“These were the visions of my head while on my bed: I was looking, and behold, A tree in the midst of the earth, And its height was great.

The tree grew and became strong; Its height reached to the heavens, And it could be seen to the ends of all the earth.

He cried aloud and said thus: ‘Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts get out from under it, And the birds from its branches.

“The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens and which could be seen by all the earth,

“And inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field; let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him’;

“And inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you, after you come to know that Heaven rules.