Daniel 4:4–17

4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contentedk and prosperous. 5 I had a dreaml that made me afraid. As I was lying in bed,m the images and visions that passed through my mindn terrified me.o 6 So I commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpretp the dream for me. 7 When the magicians,q enchanters, astrologersb and divinersr came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.s 8 Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar,t after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy godsu is in him.)

9 I said, “Belteshazzar, chiefv of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy godsw is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me. 10 These are the visions I saw while lying in bed:x I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous.y 11 The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth.z 12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its branches;a from it every creature was fed.

13 “In the visions I saw while lying in bed,b I looked, and there before me was a holy one,c a messenger,c coming down from heaven. 14 He called in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the treed and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches.e 15 But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field.

“ ‘Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven timesd pass by for him.f

17 “ ‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most Highg is sovereignh over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliesti of people.’