12
1Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all.
2The beasts of the field found shade under it, and
3the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
13
"I saw in
4the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold,
5a watcher,
6a holy one, came down from heaven.
14
He
7proclaimed aloud and said thus:
8'Chop down the tree and
9lop off its branches,
10strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit.
11Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches.
15
But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth.
16
Let his mind be changed from a man's, and let a beast's mind be given to him;
12and let seven periods of time
13pass over him.
17
The sentence is by the decree of
14the watchers, the decision by the word of
15the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High
16rules the kingdom of men
17and gives it to whom he will and
18sets over it the lowliest of men.'
18
This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O
19Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because
20all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for
21the spirit of the holy gods is in you."
Daniel Interprets the Second Dream
19 Then Daniel, whose name was
22Belteshazzar, was
23dismayed for a while, and
24his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, "Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you." Belteshazzar answered and said, "My lord,
25may the dream be for those who hate you
26and its interpretation for your enemies!
20
27The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth,
21
28whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived--
22
29it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong.
30Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven,
31and your dominion to the ends of the earth.