1. I, Nebuchadnezzar, was content in my house and prospering in my palace.
2. I saw a dream that terrified me, and my thoughts on my bed and the visions in my head disturbed me.
3. And so a decree was established by me, that all of the wise men of Babylon should be brought in before me, and that they should reveal to me the answer to the dream.
4. Then the seers, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers entered, and I explained about the dream in their presence, but they did not reveal its answer to me.
5. And then their colleague came in before me, Daniel, (whose name is Belteshazzar according to the name of my god,) who has the spirit of the holy gods within his very self, and I told the dream directly to him.
6. Belteshazzar, leader of the seers, since I know that you have in you the spirit of the holy gods, and that no mystery is unreachable to you, explain to me the visions of my dreams, which I saw, and the solution to them.
7. This was the vision of my head on my bed. I looked, and behold, a tree in the middle of the earth, and its height was exceedingly great.
8. The tree was great and strong, and its height reached up to heaven. It could be seen all the way to the ends of the entire earth.
9. Its leaves were very beautiful, and its fruit was very abundant, and in it was food for the whole world. Under it, animals and beasts were dwelling, and in its branches, the birds of the sky were sheltered, and from it, all flesh was fed.
10. I saw in the vision of my head upon my blanket, and behold, a watcher and a holy one descended from heaven.
11. He cried out loudly, and he said this: "Cut down the tree and prune its branches; shake off its leaves and scatter its fruits; let flee the beasts, which are under it, and the birds from its branches.
12. Nevertheless, leave the stump of its roots in the earth, and let it be bound with a band of iron and brass among the plants, which are close by, and let it be touched by the dew of heaven, and let its place be with the wild animals among the plants of the earth.