Daniel 4:14

¹² Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit was abundant, and upon it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, in its branches the birds of the air nested, and from it every creature was fed.

¹³ As I lay on my bed, I also saw in the visions of my mind a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven.

He called out in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and chop off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it, and the birds from its branches.

¹⁵ But leave the stump with its roots in the ground, and a band of iron and bronze around it, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven and graze with the beasts on the grass of the earth.

¹⁶ Let his mind be changed from that of a man, and let him be given the mind of a beast till seven times pass him by.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: He called out in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and chop off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it, and the birds from its branches.
KJV: He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches:
WEB: He cried aloud and said this: ‘Cut down the tree, and cut off its branches! Shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit! Let the animals get away from under it and the birds from its branches.
ASV: He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off its branches, shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from its branches.
DARBY: he cried aloud, and said thus: Hew down the tree, and cut off its branches, shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit; let the beasts get away from under it, and the birds from its branches.
BLB: He called out with strength, and thus said: ‘Chop down the tree and cut off its branches. Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it, and the birds from its branches.

ÅB: Han ropte med høy røst, og slik lød hans ord: Fell treet, hugg dets greiner av, riv løvet av det og spred fruktene omkring! Dyrene under det skal rømme, og fuglene fly bort fra dets greiner.
OTB: Han ropte høyt og sa: 'Hogg ned treet og kutt av dets grener, stripp av dets blader og spre dets frukt. La dyrene flykte fra under det og fuglene fra dets grener.
B1930: Han ropte med høi røst, og således lød hans ord: Fell treet, hugg dets grener av, riv løvet av det og spred fruktene omkring! Dyrene under det skal rømme, og fuglene flyve bort fra dets grener.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Matthew 3:10
The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
Read in context
Ezekiel 31:12–13
Foreigners, the most ruthless of the nations, cut it down and left it. Its branches have fallen on the mountains and in every valley; its boughs lay broken in all the earth’s ravines. And all the peoples of the earth left its shade and abandoned it.
Read in context
Daniel 4:23
And you, O king, saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying: ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump with its roots in the ground, and a band of iron and bronze around it, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and graze with the beasts of the field till seven times pass him by.’
Read in context
Daniel 4:12
Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit was abundant, and upon it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, in its branches the birds of the air nested, and from it every creature was fed.
Read in context
Luke 3:9
The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Read in context
Daniel 3:4
Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “O people of every nation and language, this is what you are commanded:
Read in context
Luke 13:7–9
So he said to the keeper of the vineyard, ‘Look, for the past three years I have come to search for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Therefore cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
Read in context
Matthew 7:19
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Read in context