perhaps he will pardon thy faults.” The Syriac, “Until he may remove from thee thy follies.” The original word rendered “lengthening” (ארכא 'arkâ') means, properly, as translated here, a prolongation; a drawing out; a lengthening; and the word is here correctly rendered. It has not the meaning assigned to it in the margin of healing. It would apply properly to a prolongation of anything - as of life, peace, health, prosperity. The word rendered “tranquility” (שׁלוה sh^elêvâh) means, properly, security, safety, quiet; and the reference here is to his calm possession of the throne; to his quietness in his palace, and peace in his kingdom. There is nothing in the text to justify the version in the margin.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 27. Break off thy sins by righteousness — Do justice. Thou hast been an oppressive man; show mercy to the poor, many of whom have been made such by thyself: witness the whole nation of the Jews. He was to cease from his sins-repent and bring forth fruits meet for repentance, in order that he might find mercy at the hand of God.