Daniel · Chapter 2

[ edit] In þe ſecounde ȝeer of þe kyngdam of Nabugodonoſor, Nabugodonoſor ſawȝ a ſweuen; and his ſpirit was to gydre ferid, and his ſweuen fleiȝ fro hym. Þerfore þe kyng comaundide, þat dyuynours ſhulden be clepid to gydre, and witchis, and enchauntours, and Caldeis, þat þei ſhulden ſhewe to þe kyng his ſweuens; whiche whenn þei camen, ſtoden bifore þe kyng. And þe kyng ſaide to hem, Y ſawȝ a ſweuen, and Y confuſid, or aſtonyed, in mynde, wote not what I ſawȝ. And Caldeis anſwerden to þe kyng by Siry ſpeche, Kyng, lyue þou in to wiþ outen eende; ſaye þou þi ſweuen to þi ſeruauntis, and we ſhuln ſhewe þe interpretacioun, or declaryng, þerof.

And þe kyng anſwerde, and ſaiþ to þe Caldeis, Þe word wente awey fro me; no bot ȝe ſhuln ſhewe to me þe ſweuen, and þe coniecturyng, or menyng, þerof, ȝe ſhuln periſhe, and ȝour houſis ſhuln be maad commoun, or forfetid. Forſoþe ȝif ȝe ſhuln telle þe ſweuen, and coniecture þerof, ȝe ſhuln reſceyue of me meedis and ȝiftis, and myche honour; þerfore ſhewe ȝe to me þe ſweuen, and þe interpretacioun þerof. Þei anſwerden þe ſecounde tyme, and ſaiden, Þe kyng ſaye þe ſweuen to his ſeruauntis, and we ſhuln ſhewe þe interpretacioun þerof. Þe kyng anſwerde, and ſaiþ, Certis I wote, for ȝe aȝein byen þe tyme, witynge þat þe word haþ gon awey fro me.

Þerfore ȝif ȝe ſhuln not ſhewe to me þe ſweuen, oo ſentence is of ȝou, þat ȝe han maad to gydre an interpretacioun, and fals, and ful of dyſceyt, þat ȝe ſpeke to me til þe tyme paſſe; and ſo ſaye ȝe to me þe ſweuen, þat Y wite, þat ȝe ſhuln ſpeke to me and þe verre interpretacioun þerof. Þerfore þe Caldeis anſweryng byfore þe kyng, ſaiden, Kyng, þer is no man vpon erþe, þat may fulfille þi word; bot neþer eny grete of kyngus and miȝti axiþ ſiche manere word of eche dyuynour, and witche, and Caldey. Soþeli þe word whom þou, kyng, ſeekiſt, is greuous, neþer eny man ſhal be founden, þat ſhal ſhew it in ſiȝt of þe kyng, out taken goddis, whos lyuyng is not wiþ men.

Whiche þing herd, þe kyng, turned in to wodeneſſe and in grete wraþ, comaundide, þat alle þe wijſe men of Babyloyne ſhulde periſhe. And þe ſentence gon out, þe wijſe men weren ſlayn; and Danyel and his felawis weren ſowȝt, þat þei ſhulden periſhe. Þan Danyel enquyride of þe lawe and ſentence, of Arioch, prince of þe knyȝþode of þe kyng, whiche wente oute for to ſlea þe wijſe men of Babiloyne. And he axide hym, þat hadde taken power of þe kyng, for what cauſe ſo cruel ſentence wente out fro þe face of þe kyng. Þerfore whann Arioch hadde ſhewide to Danyel, Danyel gon yn preyede þe kyng, þat he ſhulde ȝeue hym tyme for to ſhewe þe vndoyng to þe kyng.

And he entride in to his hous, and ſhewide to Ananyas, Myſael, and Azarias, his felawis, þe neede, þat þei ſhulden ſeeke mercye of þe face of God of heuen vpon þis ſacrament; and Danyel and his felawis ſhulden not periſhen wiþ oþer wijſe men of Babyloyne. Þann þe miſterie was ſhewid to Danyel by a viſioun in niȝt. And Danyel bleſſide God of heuen, and ſaiþ, Be þe name of God bleſſid fro world, and til in to world, for wijſdam and ſtrengþe is of hym; and loo! he chaungeþ tymes and ages, tranſlatiþ rewmes and ordeyneþ; ȝeuiþ wiſdam to wijſe men, and ſcience to men vndirſtondynge diſciplyne; ſhewiþ depe þingus and hid, and knewe in derkneſſis þingus ordeyned, and liȝt is wiþ hym.

God of oure faders, to þee I knowleche, and Y herye þee, for þou haſt ȝouen to me wijſdam and ſtrengþe; and now þou haſt ſhewide to me whiche þingus we preyden þee, for þou haſt opnyde to vs þe word of þe kyng. After þeſe þingis Danyel wente yn to Arioch, whom þe kyng hadde ordeyned, þat he ſhulde leeſe þe wiſe men of Babiloyne, and þus ſpake to hym, Leeſe þou not þe wijſe men of Babiloyne; leede yn me in þe ſiȝt of þe kyng, and I ſhal telle to þe kyng þe ſolucioun, or vndirſtondyng. Þanne Arioch haſtynge ledde yn Danyel to þe kyng, and ſaide to hym, I haue founden a man of þe ſonys of tranſmygracioun of Jude, þat ſhal telle to þe kyng þe ſolucioun.

