Daniel 4:10–27

¹⁰In the visions of my mind as I was lying in bed, I saw this:

There was a tree in the middle of the earth,

and it was very tall.

¹¹The tree grew large and strong;

its top reached to the sky,^k

and it was visible to the ends of the^A earth.

¹²Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit was abundant,

and on it was food for all.^l

Wild animals found shelter under it,

the birds of the sky^m lived in its branches,

and every creature was fed from it.ⁿ

¹³“As I was lying in my bed, I also saw in the visions of my mind a watcher, a holy one,^Bo coming down from heaven.^{p 14}He called out loudly:

Cut down the tree and chop off its branches;

strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit.

Let the animals flee from under it,

and the birds from its branches.^q

¹⁵But leave the stump with its roots in the ground^r

and with a band of iron and bronze around it

in the tender grass of the field.

Let him be drenched with dew from the sky

and share the plants of the earth^s

with the animals.

¹⁶Let his mind be changed from that of a human,

and let him be given the mind of an animal

for seven periods of time.^CDt

¹⁷This word is by decree of the watchers,

and the decision is by command from the holy ones.

This is so that the living will know

that the Most High is ruler

over human kingdoms.

He gives them to anyone he wants

and sets the lowliest of people over them.^u

¹⁸This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because none of the wise men of my kingdom can make the interpretation known to me.^v But you can, because you have a spirit of the holy gods.”

THE DREAM INTERPRETED

¹⁹Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was stunned for a moment, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king said, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.”

Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, may the dream apply to those who hate you, and its interpretation to your enemies!^{w 20}The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, whose top reached to the sky and was visible to the whole earth, ²¹and whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant—and on it was food for all, under it the wild animals lived, and in its branches the birds of the sky lived—²²that tree is you, Your Majesty. For you have become great and strong: your greatness has grown and even reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to the ends of the earth.^x

²³“The king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump with its roots in the ground and with a band of iron and bronze around it in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with dew from the sky and share food with the wild animals for seven periods of time.’ ²⁴This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree of the Most High that has been issued against my lord the king:^{a 25}You will be driven away from people to live with the wild animals. You will feed on grass like cattle^b and be drenched with dew from the sky for seven periods of time, until you acknowledge that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms, and he gives them to anyone he wants.^{c 26}As for the command to leave the tree’s stump with its roots, your kingdom will be restored^A to you as soon as you acknowledge that Heaven^B rules.^{d 27}Therefore, may my advice seem good to you my king. Separate yourself from your sins by doing what is right,^e and from your injustices by showing mercy to the needy.^f Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity.”^g