King Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a big tree
1King Nebuchadnezzar wrote a letter to everyone on earth. He wrote: ‘I hope you are well. 2I want to tell you what the Most High God did for me. He has done signs and miracles 3and his signs and miracles are great and wonderful. He will always be King and rule forever.
4I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living in my palace and everything went well. 5But then I dreamed and I saw something that made me become afraid and shocked. 6I told all the wise men of Babylon to come to me and tell me what this dream meant. 7All the wise men came to me and I told them what I had dreamed, but they could not tell me what the dream meant. 8Then Daniel came to me. His other name is Belteshazzar and that is also the name of my god. The holy_gods are helping Daniel. That is why he is very clever. I told him what I had dreamed.
9I said: “Belteshazzar, you are the leader of the wise men. I know that the holy_gods are helping you and you know things that other people do not know. Tell me what my dream means. Tell me the meaning of the thing that I saw when I was dreaming. 10I was sleeping and in my dream I saw a tree in the middle of the earth. The tree was very high. 11The tree became bigger and stronger, so big that it touched the sky. All the people on earth could see the tree. 12The tree had beautiful leaves and a lot of fruit. Everyone could eat its fruit and the animals could lie down under the tree and the birds made their nests in its branches. The fruit of the tree was food for all the people and animals.
13In this vision, I saw a holy angel who came from heaven. 14The angel talked very loudly and said: “‘Cut down the tree, cut off its branches, shake off its leaves and throw away its fruit. The animals must flee from the tree and the birds must fly away from its branches. 15But do not take the trunk of the tree out of the ground. Let it stay there among the grass and put a band of iron and bronze around the trunk to protect it. The dew and rain will fall on the tree trunk, and Nebuchadnezzar will eat wild plants like an animal. 16He will lose his mind and for 7 years he will think like an animal.”’
17That is what the holy angels said and it will happen. Then everyone who lives will know that it is God, the Most High God, who decides who will be king. God can choose any person and make him king, even the most unimportant one.
18This is the dream that I, Nebuchadnezzar, had and you, Belteshazzar, must tell me what this dream means. Not one of the wise men in my land can tell me what it means, but you can, because the holy_gods are helping you.” ’
Daniel tells the king what his dream means
19Daniel, whose other name was Belteshazzar, became afraid and he was worried. But the king said: ‘Belteshazzar, do not be afraid about the dream and what it means.’
Belteshazzar said: ‘Your_Majesty, this was a bad dream. I wish that your enemies had had this dream. 20You saw a tree that became very high and strong. The tree touched the sky and all the people on earth could see the tree. 21There were a lot of beautiful leaves and fruit on the tree. It was food for all. All the animals could live under the tree and all the birds could make nests in its branches. 22Your_Majesty, you are the tree. You became king of the whole world.
23You also saw a holy angel coming from heaven and the angel said: “Cut down the tree, cut it into pieces, but keep the trunk of the tree in the ground. Let it stay there among the grass. Put a band of iron and bronze around the trunk to protect it. The dew and rain will give water to the tree trunk, and you, Nebuchadnezzar, will eat wild plants like an animal for 7 years.”
24Your_Majesty, this is what the Most High God has decided. It will happen to you. This is what your dream means. 25The people will chase you away. You will go and live in the field with the animals. You will eat grass like an ox and the dew and rain will fall on you for 7 years. Then you will know that it is the Most High God who decides who will be king.
26The angel also said the trunk of the tree must stay in the ground. This means that you will become king again when you know that it is God in heaven who rules. 27That is why, Your_Majesty, you must do what I tell you: You must stop doing sin. You must do what is right to poor people and you must be good to them. Then all will be well with you.’
28Everything that Daniel said happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29One year later, Nebuchadnezzar was walking on the roof of his palace. 30He said: ‘Look how big the city of Babylon is. It is a city for a king and I have built it, I, the great king.’
31When the king said these words, Someone talked to him from heaven. He said: ‘Nebuchadnezzar, you will no longer be king. 32The people will chase you away. You will go and live with the animals and you will stay there for 7 years. You will eat grass like an ox. Then you will know that it is the Most High God who decides who will be king.’
33Everything that Daniel said started to happen to King Nebuchadnezzar. The people chased him away and he had to eat grass like an ox and the dew and rain fell on him. His hair became as long as an eagle's feathers and his nails like a bird's claws.
34Later, Nebuchadnezzar wrote to the people and said: ‘After the 7 years, I looked up and prayed to God in heaven. My mind came back and I praised the Most High God who lives forever. He will always rule, and He will always be King. 35The people on the earth are not important. They are worthless. God does what He wants with the stars in the sky and with the people on earth. No one can stop Him. No one can ask Him: “Why are You doing that?” 36Then my mind was healed and I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked like a king again. My advisors and my other important_officials came to me. They made me king again, and now I am more important than I was before. 37I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise the King of heaven, because everything He does is right. He can humiliate people who are proud.’
