4 Nevukadnetsar the king,

to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who dwell in all the earth:

Peace be multiplied to you.

2 It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked towards me.

3 How great are his signs!

How mighty are his wonders!

His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.

His dominion lasts throughout the generations.

4 I, Nevukadnetsar (Nebuchadnezzar), was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace. 5 I saw a dream which made me afraid; and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. 6 Therefore I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Bavel (Babylon) before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Kasdim (Chaldeans), and the soothsayers came in; and I told the dream before them; but they didn’t make known to me its interpretation. 8 But at the last Daniyel came in before me, whose name was Belteshatsar (Belteshazzar), according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. I told the dream before him, saying,

9 “Belteshatsar, 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 that I have seen, and its interpretation. 10 These were the visions of my head on my bed: I saw, and behold, a tree in the middle of the earth; and its height was great. 11 The tree grew, and was strong, and its height reached to the sky, and its sight to the end of all the earth. 12 Its leaves were beautiful, and it had much fruit, and in it was food for all. The animals of the field had shade under it, and the birds of the sky lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.

13 “I saw in the visions of my head on my bed, and behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from the sky. 14 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 fowls from its branches. 15 Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of the sky. Let his portion be with the animals in the grass of the earth. 16 Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let an animal’s heart be given to him. Then let seven times pass over him.

17 “ ‘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.’

18 “This dream I, King Nevukadnetsar (Nebuchadnezzar), have seen; and you, Belteshatsar (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.”