¹ I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, content and prosperous. ² I had a terrifying dream as I lay in bed, and the images and the visions of my mind frightened me. ³ So I issued a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me to give the interpretation of the dream. ⁴ When the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers had come in, I related the dream before them; but none of them could tell me its meaning. ⁵ Finally there came before me Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy God. I repeated the dream to him: ⁶ "Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy God is in you and no mystery is too difficult for you; tell me the meaning of the visions that I saw in my dream. ⁷ "These were the visions I saw while in bed: I saw a tree of great height at the center of the world. ⁸ It was large and strong, with its top touching the heavens, and it could be seen to the ends of the earth. ⁹ Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, providing food for all. Under it the wild beasts found shade, in its branches the birds of the air nested; all men ate of it. ¹⁰ In the vision I saw while in bed, a holy sentinel came down from heaven, ¹¹ and cried out: 'Cut down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit; let the beasts flee its shade, and the birds its branches. ¹² But leave in the earth its stump and roots, fettered with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field. Let him be bathed with the dew of heaven; his lot be to eat, among beasts, the grass of the earth. ¹³ Let his mind be changed from the human; let him be given the sense of a beast, till seven years pass over him. ¹⁴ By decree of the sentinels is this decided, by order of the holy ones, this sentence; that all who live may know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of men: He can give it to whom he will, or set over it the lowliest of men.' ¹⁵ "This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me its meaning. Although none of the wise men in my kingdom can tell me the meaning, you can, because the spirit of the holy God is in you." ¹⁶ Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was appalled for a while, terrified by his thoughts. "Belteshazzar," the king said to him, "let not the dream or its meaning terrify you." ¹⁷ "My lord," Belteshazzar replied, "this dream should be for your enemies, and its meaning for your foes. The large, strong tree that you saw, with its top touching the heavens, that could be seen by the whole earth, ¹⁸ which had beautiful foliage and abundant fruit, providing food for all, under which the wild beasts lived, and in whose branches the birds of the air dwelt— ¹⁹ you are that tree, O king, large and strong! Your majesty has become so great as to touch the heavens, and your rule extends over the whole earth. ²⁰ As for the king's vision of a holy sentinel that came down from heaven and proclaimed: 'Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave in the earth its stump and roots, fettered with iron and bronze in the grass of the field; let him be bathed with the dew of heaven, and let his lot be among wild beasts till seven years pass over him'— this is its meaning, O king; this is the sentence which the Most High has passed upon my lord king: ²¹ You shall be cast out from among men and dwell with wild beasts; you shall be given grass to eat like an ox and be bathed with the dew of heaven; seven years shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. ²² The command that the stump and roots of the tree are to be left means that your kingdom shall be preserved for you, once you have learned it is heaven that rules. ²³ Therefore, O king, take my advice; atone for your sins by good deeds, and for your misdeeds by kindness to the poor; then your prosperity will be long." ²⁴ They walked about in the flames, singing to God and blessing the Lord. ²⁵ In the fire Azariah stood up and prayed aloud: ²⁶ "Blessed are you, and praiseworthy, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and glorious forever is your name. ²⁷ For you are just in all you have done; all your deeds are faultless, all your ways right, and all your judgments proper. ²⁸ You have executed proper judgments in all that you have brought upon us and upon Jerusalem, the holy city of our fathers. By a proper judgment you have done all this because of our sins; ²⁹ For we have sinned and transgressed by departing from you, and we have done every kind of evil. ³⁰ Your commandments we have not heeded or observed, nor have we done as you ordered us for our good. ³¹ Therefore all you have brought upon us, all you have done to us, you have done by a proper judgment. ³² You have handed us over to our enemies, lawless and hateful rebels; to an unjust king, the worst in all the world. ³³ Now we cannot open our mouths; we, your servants, who revere you, have become a shame and a reproach. ³⁴ For your name's sake, do not deliver us up forever, or make void your covenant. ³⁵ Do not take away your mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham, your beloved, Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one, ³⁶ To whom you promised to multiply their offspring like the stars of heaven, or the sand on the shore of the sea. ³⁷ For we are reduced, O Lord, beyond any other nation, brought low everywhere in the world this day because of our sins. ³⁸ We have in our day no prince, prophet, or leader, no holocaust, sacrifice, oblation, or incense, no place to offer first fruits, to find favor with you. ³⁹ But with contrite heart and humble spirit let us be received; ⁴⁰ As though it were holocausts of rams and bullocks, or thousands of fat lambs, So let our sacrifice be in your presence today as we follow you