Daniel · Chapter 4

[ edit] Nabugodonoſor, kyng, to alle peplis, folkis, and langagis, þat dwellen in al erþe, pees be multiplied to ȝou. Heeȝ God made at me ſignis and wondirful þingus; þerfore it pleſide to me for to preche þe ſygnys of hym, for þei ben greet, and his wondirful þingis, for þei ſtronge; and his rewme euerlaſtinge rewme, and his power in to generacioun and generacioun. I, Nabugodonoſor, was quyete in myn hous, and flouringe in my paleys; I ſawȝ a ſweuen, whiche feride me; and my þouȝtis in my bed, and ſiȝtis of myn hed, to gidre troubliden me.

And by me a decree was putte forþ, þat alle wijſe men of Babiloyne ſhulden be ledde yn in my ſiȝt, þat þei ſhulden ſhewe to me þe ſolucioun, or vndirſtondyng, of þe ſweuene. Þanne entriden dyuynours by auters, wicches, Caldeis, and dyuynours by ſterris; and I teelde þe ſwenen in þe ſiȝt of hem, and þei ſhewiden not to me þe ſolucioun þerof, til a felowe of office entride in my ſiȝt, Danyel, to whom þe name Balþaſar, after þe name of my god, whiche haþ þe ſpirit of holy goddis in hym ſelf; and I ſpac þe ſweuen bifore hym.

Balþaſar, prince of dyuynours by autris, whom I wote, for þou haſt in þee þe ſpirit of holy goddis, and eche ſacrament is not impoſſible to þee, telle þou to me þe viſions of my ſweuens, and þe ſolucioun of hem. Þe viſioun of myn hed in my couche. I ſawȝ, and loo! a tree in þe mydil of erþe, and þe heiȝt þerof ful myche. And a greete tree and ſtronge, and þe nobley, or ſtrecchinge out, þerof touchynge heuen, biholding þerof was vnto termes of al erþe. Þe leues þerof moſt faire, and þe fruyte þerof ful myche, and mete of alle þingus þeryn; vnder it beeſtis dwelliden, and wijlde beeſtis, and in bowis þerof briddis of heuen lyuyden, and eche fleſhe eete of it.

Þus I ſawȝ in ſiȝt of myn heued, vpon my bed. And loo! þe waker, and holy came doun from heuen, and criede ſtrongli, and þus ſaiþ, Kitte ȝe doun þe tree, and bifore kitte ȝe þe braunchis þerof, and ſmyte out þe leeues þerof, and ſcatere ȝe þe fruytis þerof; beeſtis þat ben vndir it, flee þei, and briddis of þe braunchis þerof. Neþeleſe ſuffre ȝe buriownyng of rootis þerof in þe erþe, and be it bounden to in boond of yren and braſun, in erbis þat ben wiþ outforþ, and be it dyed in dewe of heuen, and wiþ wijlde beeſtis þe parte þerof in erbe of erþe. Þe herte þerof be chaungid fro mans, and þe herte of wijlde beeſt be ȝouen to it, and ſeuen tymes be chaungid vpon hym.

As in ſentence of wakers it is demyd, and þe word of ſaintus and axing, to lyuynge men knowen, for þe heeȝ ſhal be Lord in rewme of men; and he ſhal ȝeue it to whom euere he ſhal woln, and he ſhal ordeyne þe mekiſt man vpon it. Þis ſweuen ſawȝ Y Nabugodonoſor, kyng. Þerfore þou, Balþaſar, haſtily telle þe interpretacioun, for alle þe wijſe men of my rewme mown not ſaye out to me þe ſolucioun; forſoþe þou maiſt, for þe ſpirit of þe holy goddis is in þee. Þanne Danyel, to whom þe name Balþaſar, bygan wiþ yn hym ſelf ſtilly for to þenke, as oon hour, and his þouȝtis to gydre trubliden hym. Forſoþe þe kyng anſwerynge, ſaiþ, Balþaſar, þe ſweuen and interpretacioun of it truble not þee.

