1. Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.
2. I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the most high God has worked for me.
3. How great are his signs! and 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 flourishing in my palace:
5. I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.
6. Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.
7. Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me its interpretation.
8. But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying,
9. O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no secret troubles you, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.
10. Thus were the visions of my head in my bed; I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.
11. The tree grew, and was strong, and its height reached unto heaven, and its sight to the end of all the earth:
12. Its leaves were fair, and its fruit much, and in it was food for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in its boughs, and all flesh was fed from it.
13. I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher, a holy one came down from heaven;
14. He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew 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. Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth: