1Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: may your peace increase.2The signs and wonders that the Most High God performed with me were pleasing before me to make known.3How great are his signs, and how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.4I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace.5I saw a dream that terrified me, and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head alarmed me.6From me a decree was issued to bring before me all the wise men of Babylon that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.7Then the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers entered, and I recounted the dream before them, yet they did not make known to me its interpretation.8At last Daniel came before me, whose name is Belteshazzar according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and before him I told the dream.9O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no secret is too difficult for you, declare the visions of my dream that I saw and its interpretation.10The visions of my head upon my bed I continued to see, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth whose height was great.11The tree grew and became strong, its height reached to the heavens, and its sight to the end of all the earth.12Its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and food for all in it; beneath it the beasts of the field found shade, and in its branches the birds of heaven dwelt, and from it all flesh was nourished.13I was seeing in the visions of my head upon my bed, and behold, a watcher and a holy one descending from heaven.14He cried out with strength and spoke thus: Cut down the tree and sever its branches; strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit; let the beast depart from beneath it and the birds from its branches.15Nevertheless, leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze in the grass of the field; let it be wet with the dew of heaven and let its portion be with the beasts of the field in the grass of the earth.16Let its heart be changed from that of a man, and let the heart of a beast be given to it, and let seven times pass over it.17By the decree of the watchers the matter stands, and by the word of the holy ones, until the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of man and gives it to whomever he wills, and sets the low of men over it.18This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw; therefore, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, for none of the wise men of my kingdom are able to make the interpretation known to me, but you are able, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.