Daniel · Chapter 5

[ edit] Balþaſar, kyng, made a grete feſt to his beſt men a þouſand, and eche man dranke after his age. Forſoþe þe kyng now drunken comaundide, þat þe golden veſſels and ſylueren ſhulden be brouȝt forþ, whiche Nabugodonoſor, his fadre, bare out of þe temple þat was in Jeruſalem, þat þe kyng, and his beſt men, and wyues, and his concubynes, or ſecundarie wyues, ſhulden drynke. Þei drunken wijne, and herieden her goddis of gold, and of ſyluer, and of braſſe, and of yren, and of tree, and of ſtoon. In þe ſame houre þere apeeriden fyngris, as of hond of a man, writynge aȝeins þe candilſtike, in þe ouermer part of þe walle of þe kyngis halle; and þe kyng bihelde þe fyngris of þe hond wrijtynge.

Þanne þe face of þe kyng was chaungid to gydre, and his þouȝtis al to-trubliden hym; and þe ioyntures of his reynys weren vnbounden, and his knees weren hurtlid to gydre at hemſelf. And ſo þe kyng cried ſtrongly, þat þei ſhulden leede yn witches, or wijs men, Caldeis, and dyuynours by ſterris. And þe kyng ſpekyng afer ſaiþ to þe wijs men of Babiloyne, Who euere ſhal reede þis wrytyng, and ſhal make þe interpretacioun þerof knowen to me, ſhal be cloþid wiþ purpre, and ſhal haue a golden bee in þe nek, and ſhal be þe þrid in my rewme. Þann alle wijſe men of þe kyng gon yn myȝten not reede þe ſcripture, neþer ſhewe to þe kyng interpretacioun þerof.

Wherof kyng Balþaſar is trublid to gydre ynowȝ, and his cheere is chaungid, bot and his beſt men weren trublid to gydre. Forſoþe þe queen for þe þing þat bifelle to þe kyng, and beſt men of hym, wente to þe hous of feeſt; and for ſpekynge ſaiþ, Kyng, in to wiþ outen eende lyue þou. Þi þouȝtis trublen þee not, neþer þi face be chaungid.

A man is in þi rewme, þat haþ in hym þe ſpirit of holi goddis, and in þe days of þi fadir ſcience and wiſdam ben founden in hym; for whi and kyng Nabugodonoſor, þi fadre, ordeynyde hym prince of witchis, enchauntris, of Caldeis, and of dyuynours by ſterris; ſoþeli, þou kyng, þi fadir, for þe more ſpirit, and more prudent, and vndirſtondynge, and interpretacioun of ſweuens, and ſhewyng of pryuy þingus, and vndoyng of bounden þingus ben founden in hym, þis is in Danyel, to whom þe kyng ȝaue name Balþaſar. Now þerfore Danyel be clepid, and he ſhal telle þe interpretacioun. Þerfore Danyel is brouȝt yn byfore þe kyng.

To whom þe forſaid king ſaiþ, Þou art Danyel of þe ſonys of caytiftee of Jude, whom my fadre, kyng, ledde to fro Jude? Y herde of þee, for þou haſt in þee þe ſpirit of goddis, and ſcience, and vndirſtondynge, and wiſdam gretter ben founden in þee. And now wijſe men, witches, entreden in my ſiȝt, for to reede þis writyng, and for to ſhew to me þe interpretacioun þerof; and þei miȝten not ſaye out to me þe wit of þis word.

Forſoþe I herde of þee, þat þou mayſt interprete derke þingis, and vnbynde bounden þingus; þerfore ȝif þou maiſt reede þe wrijtyng, and ſhewe to me þe interpretacioun þerof, þou ſhalt be cloþid wiþ purpre, and þou ſhalt haue a golden bee aboute þi nek, and þou ſhalt be þe þridde prince in my rewme. To whiche þingus Danyel anſwerynge ſaiþ byfore þe kyng, Þi ȝiftis be to þee, and ȝeue þou to an oþer þe ȝiftus of þin hous; forſoþe, kyng, I ſhal reede to þee þe wrytyng, and I ſhal ſhewe interpretacioun þerof to þee, þou kyng. Þe heeȝiſt God ȝaue rewme, and magnyficence, glorie, and honour to Nabugodonoſor, þi fadir.

And for þe magnificence whiche he ȝaue to hym alle peplis, lynagis, and tungis, trembliden and dredden hym; he ſlowȝ whom he wolde, and whom he wolde he ſmote, and whom he wolde he enhaunſide, and whom he wolde he meekide. Forſoþe whan his herte was reyſide vp, and his ſpirit ſtablid to pride, he was putt doun of þe ſeete of his rewme; and þe glorie of hym was taken awey, and he was caſt out of ſones of men; bot and þe herte of hym was putt wiþ beeſtis, and wiþ feeld aſſis his dwellynge was; and he eete hay as an oxe, and wiþ dewe of heuen his body was fourmed, or defoulid, til he knew þat þe heeȝiſt haþ power in þe rewme of men, and whom euere he ſhal wole, he ſhal reyſe on it.

Forſoþe þou, Balþaſar, his ſone, mekediſt not þin herte, whann þou wiſtiſt alle þeſe þingus; bot aȝeinus þe Lord of heuen þou art reyſid vp, and þe veſſels of his hous ben brouȝt to byfore þee, and þou, and þi beſt men, and þi wyues, and þi concubynes han drunke wijne in hem; and þou heriediſt goddis of ſyluer, and of gold, and of braſſe, and of yren, and of tree, and of ſtoon, whiche ſeen not, neþer heeren, neþer feelen; forſoþe þou glorifiediſt not God, þat haþ þi wynd, or ſpirit, in his hond, and alle þi weies. Þerfore fro hym þe fyngre of an hond is ſente, whiche wrote þis þing þat is writen. Forſoþe þis is þe wrytyng þat is ordeyned, Mane, Techel, Phares.

And þis interpretacioun of þe word. Mane, God haþ noumbride þi rewme, and fulfillid it; Techel, it is hangid in a balaunce, and is founden hauynge leſſe; Phares, þi kyngdam is departid, and is ȝouen to Medis and to Perſis. Þanne, þe kyng comaundynge, Danyel is cloþid wiþ purpre, and a gold bee is ȝouen aboute in his nek; and it is prechid of hym, þat he hadde power, he þe þrid in his rewme. Þe ſame niȝt Balþaſar, kyng Caldey, is ſlayn; and Darius of Mede was ſucceſſour in þe rewme, hauynge two and ſixti ȝeeris.