1 ` Nebuchadnezzar the king to all peoples, nations, and languages, who are dwelling in all the earth: Your peace be great!

King Nebuchadnezzar sent this letter to all the people of every nation and language who live in all the world: “May you have much peace!

2 T he signs and wonders that God Most High hath done with me, it is good before me to shew.

I am pleased to tell you about the wonderful things which the Most High God has done for me.

3 H is signs how great! and His wonders how mighty! His kingdom a kingdom age-during, and His rule with generation and generation.

How great are the special things He shows us! How powerful are His wonderful works! His nation lasts forever, and His rule is for all people for all time.

4 ` I, Nebuchadnezzar, have been at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace:

“I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house. Everything was going well for me there.

5 a dream I have seen, and it maketh me afraid, and the conceptions on my bed, and the visions of my head, do trouble me.

But I had a dream that made me afraid. As I lay on my bed the pictures that passed through my mind filled me with fear.

6 A nd by me a decree is made, to cause all the wise men of Babylon to come up before me, that the interpretation of the dream they may cause me to know.

So I called for all the wise men of Babylon to come and tell me the meaning of my dream.

7 T hen coming up are the scribes, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers, and the dream I have told before them, and its interpretation they are not making known to me.

Then the wonder-workers, those who learn from stars, and those who use their secret ways, came in. I told them about the dream, but they could not tell me what it meant.

8 A nd at last come up before me hath Daniel, whose name Belteshazzar -- according to the name of my god -- and in whom the spirit of the holy gods, and the dream before him I have told:

At last Daniel came to me, who was given the name Belteshazzar after the name of my god. A spirit of the holy gods is in him, and I told him about my dream. I said,

9 ` O Belteshazzar, master of the scribes, as I have known that the spirit of the holy gods in thee, and no secret doth press thee, the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation, tell.

‘O Belteshazzar, head of the wonder-workers, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no secret is hidden from you. So tell me what dream I had, and what it means.

10 A s to the visions of my head on my bed, I was looking, and lo, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height great:

This is what I saw in my mind as I lay on my bed: I saw a tree in the center of the land. It was very tall.

11 b ecome great hath the tree, yea, strong, and its height doth reach to the heavens, and its vision to the end of the whole land;

The tree grew and became strong. Its top went up to the sky, and it could be seen to the end of the whole earth.

12 i ts leaves fair, and its budding great, and food for all in it: under it take shade doth the beast of the field, and in its boughs dwell do the birds of the heavens, and of it fed are all flesh.

Its leaves were beautiful and it had much fruit. It had enough food for everyone. The wild animals of the field rested in its shadow. The birds of the air lived in its branches. And every living thing was fed from it.

13 ` I was looking, in the visions of my head on my bed, and lo, a sifter, even a holy one, from the heavens is coming down.

‘In the dreams I had as I lay on my bed, I looked and saw an angel who kept watch. He was a holy one who came down from heaven.

14 H e is calling mightily, and thus hath said, Cut down the tree, and cut off its branches, shake off its leaves, and scatter its budding, move away let the beast from under it, and the birds from off its branches;

He said in a loud voice, “Cut down the tree and cut off its branches. Tear off its leaves and throw away its fruit. Let the animals run from under it and the birds fly from its branches.

15 b ut the stump of its roots leave in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field, and with the dew of the heavens is it wet, and with the beasts his portion in the herb of the earth;

Yet leave the base of the tree with its roots in the ground, and tie a chain of iron and brass around it. Leave it there in the new grass of the field. Let him be wet with the water from heaven on the grass in the early morning. Let him share with the wild animals in the grass of the earth.

16 h is heart from man's is changed, and the heart of a beast is given to him, and seven times pass over him;

Let his mind be changed from that of a man, and for seven years let him have the mind of an animal.

17 b y the decree of the sifters the sentence, and by the saying of the holy ones the requirement, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and to whom He willeth He giveth it, and the lowest of men He doth raise up over it.

This penalty is by the law of the angels who keep watch. This is what the holy ones have decided, so that the living may know that the Most High is ruler over the nation of all people. He gives it to whomever He wants, and lets the least important of men rule over it.”

18 ` This dream I have seen, I king Nebuchadnezzar; and thou, O Belteshazzar, the interpretation tell, because that all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to cause me to know the interpretation, and thou able, for the spirit of the holy gods in thee.

This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means. None of the wise men in my nation can tell me what it means, but you can. For the spirit of the holy gods is in you.’ Daniel Tells the Meaning of the Second Dream

19 ` Then Daniel, whose name Belteshazzar, hath been astonished about one hour, and his thoughts do trouble him; the king hath answered and said, O Belteshazzar, let not the dream and its interpretation trouble thee. Belteshazzar hath answered and said, My lord, the dream -- to those hating thee, and its interpretation -- to thine enemies!

“Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was afraid for a while. His thoughts filled him with fear. The king said, ‘Belteshazzar, do not be afraid of the dream or its meaning.’ Belteshazzar answered, ‘My lord, if only the dream and its meaning had to do with those who hate you and fight against you!

20 T he tree that thou hast seen, that hath become great and strong, and its height doth reach to the heavens, and its vision to all the land,

You saw the tree which grew large and strong, whose top went up to the sky and could be seen over all the earth.

