¶^*“Nebuchadnezzar the king, to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you.

¶“It has seemed good to me to reveal the signs and wonders which the Most High God has worked toward me.

How great are his signs and how mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and his dominion is from generation to generation.

¶“I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at peace in my house and flourishing in my palace.

I saw a dream which made me afraid; and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.

Therefore I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, so that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came in; and I told the dream to them, but they did not make known to me its interpretation.

But at last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and I told the dream to him, saying:↵

‘Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and no secret troubles you, tell me the visions of my dream which I have seen and its interpretation.

Thus were the visions of my head on my bed: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth and its height was great.

The tree grew and was strong and its height reached to the sky and its sight to the end of all the earth.

The leaves of it were beautiful and its fruit plentiful, and in it was food for all; the animals of the field had shadow under it, and the birds of the sky lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.

I saw in the visions of my head on my bed, and behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from the sky.

¶“‘He cried aloud, and said thus, “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.

Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of the sky; and let his portion be with the animals in the grass of the earth.

Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let an animal’s heart be given to him; and let seven times pass over him.

This sentence is by decree of the watchers, and this 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.”

¶This dream I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen; and you, Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.’”

¶Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was stricken mute for a while and his thoughts troubled him. The king answered, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream or the interpretation trouble you.”
¶Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, the dream is for those who hate you and its interpretation is for your adversaries.

The tree that you saw, which grew and was strong, whose height reached to the sky and its sight to all the earth,

whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit plentiful, and in it was food for all; under which the animals of the field lived, and on whose branches the birds of the sky had their habitation;

it is you, O king, who has grown and become strong; for your greatness is grown and reaches to the sky, and your dominion to the end of the earth.