1 King Nebuchadnezzar, to all peoples, nations and languages who live in the whole earth: May you have abundant peace!
2 I am pleased to tell of the signs and wonders the Most High God has done for me.
3 How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is a kingdom everlasting, and his dominion lasts from generation to generation.
4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living at ease in my house, prospering in my palace.
5 I had a dream that frightened me; as I lay in bed, the images and the visions that passed through my head terrified me.
6 So I issued a decree to bring all the wise men of Babylon before me to tell me the interpretation of the dream.
7 The magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans and astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not tell me its interpretation.
8 Finally Daniel came in before me (he is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him), and I told him the dream:
9 "Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you. Tell me the visions I saw in my dream and their interpretation.
10 These were the visions that passed through my head as I lay in bed: I looked, and there was a tree in the middle of the earth, and it was very tall.
11 The tree grew large and strong; its top reached the sky, and it could be seen to the ends of the whole earth.
12 Its foliage was lovely and its fruit plentiful, and there was food on it for all. The animals of the field took shelter under it, the birds of the sky lived in its branches, and every living creature fed from it.
13 In the visions that passed through my head as I lay in bed I looked, and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven.
14 He called out loudly and said: 'Chop down the tree and lop off its branches; strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches.
15 But leave the stump with its roots in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze around it, in the grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven and share the plants of the earth with the animals.
16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man and the mind of an animal be given to him, and let seven times pass over him.
17 This sentence is by decree of the watchers, the decision by command of the holy ones, so that the living may know that the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of men; he gives it to whomever he wishes and sets over it the lowliest of men.'
18 This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me its interpretation, since none of the wise men of my kingdom can tell me what it means; but you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you."
19 Then Daniel, who was called Belteshazzar, was dumbfounded for a moment, and his thoughts terrified him. The king said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation frighten you." Belteshazzar answered, "My lord, if only the dream were about those who hate you, and its meaning about your enemies!
20 The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, whose top reached the sky and which could be seen by the whole earth,
21 whose foliage was lovely and whose fruit was plentiful, with food on it for all, under which the animals of the field lived and in whose branches the birds of the sky made their homes,
22 that tree is you, O king! You have grown large and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to the ends of the earth.
23 And as for the king seeing a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump with its roots in the ground, with a band of iron and bronze around it, in the grass of the field; let him be drenched with the dew of heaven and share the lot of the animals of the field until seven times pass over him,'
24 this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High that has come upon my lord the king:
25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the animals of the field; you will be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven, and seven times will pass over you, until you acknowledge that the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever he wishes.
26 And since the command was given to leave the stump with the tree's roots, your kingdom will remain yours once you acknowledge that Heaven rules.
27 So, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you: break off your sins by doing what is right, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps then your prosperity will continue."
28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.
29 Twelve months later, as he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon,
30 the king said, "Is this not great Babylon, which I have built as the royal residence by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?"
31 The words were still on the king's lips when a voice came down from heaven: "This is the word for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: The kingdom has been taken from you.
32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the animals of the field; you will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven times will pass over you, until you acknowledge that the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever he wishes."
33 Immediately the word against Nebuchadnezzar was carried out. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle; his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew as long as eagles' feathers and his nails like the claws of birds.
34 When that time was over, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my reason came back to me. I blessed the Most High, and I praised and glorified the One who lives forever: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom lasts from generation to generation.
35 All who live on the earth count for nothing; he does as he pleases with the host of heaven and with those who live on the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him, "What have you done?"
36 At that moment my reason came back to me, and my majesty and splendor came back to me for the glory of my kingdom. My counselors and nobles sought me out, I was reestablished over my kingdom, and even greater majesty was given to me.
37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all his works are true and his ways just, and he is able to bring low those who walk in pride.