Daniel · Chapter 14

[ edit] And kyng Aſtriages is putt to his fadris, and Cyrus of Perſe reſceyuyde þe kyngdam of hym. Forſoþe Danyel was meete feere of þe kyng, and honoured aboue alle þe freendis of hym. And an ydol, Bel by name, was anentis men of Babyloyne, and þere weren ſpendid in it by alle days twelue meſuris artabis, and oon conteyneþ þree buſſhels of floure, and fourty ſheep, and of wijn ſixe amphoris. And þe kyng wirſhipide hym, and wente by alle days for to honoure it; forſoþe Danyel honourede his God. And þe kyng ſaide to hym, Whi honoureſt þou not Bel?

Whiche anſwerynge ſaiþ to hym, For Y wirſhipe not ydolis maad by hond, bot lyuyng God, þat made of nouȝt heuen and erþe, and haþ power of eche fleſhe. And þe kyng ſaide to hym, Wher Bel is not ſeen to þee a lyuynge God? wheþer þou ſeeſt not, hou many þingus he etiþ and drynkiþ eche day? And Danyel leiȝinge ſaiþ, Kyng, erre þou not; þis is wiþynforþ of cley, and wiþ outforþ of braſſe, neþir etiþ eny tyme, neþer drynkyþ. And þe kyng wroþ clepide þe preſtis of hym, and ſaide to hem, No bot ȝe ſhuln ſaye to me, who etiþ þeſe ȝiftis, ȝe ſhuln dye. Forſoþe ȝif ȝe ſhuln ſhewe for Bel etiþ þeſe, Danyel ſhal dye, for he blasfemyde Bel. And Danyel ſayde to þe kyng, Be it don vp þi word.

Forſoþe þere weren of Bel ſeuenty preſtis, oute taken wijues, and litil children, and ſonys. And þe kyng wiþ Danyel came into þe temple of Bel. And preſtis of Bel ſaiden, Loo! we ſhuln go out, and þou, kyng, putte metis, and meynge wyne, and ſhitte þe dore, and ſeale wiþ þi ryng. And whan þou ſhalt cum yn erly, no bot þou ſhalt fynde alle þingus eten of Bel, by deþ we ſhuln dye, or Danyel, þat leeȝide aȝeinus vs. Forſoþe þei diſpiſiden, for þei hadden maad an hid entryng vndir þe bord, and þerby þei entriden euermore, and deuoureden þo þingus.

Forſoþe it is don, after þat þey wenten out, and þe kyng puttide metis byfore Bel, Danyel comaundide his children, and þei brouȝten to aſhe, and by al þe temple he ridlide byfore þe kyng. And þei gon out cloſiden þe dore, and ſealynge wiþ ryng of þe kyng wenten awey. Soþely þe preſtis wenten yn in nyȝt, after her cuſtome, and wijues, and ſonys of hem, and eeten alle þe þingus, and drunken. Soþeli þe kyng rooſe in þe heeiȝiſt ſpring of day, and Danyel wiþ hym. And þe kyng ſaiþ, Danyel, wher þe ſealis ben ſaaf? Whiche anſweride, Kyng, ſaaf. And anoon whan þei hadden opnyd þe dore, þe kyng byhelde þe bord, and he criede wiþ grete voyce, Grete art þou, Bel, and no gyle is anentys þee.

And Danyel leiȝide, and he heelde þe kyng, leſt he entride wiþ ynforþ; and ſaide, Loo! þe pament, perceyue whos ſteppis þeſe ben. And þe kyng ſaide, Y ſee ſteppis of men, and wymmen, and ȝunge children. And þe kyng is wroþ. Þanne þe kyng cauȝte þe preſtis, and wijues, and ſones of hem; and þei ſhewiden to hym ſmale doris hid, by whom þei entriden, and waſtiden what þingus weren on þe bord. Þerfore þe kyng ſlewȝ hem, and bytoke Bel in to power of Danyel, whiche diſtruyide hym and his temple. And a grete dragoun was in þat place, and men of Babyloyne wirſhipiden hym. And þe kyng ſaide to Danyel, Loo! now þou maiſt not ſaye, þat þis is not god lyuynge; þerfore wirſhipe hym.

And Danyel ſaide to þe kyng, Y wirſhipe þe Lord my God, for he is lyuynge God; þis is not god lyuynge. Þou forſoþe, kyng, ȝeue to me power, þat Y ſlea þe dragoun, wiþ oute ſwerd and ſtaff. And þe kyng ſaiþ, Y ȝeue to þee. Þerfore Danyel toke picche, and fatneſſe, and heris, and ſeeþide to gydre; and he made gobettis, and ȝaue in to mouþe of þe dragoun, and þe dragoun is borſtun. And Danyel ſayde, Loo! whom ȝe wirſhipiden. Whiche þing whanne men of Babyloyne herden, þei hadden indignacioun gretely; and þei ben gadrid aȝeinus þe kyng, and ſayden, Þe kyng is maad a Jewe; he diſtruyede Bel, and ſlewȝ þe dragoun, and killide preſtis.

And þei ſaiden, whanne þei camen to þe kyng, Ȝeue to vs Danyel, þat diſtruyede Bel, and ſlewȝ þe dragoun; ellis we ſhuln ſlea þee, and þin hous. Þerfore þe king ſawȝ, þat þei fellen in to hym gretely; and by neede he conſtreyned ȝaue to hem Danyel. Whiche ſenten hym in to þe lake of lyouns, and he was þere ſeuen days. Forſoþe in þe lake weren ſeuen lyouns, and eche day two bodyes and two ſheep weren ȝouen to hem. And þanne þei weren not ȝouen to hem, þat þei ſhulde deuoure Danyel. Forſoþe Abacuc was a prophete in Judee, and he hadde ſoþen potage, and hadde ſette yn looues in a litil veſſel, and wente in to þe feeld, for to bere to repers.

And an aungel of þe Lord ſaide to Abakuc, Bere þou þe mete, þat þou haſt, in to Babyloyne, to Danyel, þat is in þe lake of lyouns. And Abakuc ſaide, Lord, I ſawȝ not Babyloyne, and I knewe not þe lake. And þe angel of þe Lord toke hym in þe poll of hym, and bare hym in an her of his hed, and putte hym in to Babyloyne, on þe lake, in bir of his ſpirit. And Abakuc criede, ſayinge, Danyel, ſeruaunt of God, take þou þe mete, þat God ſente to þee. And Danyel ſaiþ, Lord God, þou haſt mynde of me, and forſakiſt not men loouynge þee. And Danyel ryſynge eet; forſoþe þe aungel of þe Lord reſtoride anoon Abakuc in his place.

Þerfore þe kyng cam in þe ſeuenþe day for to weile Danyel; and he came to þe lake, and lookide wiþ ynne, and loo! Danyel ſittynge in þe mydil of lyouns. And þe kyng criede wiþ grete voice, ſaiynge, Grete art þou, Lord God of Danyel; and drouȝ out him of þe lake. Forſoþ he ſente yn in to þe lake hem, þat weren cauſe of his perdicioun, and þei ben deuoured in a moment byfore hym. Þann þe kyng ſaiþ, Men dwellynge in al erþe, dreede þe God of Danyel; for he is deliuerer, and ſauere, doynge ſygnes and merueyles in heuen and in erþe, þat delyuerede Danyel of þe lake of lyouns. Here endeþe þe boke of Daniel, and here bigynneþ Oſee.