Þe kyng anſwerde, and ſaide to Danyel, to whom þe name was Balþaſar, Geſſiſt þou, wher þou maiſt verrely ſhewe to me þe ſweuen þat I ſawȝ, and þe interpretacioun þerof? And Danyel anſwerde byfore þe kyng, and ſaiþ, Þe myſterie whiche þe kyng axiþ, þe wiſe men, and þe witchis, and dyuynours bi auteris, and dyuynours by lokyng of ſterris, mown not ſhewe to þe kyng. Bot þer is God in heuen, ſhewynge myſteries, whiche ſhewide to þee, þou kyng Nabugodonoſor, whiche þingus ben to cum in þe laſt tymes. Þi ſwenens and viſions of þin hed, in þi couche, ben ſiche.

Þou, kyng, biganſt for to þinke in þi bed, what þing was to cummynge after þeſe þingus; and he þat ſhewiþ myſteries, ſhewide to þee what þingus ben to cummynge. And þis ſacrament, or hid trewþe, is ſhewid, not in wiſdam þat is in me more þan in alle lyuynge men, bot þat þe interpretacioun be ſhewid to þe kyng, and þat þou ſhuldiſt wite þe þouȝtis of þi ſoule. Þou, kyng, haſt ſeen, and loo! as oo grete ymage; þilk ymage grete, and in ſtature hiȝ, ſtode aȝeinus þee, and þe biholdyng þerof was dreedful. Þe hed of þis ymage was of beſt gold, forſoþe þe breſt and armys of ſyluer; forſoþe þe wombe and þiȝes of braſſe, ſoþely þe leggis of yren; forſoþe of þe feet ſum part of yren, ſum of erþe.

Þou haſt ſeen þus, til a ſtoon was kit of, wiþ outen hondis, of a mount, and ſmote þe ymage in his feet of yren and erþe, and made leſſe, or brake, hem. Þanne þe yren, pott, or mater maad of erþe, braſſe, ſyluer, and gold, ben broken to gidre, and dryuen as in to a qwenchid brond of ſomer feeld, whiche ben rauyſhid wiþ wynd, and no place is foundun in hem; forſoþe þe ſtoon þat ſmote þe ymage, is maad a grete mounteyn, and fulfillide al erþe. Þis is þe ſweuen. And we ſhuln ſaye þe interpretacioun þerof byfore þe kyng.

Þou art kyng of kyngus, and God of heuen ȝaue to þee kingdam, ſtrengþe, and empire, or lordſhip, and glorie, and alle þingus in whiche ſones of men dwellen, and beeſtis of þe feeld; and he ȝaue in þin hond þe foulis of heuen, and ordeynyde alle þingus vndir þi lordſhip; þerfor þou art þe golden hed. And after þee an oþer rewme ſhal ryſe to gydre, leſſe þan þou; and þe þrid rewme, an oþer of braſſe, whiche ſhal comaunde to al erþe. And þe fourþe rewme ſhal be as yrunny; hou yrun brekiþ to gydre alle þingus, and dauntiþ, or tamiþ, ſo it ſhal menuſhe, and to gydre breke alle þeſe þingus.

Forſoþe þou haſt ſeen of þe feete and fyngris erþi, or cleyi, part of a potter, and a part of yren, þe rewme ſhal be departid; whiche neuerþeleſe ſhal ſprynge of þe plauntyng of yren, after þat þou haſt ſeen yren meynt of cleye and tyel, and fingris, or toon, of feet in partie of yren, in partie of erþe, þe rewme in party ſhal be ſad, and in party debruſid. Soþely þat þou haſt ſeen yren meynt to tyel of cley, forſoþe þei ſhuln be meynt to gidre by mans ſeed; bot þei ſhuln not cleue to hem ſelf, as yren may not be meynt to tyel.

Forſoþe in þe days of þo rewmes, God of heuen ſhal reyſe a kyngdam, whiche ſhal not be diſtruyed in to wiþ outen eende, and his rewme ſhal not be taken to an oþer peple; it ſhal make leſſe, and waſte alle þeſe rewmes, and þe ylk ſhal ſtonde in to wiþ outen eende. Vp þat þat þou ſawȝ, þat a ſtoon is kit off wiþ outen hondis of an hill, and maad leſſe, or brake, þe tyel, and yren, and bras, and ſyluer, and gold, þe grete God ſhewide to þe kyng, what þingus ben to cummynge afterward; and þe ſweuen is trewe, and þe interpretacioun þerof feiþful. Þan kyng Nabuchodonoſor felle in to his face, and wirſhipide Danyel, and comaundide ſacrifices and encenſe, þat it were offride to hym.

Þerfore þe kyng ſpekynge ſaiþ to Danyel, Verreli ȝour God is God of goddis, and Lord of kyngus, ſhewinge myſteries, for þou miȝtiſt opne þis ſacrament. Þann þe kyng enhaunſide in to heeȝ Danyel, and ȝaue to hym many ȝiftis and grete, and ordeynyde hym vpon alle prouyncis of Babiloyne prince and prefect, and maiſter vpon alle wijſe men of Babiloyne. Forſoþe Danyel axide of þe kyng, and ordeynyde vpon þe werkis of þe prouynce of Babiloyne, Sydrac, Myſac, and Abdenago; forſoþe Danyel hym ſelf was in þe ȝatis of þe kyng.