Balþaſar anſwerde and ſaide, My lord, þe ſweuen be to hem þat haten þee, and þe interpretacioun þerof be to þin enmyes. Þe tree whom þou haſt ſeen heeȝ and ſtronge, whos heiȝt ſtretchiþ vnto heuen, and þe biholdyng þerof vnto al erþe, and his moſt faire braunchis, and fruyte þerof ful myche, and mete of alle þingus þeryn, vndir it dwellynge beeſtis of þe feelde, and in braunchis þerof dwellynge briddis of heuen, þou art, kyng; þat art magnyfied, and haſt woxen ſtronge, and þi greetneſſe wexide, and cam fully vnto heuen, and þi power in to termis of al erþe.

Forſoþe þat þe kyng ſawȝ þe waker and hooly for to cum doun fro heuen, and for to ſaye, Kitte ȝe doun þe tree, and ſcatre ȝe it, neþeleſe leue þe buriownyng of rootys þerof in erþe, and be he bounden in yren and braſſe, and in erbis wiþ out forþ, and dew of heuen be it ſpreyn to gydre, and wiþ wylde beeſtis be his mete, til ſeuen tymes be chaungid vpon hym; þis is þe interpretacioun of ſentence of þe heeiȝiſt, þat came fully vpon my lord kyng.

Þei ſhuln caſt þee out fro men, and wiþ beeſtus and wijlde beeſtis þi dwellyng ſhal be, and þou ſhalt ete hay as an oxe, bot and in dewe of heuen þou ſhalt be inſhed, and ſeuene tymes ſhuln be chaungid vpon þee, til þou wite, þat þe heyȝ lordſhipiþ vpon rewme of men, and he ȝeuiþ it to whom euer he ſhal wiln. Forſoþe þat he comaundide, þat buriownyng of rootis þerof, þat is to ſaye, of þe tree, ſhulde be left, þi rewme ſhal dwelle to þee, after þat þou ſhalt knowe power for to be heuenly. Wherfore, kyng, my counſeil pleſe to þee, and aȝeinby þou þi ſynnes wiþ almes deedis, and þi wickidneſſis wiþ mercies of pore men; perauenture God ſhal forȝeue þi treſpaſſes.

Alle þeſe þingus camen on Nabugodonoſor, kyng. After þe eende of twelue moneþis in þe halle of Babiloyne he walkide; and þe kyng anſwerde and ſaiþ, Wher þis not Babyloyne, þe grete citee, whiche I beeldide in to þe hous of rewme, in miȝt of my ſtrengþe, and in glorie of my fairneſſe? Þerfore whann ȝit þe word was in þe kyngus mouþe, a voice felle fro heuen, To þee it is ſaid, kyng Nabugodonoſor, Þi rewme paſſiþ fro þee, and fro men þei ſhuln caſte out þee, and wiþ beeſtis and wijlde beeſtis þi dwellyng ſhal be; þou ſhalt ete hay as an oxe, and ſeuen tymes ſhuln be chaungid vpon þee, til þou wite, þat þe heyȝ lordſhipiþ in rewme of men, and he ȝeuiþ it to whom euer he ſhal woln.

In þe ſame houre þe word was fulfillid vp on Nabugodonoſor, and of men he is caſt out, and he eete hay as an oxe, and wiþ dewe of heuen his body was enfourmed, or defoulid, til his heris wexiden in to lickeneſſe of eglis, and his naylis as naylis, or clees, of briddis. Þerfore after þe eend of days, Y, Nabugodonoſor, reyſide myn eeȝen to heuen, and my wit is ȝolden to me; and I bleſſide to þe heeȝiſt, and I heriede, and glorifiede þe lyuynge in to wiþ outen eende; for his power euerlaſtynge power, and þe rewme of hym in to generacioun and generacioun.

And alle dwellers of erþe anentis him ben rettid in to nouȝt; forſoþe after his wille he ſhal do, as wele in vertues of heuen, as in dwellers of erþe, and þere is not, þat ſhal aȝein ſtonde his hond, and ſhal ſaye to hym, Whi didiſt þou þis? Þat tyme my wit tourned aȝein to me, and I came fully to þe honour of my kingdam, and fairneſſe, and my figure, or ſhap, turnyde aȝein to me; and my beſt men and my mageſtratis aȝein ſouȝten me, and I am ordeyned in my kingdam, and my magnyfience, or greteneſſe, is addid to me. Now þerfore Y Nabugodonoſor herie, and magnyfie þe kyng of heuen; for alle his werkis ben trewe, and his wayes domes; and he may make meke, or lowe, men goynge in pryde.