Daniel · Chapter 7

[ edit] In þe firſt ȝeer of Balþaſar, kyng of Babyloyne, Danyel ſawȝ a ſweuen. Forſoþe þe viſioun of his hed in his couche, and ſweuen, he wrytynge comprehendide in ſhort word; and in ſum, or litil wordis, touchynge ſaiþ, Y ſawȝ in my viſioun by niȝt, and loo! foure wyndis of heuen fouȝten in þe mydil ſee. And foure greet beeſtis ſtieden vp of þe ſe, dyuerſe bytwixe hem ſelf. Þe firſt as a lyoneſſe, and hadde weengis of an egle. Y byheelde til hir weengis weren drawen of, and ſhe is taken vp of þe erþe, and ſhe ſtode on þe feet as a man, and þe herte of it is ȝouen to it.

And loo! an oþer beeſt, lijc to a bere in party, ſtode, and þree ordris weren in mouþ þerof, and in teeþ þerof þree princis. And þus þei ſaiden to it, Ryſe þou, ete ful manye fleſhis. After þeſe þingus Y byheelde, and loo! an oþer as a pard, and hadde vp on it foure weengis of a bridd on it, and foure hedis weren in þe beeſt, and power is ȝouen to it. After þeſe þingus Y byheelde in a viſioun of niȝt, and loo! þe fourþe beeſt, dreedful, and wonderful, and ful ſtronge. It hadde greet yren teeþ, etynge and brekynge to gydre, and defoulynge oþer þingus wiþ his feet; forſoþe it was vnlijc to oþer beeſtis, whiche Y ſawȝ byfore it, and it hadde ten hornys.

Y biheelde þe hornys, and loo! an oþer litil horn is ſprungen vp of þe mydil of hem, and þree of þe firſt horns ben drawen out fro þe face þerof; and loo! eeȝen as eeȝen of a man weren in þis horn, and a mouþ ſpekynge greet þingus. Y byhelde, til trones weren ſette, and þe olde of days ſat; his cloþinge white as ſnowe, and þe heris of his hed as cleen wolle, his trone of flawme of fijr, þe whelis of hym fijr tendid. A flode of fijr and faſt rennynge wente out fro his face, a þouſand of þouſandis myniſtriden to hym, and ten þouſand ſiþis an hundred þouſand ſtoden niȝ to hym; þe dom ſate, and bokis ben opnyd.

Y byheelde for þe voice of grete wordis, whiche þe ylk horn ſpake; and I ſawȝ, for þe beeſt was ſlayn, and þe body þerof peryſhide, and was bytaken for to be brent in fijr. And þe power of oþer beeſtus was taken awey, and tymes of lijf ben ordeynyd to hem, vn to tyme and tyme. Þerfore Y byhelde in viſioun of niȝt, and loo! wiþ cloudis of heuen as þe ſone of man came; and vnto þe olde of days he came fully, and in his ſiȝt þei offreden hym. And he ȝaue to hym power, and honour, and rewme, and eche peple, lynagis, and tungis ſhuln ſerue to hym; þe power of hym euerlaſtinge power, whiche ſhal not be don awey, and þe rewme of hym, whiche ſhal not be corrupte, or diſtruyed.

My ſpirit hidouſide; Y, Danyel, was ferd in þeſe, and þe viſiouns of my heed to gidre trubliden me. Y came to oon of þe niȝ ſtondynge, and Y axide of hym trewþe of alle þeſe þingus. Whiche ſaide to me interpretacioun of wordis, and tauȝte me. Þeſe foure greet beeſtis ben foure rewmes, þat ſhuln ryſe to gydre of þe erþe. Forſoþe þei ſhuln reſceyue þe rewme of God heeȝiſt holy, and þei ſhuln holde þe rewme, til into þe world, and in to world of worldis. After þeſe þingus Y wolde diligently lerne of þe fourþe beeſt, þat was gretely vnlijc fro alle, and dreedful ful myche, þe teeþ and naylis þerof of yren; it eete, and brake to gydre, and defoulide þe toþir þingus wiþ his feet.

And of ten hornes whiche it hadde in þe hed, and of þe toþer þat was ſprungen vp, bifore whiche þree hornes fellen doun, and of þat horne þat hadde eeȝen, and mouþe ſpekinge grete þingis, and was more þan oþer; Y byheelde, and loo! þe ylk horn made bataile aȝein ſaintis, and hadde power ouer hem, til þe olde of dais came, and ȝaue dome to ſaintis hiȝe; and loo! tyme came, and ſaintis weldiden rewme. And þus he ſaiþ, Þe fourþe beeſt ſhal be þe fourþe rewme in erþe, þat ſhal be more þan alle rewmes, and ſhal deuouren al erþe, and ſhal defoule, and to gydre breke it.

Forſoþe ten horns of þat kyngdam ſhuln be ten kyngus; and an oþer ſhal rijſe after hem, and he ſhal be miȝtier þan þe former, and ſhal meeke þree kyngus. And he ſhal ſpeke wordis aȝeinus þe heeȝ, and he ſhal breke to gidre þe ſaintis of þe heeȝiſt; and he ſhal wene, þat he may chaunge tymes and lawis; and it ſhal be ȝouen in to þe hondis of hym, vn to tyme, and tymes, and þe half of tyme. And dom ſhal ſitte, þat power be taken awey, and be broken to gydre, and periſhe til into þe eende.

Þe rewme forſoþe, and power, and þe greteneſſe of rewme, whiche is vndre al heuen, be ȝouen to þe peple of halewis of þe heeȝiſt, whoſe rewme is euerlaſtinge rewme, and alle folkis ſhuln ſerue to hym, and obeye. Til hidre þe eende of þe word. Y, Danyel, in my þouȝtis was miche trublid, and my face is chaungid in me; forſoþe Y kepte to gidre þe word in my hert.