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

⁴ I, Nebuchadnezzar, being at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace, ⁵ saw a dream, which made me afraid: and the thoughts that I had upon my bed, with the visions of mine head, troubled me. ⁶ Then sent I out a commission, that all they which were of wisdom at Babylon should be brought before me, to tell me the interpretation of the dream. ⁷ So there came the soothsayers, charmers, Chaldeans and conjurers of devils: to whom I told the dream. But what it betokened, they could not show me:

⁸ till at the last, there came one Daniel, otherwise called Balteshazzar, according to the name of my God, which hath the spirit of the holy gods, in him: to whom I told the dream, saying, ⁹ "O Balteshazzar, thou prince of soothsayers: Forsomuch as I know that thou hast the spirit of the holy gods, and no secret is hid from thee. Tell me therefore, what the vision of my dream that I have seen may signify. ¹⁰ I saw a vision in my head upon my bed: and behold, there stood a tree upon the ground, ¹¹ which was very high, great and mighty. The height reached unto the heaven, and the breadth extended to all the ends of the earth: ¹² his leaves were fair, he had very much fruit, so that every man had enough to eat therein. The beasts of the field had shadows under it, and the fowls of the air dwelt in the boughs thereof. Shortly, all creatures fed of it.

¹³ I saw in my head a vision upon my bed: and behold, a watcher, and a holy one, came down from heaven ¹⁴ and cried mightily, saying, 'Hew down the tree, break off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit abroad: that all the beasts may get them away from under him, and the fowls from his branches. ¹⁵ Nevertheless, leave the ground of his root still in the earth, and bind him upon the plain field, with chains of iron and steel. With the dew of heaven shall he be wet, and he shall have his part in the herbs of the ground with other wild beasts. ¹⁶ That man's heart of his shall be taken from him, and a beast's heart shall be given him, till seven years be come and gone upon him. ¹⁷ This errand of the watcher, is a commandment grounded and sought out, in the counsel of him that is most holy: to learn men for to understand, that the highest hath power over the kingdoms of men; and giveth them to whom it liketh him, and bringeth the very outcasts of men over them.'

¹⁸ This is the dream, that I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Therefore O Balteshazzar, tell thou me what it signifieth: forsomuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to show me, what it meaneth. But thou canst do it, for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee."