7. Then the magicians, the conjurers, the astrologers and the diviners came in and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its explanation.
8. Then at last Daniel came before me whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom was the spirit of the holy gods, and I related the dream to him.
9. “ ‘O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I myself know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Now tell me the visions of my dream that I saw, and its explanation.
10. Now these were the visions of my head as I was lying on my bed: I was gazing and, look, a tree was in the midst of the earth, and its height was exalted.
11. The tree grew and it became strong, and its height reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth.
12. Its foliage was beautiful, and its fruit abundant, and in it was provision for all. Under it the animals of the field sought shade, and in its branches the birds of heaven nested, and from it all the living beings were fed.
13. “ ‘I was looking in the vision of my head as I lay on my bed, and look, a watcher, and a holy one, came down from heaven.
14. He cried aloud and so he said: “Cut down the tree and chop off its branches; shake off its foliage and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it, and the birds from its branches.
15. But the stump of its roots leave in the earth, along with a band of iron and bronze; leave it in the grass of the field. And in the dew of heaven let it be watered, and with the animals let his lot be in the grass of the earth.
16. Let his mind be changed from that of a human, and let the mind of an animal be given to him, and let seven times pass over him.
17. The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, and the decision by the command of the holy ones, in order that the living will know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of humankind, and to whomever he wills he gives it, and he even sets the humblest of men over it.”