1 Nebuchadnezzar the king, to all the peoples, nations, and languages living in all the earth: May your peace be increased.2 It has seemed good to me to make clear the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done with me.3 How great are his signs! and how full of power are his wonders! his kingdom is an eternal kingdom and his rule goes on from generation to generation.4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my place, and all things were going well for me in my great house:5 I saw a dream which was a cause of great fear to me; I was troubled by the images of my mind on my bed, and by the visions of my head.6 And I gave orders for all the wise men of Babylon to come in before me so that they might make clear to me the sense of my dream.7 Then the wonder-workers, the users of secret arts, the Chaldaeans, and the readers of signs came in to me: and I put the dream before them but they did not make clear the sense of it to me.8 But at last Daniel came in before me, he whose name was Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and I put the dream before him, saying,9 O Belteshazzar, master of the wonder-workers, because I am certain that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and you are troubled by no secret; this is the dream which I saw: make clear to me its sense.10 On my bed I saw a vision: there was a tree in the middle of the earth, and it was very high.11 And the tree became tall and strong, stretching up to heaven, and to be seen from the ends of the earth:12 Its leaves were fair and it had much fruit, and in it was food enough for all: the beasts of the field had shade under it, and the birds of heaven were resting in its branches, and it gave food to all living things.13 In the visions of my head on my bed I saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven,14 Crying out with a loud voice; and this is what he said: Let the tree be cut down and its branches broken off; let its leaves be taken off and its fruit sent in every direction: let the beasts get away from under it and the birds from its branches:15 But keep its broken end and its roots still in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass; let him have the young grass of the field for food, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his part be with the beasts.16 Let his heart be changed from that of a man, and the heart of a beast be given to him; and let seven times go by him.17 This order is fixed by the watchers, and the decision is by the word of the holy ones: so that the living may be certain that the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of men, and gives it to any man at his pleasure, lifting up over it the lowest of men.18 This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw; and do you, O Belteshazzar, make clear the sense of it, for all the wise men of my kingdom are unable to make the sense of it clear to me; but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was at a loss for a time, his thoughts troubling him. The king made answer and said, Belteshazzar, do not be troubled by the dream or by the sense of it. Belteshazzar, answering, said, My lord, may the dream be about your haters, and its sense about those who are against you.20 The tree which you saw, which became tall and strong, stretching up to heaven and seen from the ends of the earth;21 Which had fair leaves and much fruit, and had in it food for all; under which the beasts of the field were living, and in the branches of which the birds of heaven had their resting-places:22 It is you, O King, who have become great and strong: for your power is increased and stretching up to heaven, and your rule to the end of the earth.23 And as for the vision which the king saw of a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven, saying, Let the tree be cut down and given to destruction;24 This is the sense of it, O King, and it is the decision of the Most High which has come on my lord the king:25 That they will send you out from among men, to be with the beasts of the field; they will give you grass for your food like the oxen, and you will be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven times will go by you, till you are certain that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and gives it to any man at his pleasure.26 And as they gave orders to let the broken end and the roots of the tree be, so your kingdom will be safe for you after it is clear to you that the heavens are ruling.27 For this cause, O King, let my suggestion be pleasing to you, and let your sins be covered by righteousness and your evil-doing by mercy to the poor, so that the time of your well-being may be longer.28 All this came to King Nebuchadnezzar.29 At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of his great house in Babylon.30 The king made answer and said, Is this not great Babylon, which I have made for the living-place of kings, by the strength of my power and for the glory of my honour?31 While the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice came down from heaven, saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is said: The kingdom has gone from you:32 And they will send you out from among men, to be with the beasts of the field; they will give you grass for your food like the oxen, and seven times will go by you, till you are certain that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and gives it to any man at his pleasure.33 That very hour the order about Nebuchadnezzar was put into effect: and he was sent out from among men, and had grass for his food like the oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hair became long as eagles' feathers and his nails like those of birds.34 And at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifting up my eyes to heaven, got back my reason, and, blessing the Most High, I gave praise and honour to him who is living for ever, whose rule is an eternal rule and whose kingdom goes on from generation to generation.35 And all the people of the earth are as nothing: he does his pleasure in the army of heaven and among the people of the earth: and no one is able to keep back his hand, or say to him, What are you doing?36 At the same time my reason came back to me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my honour and my great name came back to me; and my wise men and my lords were turned to me again; and I was made safe in my kingdom and had more power than before.37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, give worship and praise and honour to the King of heaven; for all his works are true and his ways are right: and those who go in pride he is able to make low.

