⁸ The trees once went out
    to anoint a king over themselves.
So they said to the olive tree,
    ‘Reign over us.’

^10 [a]Upon my bed this is what I saw:
    there was a tree at the center of the earth,
    and its height was great.^(A)
11 The tree grew great and strong,
    its top reached to heaven,
    and it was visible to the ends of the whole earth.
¹² Its foliage was beautiful,
    its fruit abundant,
    and it provided food for all.
The animals of the field found shade under it,
    the birds of the air nested in its branches,
    and from it all living beings were fed.^(B)

‘Cut down the tree and chop off its branches;
    strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit.
Let the animals flee from beneath it
    and the birds from its branches.^(D)
15 But leave its stump and roots in the ground,
    with a band of iron and bronze,
    in the tender grass of the field.
Let him be bathed with the dew of heaven,
    and let his lot be with the animals
    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.^(E)
17 The sentence is rendered by decree of the watchers,
    the decision is given by order of the holy ones,
in order that all who live may know
    that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of mortals;
he gives it to whom he will
    and sets over it the lowliest of human beings.’^(F)

A great eagle with great wings and long pinions,
    rich in plumage of many colors,
    came to the Lebanon.
He took the top of the cedar,^(A)
4     broke off its topmost shoot;
he carried it to a land of trade,
    set it in a city of merchants.
⁵ Then he took a seedling from the land,
    placed it in fertile soil;
a plant^[a] by abundant waters,
    he set it like a willow twig.^(B)
6 It sprouted and became a vine
    spreading out but low;
its branches turned toward him;
    its roots remained where it stood.
So it became a vine;
    it brought forth branches,
    put forth foliage.

⁷ There was another great eagle
    with great wings and much plumage.
And see! This vine stretched out
    its roots toward him;
it shot out its branches toward him
    from the bed where it was planted
    so that he might water it.^(C)
8 It had been transplanted
    to good soil by abundant waters,
so that it might produce branches
    and bear fruit
    and become a noble vine.

Will it prosper?
Will he not pull up its roots,
    cause its fruit to rot^[b] and wither,
    its fresh sprouting leaves to fade?
No strong arm or mighty army will be needed
    to pull it from its roots.
¹⁰ Look, it has been transplanted. Will it thrive?
When the east wind strikes it,
    will it not utterly wither,
    wither on the bed where it grew?^(D)