THE DREAM OF THE TREE CUT DOWN

'Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all the peoples, nations, and languages,
that dwell in all the earth: peace be multiplied unto you. It hath
seemed good unto me to shew the signs and wonders that the Most High God
hath wrought toward me. How great are his signs! and how mighty are his
wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from
generation to generation.

'I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my
palace. I saw a dream which made me afraid; and the thoughts upon my bed
and the visions of my head troubled me. Therefore made I a decree to
bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make
known unto me the interpretation of the dream. Then came in the
magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I
told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the
interpretation thereof. But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose
name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is
the spirit of the holy gods: and I told the dream before him, saying, O
Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of
the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the
visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.

'Thus were the visions of my head upon my bed: I saw, and behold a tree
in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. The tree
grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven and the
sight thereof to the end of all the earth. The leaves thereof were fair,
and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of
the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the
branches thereof, and all flesh was fed of it. I saw in the visions of
my head upon my bed, and, behold, a watcher and an holy one came down
from heaven. He cried aloud, and said thus: "Hew down the tree, and cut
off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the
beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches.
Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a
band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be
wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in
the grass of the earth: let his heart be changed from man's, and let a
beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him. The
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