Daniel · Chapter 8

[ edit] In þe þrid ȝeer of rewme of Balþaſar, kyng, a vyſioun apeeride to me. Y, Danyel, after þat þing whiche Y hadde ſeen in þe bygynnyng, ſawȝ in my viſioun, whan I was in þe caſtel Suſis, whiche is in þe cuntre of Helam; forſoþe I ſawȝ in viſioun me for to be vpon þe ȝate Vlay. And Y rayſide myn eeȝen, and ſawȝ; and loo! oo weþer ſtode byfore þe mareis, hauynge heeȝ horns, and oon heeȝer þan an oþer, and vndrewexinge. Afterward Y ſawe þe weþer wiþ hornys wyndowynge, or caſtynge doun, aȝeinus þe eeſt, and aȝeinus þe weſt, and aȝeinus þe norþ, and aȝeinus þe ſouþ; and alle beeſtis miȝten not aȝein ſtonde it, neþer be delyuerd fro þe hondis þerof. And he dide vp his wille, and is magnyfied.

And I vndirſtode. Lo! forſoþe a buk of geet came fro þe weſt vpon þe face of al erþe, and touchide not þe erþe; forſoþe þe buk hadde a noble horn bitwixe his eeȝen; and came vnto þe ylk weþer horned, whiche Y ſawȝ ſtondynge byfore þe ȝate, and he ran to hym in bir of his ſtrengþe. And whenn he neiȝede niȝ þe weþer, he dide crueli in to hym, and he ſmote þe weþer, and he brake to gidre two hornys of hym, and þe weþer miȝte not wiþſtonde hym. And when he ſente hym in to þe erþe, he defoulide hym; and no man miȝte delyuere þe weþer of his hond.

Forſoþe þe buk of geet is maad grete ful miche; and whan he hadde waxen, þe grete horn is broſten, and foure horns ben brouȝt forþ vndir it, bi foure wyndis of heuen. Eftſoone forſoþe of hem oo litil horne wente out, and it is maad grete aȝeinus þe ſouþ, and aȝeinus þe eeſt, and aȝeinus ſtrengþe. And it is magnyfied vnto þe ſtrengþe of heuen, and caſtide doun of ſtrengþe and of ſterris, and defoulide hem. And vnto þe prince of ſtrengþe he is magnyfied, and fro hym he toke þe contynuel ſacrifice, and caſtide doun þe place of halewyng of hym.

Forſoþe ſtrengþe is ȝouen to hym aȝeinus þe contynuel ſacrifice for ſynnes, and trewþe ſhal be caſt doun in erþe; and he ſhal haue proſperite, and ſhal do. And Y herde oon of þe ſaintus ſpekynge; and oo ſaynt ſaide to an oþer, Y noote to whom ſpekynge, Hou longe deuyſioun, and þe contynuel ſacrifice, and ſynne of deſolacioun, or diſcoumfort, þat is maad, and ſayntuarie, and ſtrengþe ſhal be defoulid? And he ſaide to hym, Vnto euenyng and morewnynge, days two þouſand and þree hundred; and þe ſayntuarie ſhal be clenſid. Forſoþe it is don, when Y, Danyel, ſawe þe viſioun, and ſouȝte vndirſtondyng, loo! þere ſtode in my ſiȝt as þe fourme of man.

And Y herde a voice of þe man bytwixe Vlay, and he criede, and ſaiþ, Gabriel, make þou þis for to vndirſtonde þe viſioun. And he came, and ſtode byſidis wher Y ſtode; and when he came, Y dreedynge felle doun in to my face. And he ſaiþ to me, Vndirſtonde þou, ſone of man, for in þe tyme of eende diuiſioun ſhal be fulfillid. And when he ſpac to me, Y ſlode to gydre doun riȝt in to þe erþe. And he touchide me, and ſette me in my degree. And he ſaide to me, Y ſhal ſhewe to þee what þingis ben to cummynge in þe laſt of curſidneſſe, for tyme haþ his eende. Þe weþer, or ram, whom þou haſt ſeen for to haue hornys, is þe kyng of Medis and Perſis.

Forſoþe þe geet buk is þe king of Grekis; and þe grete horn þat was bitwix his eeȝen, is þe firſt kyng. Forſoþe þat, it broken, foure han ryſen for it, foure kyngus ſhuln to gydre ryſe of þat folc, bot not in þe ſtrengþe of hym. And after þe rewme of hem, whenn wickidneſſes ſhuln wexe, þere ſhal ryſe a king vnſhamfaſt in face, and vndirſtondynge propoſiciouns, or reſouns; and his ſtrengþe ſhal be maad miȝty, bot not in his own ſtrengþis. And ouer þat it may be byleeued he ſhal waſte alle þingus, and ſhal haue proſperite, and ſhal do. And he ſhal ſlea ſtronge men, and þe peple of ſayntus, after his wille, and gyle ſhal be dreſſid in his hond.

And he ſhal magnyfie his hert, and in plente of alle þingus he ſhal ſlea ful manye. And he ſhal ryſe to gydre aȝeins þe prince of princis, and wiþ outen hond he ſhal be broken to gydre. And þe viſioun, þat is ſaid in euening and morewnyng, is trewe. Þerefore ſeale þou, or marke, þe viſyoun, for after manye days it ſhal be. And Y, Danyel, languyſhide, and was ſeeke by ful manye days; and when Y roos, Y dide þe werkis of þe kyng; and I wondride at þe viſioun, and þer was not whiche ſhulde interprete, or expoun.