Daniel 4:4-18 - The Dream And The King's Search For An Interpreter

⁴ I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace. ⁵ I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. ⁶ Therefore I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. ⁷ Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came in, and I told the dream before them, but they did not make the interpretation of it known to me.

⁸ But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. And I told the dream before him, [saying], ⁹ O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubles thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof. ¹⁰ Thus were the visions of my head upon my bed: I saw, and, behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height of it was great. ¹¹ The tree grew, and was strong, and the height of it reached to heaven, and the sight of it to the end of all the earth. ¹² The leaves of it were fine, and the fruit of it much, and food was in it for all. The beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the birds of the heavens dwelt in the branches of it. And all flesh was fed from it.

¹³ I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven. ¹⁴ He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off its branches. Shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from its branches. ¹⁵ Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field. And let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the eart ¹⁶ Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given to him. And let seven times pass over him. ¹⁷ The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will, and sets up over i

¹⁸ This dream I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. And thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, inasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation. But thou are able, for the spirit o