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 and it terrified me, and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. ⁶ So I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the meaning of the dream. ⁷ Then the horoscopists, the conjurers, the Chaldeans, and the fortune-tellers came in. And I told the dream before them, but they did not make its meaning known to me.

⁸ But at 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 horoscopists, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no secret troubles you, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its meaning. ¹⁰ As to the visions of my head on my bed: I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. ¹¹ The tree grew and was strong, and its height reached to the heavens; and the sight of it reached to the end of all the earth. ¹² Its leaves were beautiful, and its fruit plentiful, and in it was food for all. The animals of the field sought shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its boughs, and all flesh was fed by it.

¹³ I saw in the visions of my head on my bed, and behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from Heaven. ¹⁴ He cried aloud and said this, Cut down the tree, and cut off its branches; shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals get away from under it, and the birds from its branches. ¹⁵ But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field. And let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let its portion be with the animals in the grass of the earth. ¹⁶ Let his heart be changed from man's, and let the heart of an animal be given to him. And let seven times pass over him. ¹⁷ This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones, so 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 it the lowest of men.

¹⁸ I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen this dream. Now you, O Belteshazzar, declare its meaning, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make the meaning known to me. But you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.