Daniel 4:1-18

NSB^{(i) 1} »Nebuchadnezzar the king, to all the peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. ² »It seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. ³ »How great are his signs! How mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation. ⁴ »I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and active in my palace. ⁵ »I saw a dream that made me afraid. When I saw this vision my thoughts troubled me. ⁶ »I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon that they might explain the dream to me. ⁷ »The magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came to me. I told the dream to them. They did not explain the dream to me. ⁸ »Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, finally came to me. He has the spirit of the holy gods. So I told the dream to him saying: ⁹ ‘»O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and no secret troubles you! Tell me the visions I have seen in my dream. Give me the interpretation. ¹⁰ ‘»Here are the visions of my head: I saw a tree in the midst of the earth. It was very tall. ¹¹ »‘The tree grew and became strong. Its height reached to heaven. It could be seen from distant parts of the earth. ¹² ‘»The leaves were beautiful and the fruit abundant. In it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shadow under it. The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches. All flesh was fed by it. ¹³ ‘»I saw in the visions of my head: Behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven. ¹⁴ »He cried aloud: ‘Chop down the tree, and cut off its branches, shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from its branches. ¹⁵ ‘»Leave the stump and roots in the earth. Apply to it a band of iron and copper in the tender grass of the field. Let it be wet with the dew of heaven. Let its portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. ¹⁶ ‘»Let its heart be changed from a man's, and let a beast's heart be given to it. Seven times should pass over it. ¹⁷ ‘»The decision is by the decree of the watchers. The sentence by the word of the holy ones! It is 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 over it the lowest of men.« ¹⁸ ‘»I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen this dream and you O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation! For all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make the interpretation known to me. You are able for the spirit of the holy gods is in you!’