Daniel 4:1-11 ▼

1 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, content and prosperous.

2 I had a terrifying dream as I lay in bed, and the images and my visions frightened me.

3 So I issued a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me to give the interpretation of the dream.

4 When the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners had come in, I related the dream before them; but none of them could tell me its meaning.

5 Finally there came before me Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is a spirit of the holy gods. I repeated the dream to him:

6 “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that a spirit of the holy gods is in you and no mystery is too difficult for you; this is the dream that I saw, tell me its meaning.

7 “These were the visions I saw while in bed: I saw a tree of great height at the center of the earth.

8 It was large and strong, with its top touching the heavens, and it could be seen to the ends of the earth.

9 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, providing food for all. Under it the wild beasts found shade, in its branches the birds of the air nested; all flesh ate of it.

10 In the vision I saw while in bed, a holy watcher came down from heaven

11 and cried aloud in these words: ‘Cut down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit; Let the beasts flee from beneath it, and the birds from its branches,