[1] Nebuchadnezzar the king, to all the peoples, nations, and languages
living in all the earth: May your peace be increased. [2] It has seemed
good to me to make clear the signs and wonders which the Most High God has
done with me. [3] How great are his signs! and how full of power are his
wonders! his kingdom is an eternal kingdom and his rule goes on from
generation to generation. [4] I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my place,
and all things were going well for me in my great house: [5] I saw a dream
which was a cause of great fear to me; I was troubled by the images of my
mind on my bed, and by the visions of my head. [6] And I gave orders for
all the wise men of Babylon to come in before me so that they might make
clear to me the sense of my dream. [7] Then the wonder-workers, the users
of secret arts, the Chaldaeans, and the readers of signs came in to me: and
I put the dream before them but they did not make clear the sense of it to
me. [8] But at last Daniel came in before me, he whose name was
Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the
holy gods: and I put the dream before him, saying, [9] O Belteshazzar,
master of the wonder-workers, because I am certain that the spirit of the
holy gods is in you, and you are troubled by no secret; this is the dream
which I saw: make clear to me its sense. [10] On my bed I saw a vision:
there was a tree in the middle of the earth, and it was very high. [11] And
the tree became tall and strong, stretching up to heaven, and to be seen
from the ends of the earth: [12] Its leaves were fair and it had much
fruit, and in it was food enough for all: the beasts of the field had shade
under it, and the birds of heaven were resting in its branches, and it gave
food to all living things. [13] In the visions of my head on my bed I saw a
watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven, [14] Crying out with a loud
voice; and this is what he said: Let the tree be cut down and its branches
broken off; let its leaves be taken off and its fruit sent in every
direction: let the beasts get away from under it and the birds from its
branches: [15] But keep its broken end and its roots still in the earth,
even with a band of iron and brass; let him have the young grass of the
field for food, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his part
be with the beasts. [16] Let his heart be changed from that of a man, and
the heart of a beast be given to him; and let seven times go by him. [17]
This order is fixed by the watchers, and the decision is by the word of the
holy ones: so that the living may be certain that the Most High is ruler
over the kingdom of men, and gives it to any man at his pleasure, lifting
up over it the lowest of men. [18] This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw;
and do you, O Belteshazzar, make clear the sense of it, for all the wise
men of my kingdom are unable to make the sense of it clear to me; but you
are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you. [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. [28] All this came to King
Nebuchadnezzar. [29] At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof
of his great house in Babylon. [30] The king made answer and said, Is this
not great Babylon, which I have made for the living-place of kings, by the
strength of my power and for the glory of my honour? [31] While the word
was still in the king's mouth, a voice came down from heaven, saying, O
King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is said: The kingdom has gone from you: [32]
And 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 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. [33] That very
hour the order about Nebuchadnezzar was put into effect: and he was sent
out from among men, and had grass for his food like the oxen, and his body
was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hair became long as eagles'
feathers and his nails like those of birds. [34] And at the end of the
days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifting up my eyes to heaven, got back my reason,
and, blessing the Most High, I gave praise and honour to him who is living
for ever, whose rule is an eternal rule and whose kingdom goes on from
generation to generation. [35] And all the people of the earth are as
nothing: he does his pleasure in the army of heaven and among the people of
the earth: and no one is able to keep back his hand, or say to him, What
are you doing? [36] At the same time my reason came back to me; and for the
glory of my kingdom, my honour and my great name came back to me; and my
wise men and my lords were turned to me again; and I was made safe in my
kingdom and had more power than before. [37] Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, give
worship and praise and honour to the King of heaven; for all his works are
true and his ways are right: and those who go in pride he is able to make
low.

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