Daniel 4:10-23

10‘Now these were the 1visions 2in my mind as I lay on my bed: I was looking, and behold, there was a 3tree in the middle of the 4earth and its height was great.11The tree grew large and became strong And its height 5reached to the sky, And it was visible to the end of the whole earth.12Its foliage was 6beautiful and its fruit abundant, And in it was food for all. The 7animals of the field 8found 9shade under it, And the 10birds of the sky lived in its branches, And all 11living creatures fed from it.

13‘I was looking in the 12visions 13in my mind as I lay on my bed, and behold, 14an angelic watcher, a 15holy one, descended from heaven.14He shouted out and spoke as follows: “16Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, Shake off its foliage and scatter its fruit; Let the 17animals flee from under it And the birds from its branches.15Yet 18leave the stump 19with its roots in the ground, But with a band of iron and bronze around it In the new grass of the field; And let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, And let 20him share with the animals in the grass of the earth.16Let his 21mind change from that of a human And let an animal’s 22mind be given to him, And let 23seven 24periods of time pass over him.17This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers, And the decision is a command of the holy ones, In order that the living may 25know That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, And 26He grants it to whomever He wishes And sets over it the 27lowliest of people.” 18This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me its interpretation, since none of the 28wise men of my kingdom is able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, because a 29spirit of the holy gods is in you.’

19“Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was appalled for a while as his 30thoughts alarmed him. The king responded and said, ‘Belteshazzar, do not 31let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.’ Belteshazzar replied, ‘32My lord, if only the dream applied to those who hate you, and its interpretation to 33your adversaries! 20The 34tree that you saw, which became large and grew strong, whose height reached to the sky and was visible to all the earth, 21and whose foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which the animals of the field lived and in whose branches the birds of the sky settled-- 22it is 35you, O king; for you have become great and grown strong, and your 36majesty has become great and reached to the sky, and your 37dominion to the end of the earth. 23And in that the king saw an angelic watcher, a holy one, descending from heaven and saying, “38Chop down the tree and destroy it; yet leave the stump 39with its roots in the ground, but with a band of iron and bronze around it in the new grass of the field, let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let 40him share with the animals of the field until 41seven 42periods of time pass over him,”