unreservedly; for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame. ⁴¹ And now we follow you with our whole heart, we fear you and we pray to you. ⁴² Do not let us be put to shame, but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy. ⁴³ Deliver us by your wonders, and bring glory to your name, O Lord: ⁴⁴ Let all those be routed who inflict evils on your servants; Let them be shamed and powerless, and their strength broken; ⁴⁵ Let them know that you alone are the Lord God, glorious over the whole world." ⁴⁶ Now the king's men who had thrown them in continued to stoke the furnace with brimstone, pitch, tow, and faggots. ⁴⁷ The flames rose forty-nine cubits above the furnace, ⁴⁸ and spread out, burning the Chaldeans nearby. ⁴⁹ But the angel of the Lord went down into the furnace with Azariah and his companions, drove the fiery flames out of the furnace, ⁵⁰ and made the inside of the furnace as though a dew-laden breeze were blowing through it. The fire in no way touched them or caused them pain or harm. ⁵¹ Then these three in the furnace with one voice sang, glorifying and blessing God: ⁵² "Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever; And blessed is your holy and glorious name, praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages. ⁵³ Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, praiseworthy and glorious above all forever. ⁵⁴ Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. ⁵⁵ Blessed are you who look into the depths from your throne upon the cherubim, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. ⁵⁶ Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven, praiseworthy and glorious forever. ⁵⁷ Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁵⁸ Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁵⁹ You heavens, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁶⁰ All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁶¹ All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁶² Sun and moon, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁶³ Stars of heaven, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁶⁴ Every shower and dew, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁶⁵ All you winds, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁶⁶ Fire and heat, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁶⁷ Cold and chill, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁶⁸ Dew and rain, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁶⁹ Frost and chill, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁷⁰ Ice and snow, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁷¹ Nights and days, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁷² Light and darkness, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁷³ Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁷⁴ Let the earth bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁷⁵ Mountains and hills, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁷⁶ Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁷⁷ You springs, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁷⁸ Seas and rivers, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁷⁹ You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁸⁰ All you birds of the air, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁸¹ All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁸² You sons of men, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁸³ O Israel, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁸⁴ Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁸⁵ Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁸⁶ Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁸⁷ Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. ⁸⁸ Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. For he has delivered us from the nether world, and saved us from the power of death; He has freed us from the raging flame and delivered us from the fire. ⁸⁹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. ⁹⁰ Bless the God of gods, all you who fear the Lord; praise him and give him thanks, because his mercy endures forever." Hearing them sing, and astonished at seeing them alive, ⁹¹ King Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles, "Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?" "Assuredly, O king," they answered. ⁹² "But," he replied, "I see four men unfettered and unhurt, walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God." ⁹³ Then Nebuchadnezzar came to the opening of the white-hot furnace and called to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: "Servants of the most high God, come out." Thereupon Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire. ⁹⁴ When the satraps, prefects, governors, and nobles of the king came together, they saw that the fire had had no power over the bodies of these men; not a hair of their heads had been singed, nor were their garments altered; there was not even a smell of fire about them. ⁹⁵ Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent his angel to deliver the servants that trusted in him; they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. ⁹⁶ Therefore I decree for nations and peoples of every language that whoever blasphemes the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut to pieces and his house destroyed. For there is no other God who can rescue like this." ⁹⁷ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. ⁹⁸ King Nebuchadnezzar to the nations and peoples of every language, wherever they dwell on earth: abundant peace! ⁹⁹ It has seemed good to me to publish the signs and wonders which the most high God has accomplished in my regard. ¹⁰⁰ How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders; his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures through all generations.