1 Ego Nabuchodonosor quietus eram in domo mea, et florens in palatio meo : 2 somnium vidi, quod perterruit me : et cogitationes me in strato meo, et visiones capitis mei conturbaverunt me. 3 Et per me propositum est decretum ut introducerentur in conspectu meo cuncti sapientes Babylonis, et ut solutionem somnii indicarent mihi. 4 Tunc ingrediebantur arioli, magi, Chaldi, et aruspices, et somnium narravi in conspectu eorum : et solutionem ejus non indicaverunt mihi, 5 donec collega ingressus est in conspectu meo Daniel, cui nomen Baltassar secundum nomen dei mei, qui habet spiritum deorum sanctorum in semetipso : et somnium coram ipso locutus sum. 6 Baltassar, princeps ariolorum, quoniam ego scio quod spiritum sanctorum deorum habeas in te, et omne sacramentum non est impossibile tibi : visiones somniorum meorum, quas vidi, et solutionem earum narra. 7 Visio capitis mei in cubili meo : videbam, et ecce arbor in medio terr, et altitudo ejus nimia. 8 Magna arbor, et fortis, et proceritas ejus contingens clum : aspectus illius erat usque ad terminos univers terr. 9 Folia ejus pulcherrima, et fructus ejus nimius : et esca universorum in ea. Subter eam habitabant animalia et besti, et in ramis ejus conversabantur volucres cli : et ex ea vescebatur omnis caro. 10 Videbam in visione capitis mei super stratum meum, et ecce vigil, et sanctus, de clo descendit. 11 Clamavit fortiter, et sic ait : Succidite arborem, et prcidite ramos ejus : excutite folia ejus, et dispergite fructus ejus : fugiant besti, qu subter eam sunt, et volucres de ramis ejus. 12 Verumtamen germen radicum ejus in terra sinite, et alligetur vinculo ferreo et reo in herbis qu foris sunt, et rore cli tingatur, et cum feris pars ejus in herba terr. 13 Cor ejus ab humano commutetur, et cor fer detur ei : et septem tempora mutentur super eum. 14 In sententia vigilum decretum est, et sermo sanctorum, et petitio : donec cognoscant viventes quoniam dominatur Excelsus in regno hominum, et cuicumque voluerit, dabit illud, et humillimum hominem constituet super eum. 15 Hoc somnium vidi ego Nabuchodonosor rex : tu ergo Baltassar interpretationem narra festinus, quia omnes sapientes regni mei non queunt solutionem edicere mihi : tu autem potes, quia spiritus deorum sanctorum in te est. 16 Tunc Daniel, cujus nomen Baltassar, cpit intra semetipsum tacitus cogitare quasi una hora : et cogitationes ejus conturbabant eum. Respondens autem rex, ait : Baltassar, somnium et interpretatio ejus non conturbent te. Respondit Baltassar, et dixit : Domine mi, somnium his, qui te oderunt, et interpretatio ejus hostibus tuis sit. 17 Arborem, quam vidisti sublimem atque robustam, cujus altitudo pertingit ad clum, et aspectus illius in omnem terram ; 18 et rami ejus pulcherrimi, et fructus ejus nimius, et esca omnium in ea, subter eam habitantes besti agri, et in ramis ejus commorantes aves cli : 19 tu es rex, qui magnificatus es, et invaluisti : et magnitudo tua crevit, et pervenit usque ad clum, et potestas tua in terminos univers terr. 20 Quod autem vidit rex vigilem, et sanctum descendere de clo, et dicere : Succidite arborem, et dissipate illam, attamen germen radicum ejus in terra dimittite, et vinciatur ferro et re in herbis foris, et rore cli conspergatur, et cum feris sit pabulum ejus, donec septem tempora mutentur super eum : 21 hc est interpretatio sententi Altissimi, qu pervenit super dominum meum regem, 22 Ejicient te ab hominibus, et cum bestiis ferisque erit habitatio tua, et fnum ut bos comedes, et rore cli infunderis : septem quoque tempora mutabuntur super te, donec scias quod dominetur Excelsus super regnum hominum, et cuicumque voluerit, det illud. 23 Quod autem prcepit ut relinqueretur germen radicum ejus, id est arboris : regnum tuum tibi manebit postquam cognoveris potestatem esse clestem. 24 Quam ob rem, rex, consilium meum placeat tibi, et peccata tua eleemosynis redime, et iniquitates tuas misericordiis pauperum : forsitan ignoscet delictis tuis.25 Omnia hc venerunt super Nabuchodonosor regem. 26 Post finem mensium duodecim, in aula Babylonis deambulabat. 27 Responditque rex, et ait : Nonne hc est Babylon magna, quam ego dificavi in domum regni, in robore fortitudinis me, et in gloria decoris mei ? 28 Cumque sermo adhuc esset in ore regis, vox de clo ruit : Tibi dicitur, Nabuchodonosor rex : Regnum tuum transibit a te, 29 et ab hominibus ejicient te, et cum bestiis et feris erit habitatio tua : fnum quasi bos comedes, et septem tempora mutabuntur super te, donec scias quod dominetur Excelsus in regno hominum, et cuicumque voluerit, det illud. 30 Eadem hora sermo completus est super Nabuchodonosor, et ex hominibus abjectus est, et fnum ut bos comedit, et rore cli corpus ejus infectum est, donec capilli ejus in similitudinem aquilarum crescerent, et ungues ejus quasi avium.31 Igitur post finem dierum, ego Nabuchodonosor oculos meos ad clum levavi, et sensus meus redditus est mihi : et Altissimo benedixi, et viventem in sempiternum laudavi et glorificavi : quia potestas ejus potestas sempiterna, et regnum ejus in generationem et generationem. 32 Et omnes habitatores terr apud eum in nihilum reputati sunt : juxta voluntatem enim suam facit tam in virtutibus cli quam in habitatoribus terr : et non est qui resistat manui ejus, et dicat ei : Quare fecisti ? 33 In ipso tempore sensus meus reversus est ad me, et ad honorem regni mei, decoremque perveni : et figura mea reversa est ad me, et optimates mei et magistratus mei requisierunt me, et in regno meo restitutus sum : et magnificentia amplior addita est mihi. 34 Nunc igitur, ego Nabuchodonosor laudo, et magnifico, et glorifico regem cli : quia omnia opera ejus vera, et vi ejus judicia, et gradientes in superbia potest humiliare.