2. It is pleasing to me to recount the signs and wonders that the Most High God worked for me.
3. How great are his signs and wonders, how strong is his kingdom, an everlasting kingdom; and his sovereignty is from generation to generation.
4. “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was content in my house and prospering in my palace.
5. And I saw a dream and a revelation on my bed and it frightened me, and the visions of my head terrified me.
6. And a decree was sent out, ordering that all the wise men of Babylon were to be brought in before me so that they may make known to me the explanation of the dream.
7. Then the magicians, the conjurers, the astrologers and the diviners came in and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its explanation.
8. Then at last Daniel came before me whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom was the spirit of the holy gods, and I related the dream to him.
9. “ ‘O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I myself know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Now tell me the visions of my dream that I saw, and its explanation.
10. Now these were the visions of my head as I was lying on my bed: I was gazing and, look, a tree was in the midst of the earth, and its height was exalted.
11. The tree grew and it became strong, and its height reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth.
12. Its foliage was beautiful, and its fruit abundant, and in it was provision for all. Under it the animals of the field sought shade, and in its branches the birds of heaven nested, and from it all the living beings were fed.
13. “ ‘I was looking in the vision of my head as I lay on my bed, and look, a watcher, and a holy one, came down from heaven.
14. He cried aloud and so he said: “Cut down the tree and chop off its branches; shake off its foliage and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it, and the birds from its branches.