1 Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar the sovereign, to all peoples, nations and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be increased to you.
2 I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High Elah has worked for me.
3 How great are His signs, and how mighty His wonders! His reign is an everlasting reign, and His rulership is from generation to generation.
4 I, Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar, was at rest in my house, and prospering in my palace.
5 I saw a dream and it frightened me, and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head alarmed me.
6 So I issued a decree to bring in all the wise ones of Baḇel before me, to make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
7 So the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the diviners came in, and I related the dream to them, but its interpretation they did not make known to me.
8 And at last Dani’ĕl, whose name is Bĕlteshatstsar, according to the name of my elah, came before me. In him is the Spirit of the Set-apart Elah. So I related the dream to him, saying,
9 “Bĕlteshatstsar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the Spirit of the Set-apart Elah is in you, and no secret is too difficult for you, explain to me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.
10 “Now the visions of my head on my bed were these: I looked, and saw a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height great.
11 “The tree became great and strong, and its height reached to the heavens, and it was visible to the ends of all the earth.
12 “Its leaves were lovely, and its fruit plenty, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
13 “In the visions of my head on my bed, I looked and saw a Watcher, even a set-apart one, coming down from the heavens.
14 “He cried aloud and said this, ‘Hew down the tree and cut off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee 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 the heavens, and let his portion be with the beasts on the grass of the earth.
16 ‘Let his heart be changed from man’s, let him be given the heart of a beast, and seven times pass over him.
17 ‘This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the command by the word of the set-apart ones, so that the living know that the Most High is ruler in the reign of men, and gives it to whomever He wishes, and sets over it the lowest of men.’
18 “This dream have I seen, I, Sovereign Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar. And you, Bĕlteshatstsar, reveal its interpretation, since all the wise ones of my reign are unable to make known to me the interpretation. But you are able, for the Spirit of the Set-apart Elah is in you.”
19 Then Dani’ĕl, whose name was Bĕlteshatstsar, was stunned for a short time, and his thoughts alarmed him. The sovereign responded and said, “Bĕlteshatstsar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.” Bĕlteshatstsar answered and said, “My master, the dream is to those who hate you, and its interpretation to your enemies!
20 “The tree you saw, which became great and strong, whose height reached to the heavens and was visible to all the earth,
21 whose leaves were lovely and its fruit plenty, and in it was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and on whose branches the birds of the heavens sat –
22 it is you, O sovereign, for you have become great and strong. And your greatness has grown, and has reached to the heavens and your rulership to the end of the earth.
23 “And as the sovereign saw a Watcher, even a set-apart one, coming down from the heavens, and he said, ‘Hew down the tree and destroy it, 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 the heavens, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him’ –
24 this is the interpretation, O sovereign, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my master the sovereign:
25 “That you are going to be driven away from men, and your dwelling be with the beasts of the field, and you be given grass to eat like oxen, and you be wetted with the dew of the heavens, and seven times pass over you, till you know that the Most High is ruler in the reign of men, and that He gives it to whomever He wishes.
26 “And they that gave the command to leave the stump of its roots of the tree: your reign remains yours, from the time you come to know that the heavens are ruling.
27 “Therefore, O sovereign, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and break off your sins by righteousness, and your crookednesses by showing favour to the poor – your prosperity might be extended.”
28 All this came upon Sovereign Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar.
29 At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the palace of the reign of Baḇel.
30 The sovereign spoke and said, “Is not this great Baḇel, which I myself have built, for the house of the reign, by the might of my power and for the esteem of my splendour?”
31 The word was still in the sovereign’s mouth, when a voice fell from the heavens, “Sovereign Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar, to you it is spoken: the reign has been taken away from you,
32 and you are driven away from men, and your dwelling is to be with the beasts of the field. You are given grass to eat like oxen, and seven seasons shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High is ruler in the reign of men, and He gives it to whomever He wishes.”
33 In that hour the word was executed on Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar, and he was driven from men and he ate grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the heavens till his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.
34 And at the end of the days I, Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar, lifted my eyes to the heavens, and my understanding returned to me. And I blessed the Most High and praised and made Him great who lives forever, whose rule is an everlasting rule, and His reign is from generation to generation.
35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are of no account, and He does as He wishes with the host of the heavens and among the inhabitants of the earth. And there is none to strike against His hand or say to Him, “What have You done?”
36 At the same time my understanding returned to me, and for the preciousness of my reign, my esteem and splendour were returning to me. And my counsellors and nobles sought me out, and I was re-established to my reign, and excellent greatness was added to me.
37 Now I, Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar, am praising and exalting and esteeming the Sovereign of the heavens, for all His works are truth, and His ways right. And those who walk in pride He is able to humble.