1. NEBUCHADNEZZAR THE king, to all people, nations, and languages that dwell on all the earth: May peace be multiplied to you!
2. It seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed toward me.
3. How great are His signs! And how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation. [Dan. 7:13, 14; Luke 1:31-33.]
4. I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house and prospering in my palace.
5. I had a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts and imaginations and the visions of my head as I was lying upon my bed troubled and agitated me.
6. Therefore I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
7. Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me the interpretation of it.
8. But at last Daniel came in before me–he who was named Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God–and I told the dream before him, saying,
9. O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in you and no secret mystery is a burden or troubles you, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen and the interpretation of it.
10. The visions of my head [as I lay] on my bed were these: I saw, and behold, [there was] a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.
11. The tree grew and was strong and its height reached to the heavens, and the sight of it reached to the end of the whole earth.
12. Its leaves were fair and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The living creatures of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches; and all flesh was fed from it.
13. I saw in the visions of my head [as I lay] on my bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven.
14. He cried aloud [with might] and said, Cut down the tree and cut off its branches; shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the living creatures flee from under it and the fowls from its branches.