10
Thus
were the visions of my head in my bed: It seemed that I saw a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.
11
The tree grew and made itself strong, and its height reached unto heaven, and its sight to the end of all the earth:
12
His leaves
were fair, and his fruit abundant, and in him
was food for all; underneath him the beasts of the field lay down in his shadow, and in his branches dwelt the fowls of the heaven, and all flesh was fed of him.
13
I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, one who was a watchman and holy descended from heaven;
14
he cried aloud and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit; let the beasts get away from under him and the fowls from his branches:
15
nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and of brass shall he be bound in the green grass of the field; and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and
let his portion
be with the beasts in the grass of the earth:
16
let his heart be changed from a man’s heart, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.
17
By sentence of the watchmen is the matter
resolved, and the case by the word of the holy ones to the intent that the living may know that the most High takes rule over the kingdom of men and gives it to whoever he will and sets up over it the man who is the lowest.
18
I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw this dream. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, shall declare its interpretation, forasmuch as all the wise
men of my kingdom could never show me its interpretation; but thou
art able, for the spirit of the holy God in thee.
19
Then Daniel, whose name
was Belteshazzar, was silent for almost one hour, and his thoughts troubled him.
Then the king spoke and said, Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord,
let the dream
be to thine enemies, and its interpretation to those that wish thee evil.
20
The tree that thou didst see, which grew and made himself strong, whose height reached unto the heaven and the sight thereof to all the earth;