21 a nd its leaves fair, and its budding great, and food for all in it, under it dwell doth the beast of the field, and on its boughs sit do the birds of the heavens.

Its leaves were beautiful and it had much fruit, enough food for all. Wild animals of the field rested under it, and birds of the air lived in its branches.

22 ` Thou it, O king, for thou hast become great and mighty, and thy greatness hath become great, and hath reached to the heavens, and thy dominion to the end of the earth;

This tree is you, O king! For you have become great and strong. Your power has become great and has gone up to the sky, and your rule has gone to the end of the earth.

23 a nd that which the king hath seen -- a sifter, even a holy one, coming down from the heavens, and he hath said, Cut down the tree, and destroy it; but the stump of its roots leave in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field, and with the dew of the heavens it is wet, and with the beast of the field his portion, till that seven times pass over him.

The king saw an angel who kept watch, a holy one coming down from heaven and saying, “Cut down the tree and destroy it. Yet leave its base with its roots in the ground. Put a chain of iron and brass around it and leave it in the new grass of the field. And let him be wet with the water from heaven on the grass in the early morning. Let him share with the wild animals of the field for seven years.”

24 ` This the interpretation, O king, and the decree of the Most High it that hath come against my lord the king:

This is what it means, O king. This is what the Most High said would happen to my lord the king:

25 a nd they are driving thee away from men, and with the beast of the field is thy dwelling, and the herb as oxen they do cause thee to eat, and by the dew of the heavens they are wetting thee, and seven times do pass over thee, till that thou knowest that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and to whom He willeth He giveth it.

You will be driven away from all people and will live with the wild animals of the field. You will eat grass like cattle and become wet with the water from heaven. Seven years will pass until you understand that the Most High is ruler over the nations of men, and gives them to whomever He wants.

26 A nd that which they said -- to leave the stump of the roots of the tree; thy kingdom for thee abideth, after that thou knowest that the heavens are ruling.

It was said that the base of the tree and its roots must be left. This means that your nation will be returned to you after you understand that it is Heaven that rules.

27 ` Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and thy sins by righteousness break off, and thy perversity by pitying the poor, lo, it is a lengthening of thine ease.

So, O king, may my words be pleasing to you. Turn away from your sins by doing what is right and good. Turn away from your wrong-doing by being kind to the poor. Then it may be that things will keep going well for you.’ The King Loses Everything

28 ` All -- hath come on Nebuchadnezzar the king.

“All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.

29 ` At the end of twelve months, on the palace of the kingdom of Babylon he hath been walking;

Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of his beautiful house in Babylon.

30 t he king hath answered and said, Is not this that great Babylon that I have built, for the house of the kingdom, in the might of my strength, and for the glory of mine honour?

And he said, ‘Is not this the great Babylon which I have built as a beautiful place for the king? I have built it by my great strength and for the greatness of my power.’

31 ` While the word is the king's mouth a voice from the heavens hath fallen: To thee they are saying: O Nebuchadnezzar the king, the kingdom hath passed from thee,

Before the king was finished speaking, a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is said: Your power over the nation has been taken from you.

32 a nd from men they are driving thee away, and with the beast of the field thy dwelling, the herb as oxen they do cause thee to eat, and seven times do pass over thee, till that thou knowest that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and to whom He willeth He giveth it.

You will be driven away from all people and will live with the wild animals of the field. You will eat grass like cattle. And seven years will pass until you understand that the Most High is ruler over the nations of men, and gives them to whomever He wants.’

33 ` In that hour the thing hath been fulfilled on Nebuchadnezzar, and from men he is driven, and the herb as oxen he eateth, and by the dew of the heavens his body is wet, till that his hair as eagles' hath become great, and his nails as birds.'

At once these words about Nebuchadnezzar came true. He was driven away from all people and began eating grass like cattle. His body became wet with the water from heaven, until his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers and his nails like those of birds. Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

34 ` And at the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, mine eyes to the heavens have lifted up, and mine understanding unto me returneth, and the Most High I have blessed, and the Age-during Living One I have praised and honoured, whose dominion a dominion age-during, and His kingdom with generation and generation;

“But at the end of that time I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up toward heaven and my understanding returned to me. And I gave thanks to the Most High and praised and honored Him Who lives forever. For His nation lasts forever, and His rule is for all people for all time.

35 a nd all who are dwelling on the earth as nothing are reckoned, and according to his will He is doing among the forces of the heavens and those dwelling on the earth, and there is none that doth clap with his hand, and saith to Him, What hast Thou done?

All the people of the earth are thought of as nothing. He does as He pleases with the angels of heaven and the people of the earth. No one can hold back His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’

36 ` At that time my understanding doth return unto me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honour and my brightness doth return unto me, and to me my counsellors and my great men do seek, and over my kingdom I have been made right, and abundant greatness hath been added to me.

At that time my understanding returned to me. And my honor and power were returned to me for the greatness of my nation. My wise men and my leaders began looking for me, and I was made king again, with even more greatness added to me.

37 ` Now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, am praising and exalting and honouring the King of the heavens, for all His works truth, and His paths judgment, and those walking in pride He is able to humble.'

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and honor the King of heaven. For all His works are true and His ways are right. And He is able to bring down those who walk in pride.”