3. God has done amazing miracles! He has done powerful miracles! His kingdom continues forever; his rule will continue for all generations.
4. I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at my palace. I was happy and successful.
5. I had a dream that made me afraid. I was lying on my bed, and I saw pictures and visions in my mind. These things made me very afraid.
6. So I gave an order that all the wise men of Babylon be brought to me to tell me what my dream meant.
7. When the men of magic and the Chaldeans came, I told them about the dream, but they could not tell me what it meant.
8. Finally, Daniel came to me. (I gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar to honor my god. The spirit of the holy gods is in him.) I told him about my dream.
9. I said, “Belteshazzar, you are the most important of all the men of magic. I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you. I know there is no secret that is too hard for you to understand. This was what I dreamed. Tell me what it means.
10. These are the visions I saw while I was lying in my bed: I looked, and there in front of me was a tree standing in the middle of the earth. The tree was very tall.
11. The tree grew large and strong. The top of the tree touched the sky. It could be seen from anywhere on earth.
12. The leaves of the tree were beautiful. It had much good fruit on it. And on the tree was plenty of food for everyone. The wild animals found shelter under the tree, and the birds lived in its branches. Every animal ate from the tree.
13. “I was looking at those things in the vision while lying on my bed. And then I saw a holy angel coming down from heaven.
14. He spoke very loud and said, ‘Cut down the tree, and cut off its branches. Strip off its leaves. Scatter its fruit around. The animals that are under the tree will run away. The birds that are in its branches will fly away.
15. But let the stump and roots stay in the ground. Put a band of iron and bronze around it. The stump and roots will stay in the field with the grass all around it. It will live among the wild animals and plants in the fields. It will become wet with dew.