¶ Nebuchadnezzar¹ the king, unto all² people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace³ be multiplied unto you.

I thought it good⁴ to shew the signs and wonders that⁵ the high God hath wrought toward me.

How great⁶ are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom⁷ is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from⁸ generation to generation.

¶ I Nebuchadnezzar⁹ was¹⁰ at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace:

I saw a dream¹¹ which made me afraid, and the thoughts¹² upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.

Therefore made I a decree to bring¹³ in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.

Then came¹⁴ in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but¹⁵ they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.

But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar¹⁶, according to the name of my god, and in¹⁷ whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying,

O Belteshazzar, master¹⁸ of the magicians, because I know that the spirit¹⁹ of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret²⁰ troubleth thee, tell²¹ me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.

¶ Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw²², and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.

The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached²³ unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:

The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts²⁴ of the field had shadow²⁵ under it, and the fowls²⁶ of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.

I saw in the²⁷ visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy²⁸ one came down from heaven;

He cried aloud²⁹, and said thus, Hew³⁰ down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let³¹ the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches:

Nevertheless leave³² the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, 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:

Let his³³ heart be changed³⁴ from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times³⁵ pass over him.

This matter is by the³⁶ decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy³⁷ ones: to the intent that the living³⁸ may know that the most High³⁹ ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth⁴⁰ it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest⁴¹ of men.

This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch⁴² as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but⁴³ thou art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.

¶ Then Daniel⁴⁴, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let⁴⁶ not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord⁴⁷, the dream⁴⁸ be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.

¶⁴⁹The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth;

Whose leaves⁵⁰ were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; under which⁵¹ the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls⁵² of the heaven had their habitation:

It is thou⁵³, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness⁵⁴ is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.

And whereas the king saw⁵⁵ a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his⁵⁶ portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him;

This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree⁵⁷ of the most High, which is come⁵⁸ upon my lord the king:

That they shall drive⁵⁹ thee from men, and thy dwelling⁶⁰ shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat⁶¹ grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till⁶² thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

And whereas they commanded to leave⁶³ the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens⁶⁴ do rule.

Wherefore, O king, let⁶⁵ my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break⁶⁶ off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing⁶⁷ mercy to the poor; if it⁶⁸ may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity⁶⁹.

¶⁷⁰All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.

At the end⁷¹ of twelve months he walked in⁷² the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.

¶ The king spake, and said, Is not⁷³ this great⁷⁴ Babylon, that⁷⁵ I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for⁷⁶ the honour of my majesty?

While the word⁷⁷ was in the king's mouth, there fell⁷⁸ a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom⁷⁹ is departed from thee.

And they shall drive⁸⁰ thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until⁸¹ thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

The same⁸² hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was⁸³ driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.

¶ And at the end⁸⁴ of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted⁸⁵ up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed⁸⁶ the most High⁸⁷, and I praised and honoured him⁸⁸ that liveth for ever, whose⁸⁹ dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from⁹⁰ generation to generation:

And all⁹¹ the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he⁹² doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants⁹³ of the earth: and none⁹⁴ can stay his hand, or say unto him, What⁹⁵ doest thou?

At the same time my reason⁹⁶ returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine⁹⁷ honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added⁹⁸ unto me.

Now I Nebuchadnezzar⁹⁹ praise and extol and honour the King¹⁰⁰ of heaven, all¹⁰¹ whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk¹⁰² in pride he is able to abase.