Daniel 7
1 In the firste yeer of Balthasar, kyng of Babiloyne, Danyel siy a sweuene. Forsothe he wroot the visioun of his hed in his bed, and the dreem, and comprehendide in schort word; and he touchide schortli the sentence,
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions in his mind on his bed. Then he wrote the dream and told the summary of it.
2 and seide, Y siy in my visioun in niyt, and lo! foure wyndis of heuene fouyten in the myddis of the greet see.
Daniel spoke and said, "I saw in my vision by night, and, look, the four winds of the sky broke forth on the great sea.
3 And foure grete beestis dyuerse bitwixe hem silf stieden fro the see.
Four great animals came up from the sea, different from one another.
4 The firste beeste was as a lionesse, and hadde wyngis of an egle. Y bihelde til the wyngis therof weren pullid awei, and it was takun awei fro erthe, and it stood as a man on the feet, and the herte therof was youun to it.
The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings. I saw until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand on two feet as a man; and a man's mind was given to it.
5 And lo! another beeste, lijk a bere in parti, stood, and thre ordris weren in the mouth therof, and thre princes in the teeth therof. And thus thei seiden to it, Rise thou, ete thou ful many fleischis.
And look, another animal, a second one, like a bear; and it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth. And they said this to it, 'Arise, devour much flesh.'
6 Aftir these thingis Y bihelde, and lo! anothir beeste as a pard, and it hadde on it silf foure wyngis of a brid, and foure heedis weren in the beeste, and power was youun to it.
After this I saw, and look, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The animal also had four heads; and dominion was given to it.
7 Aftir these thingis Y bihelde in the visioun of niyt, and lo! the fourthe beeste, ferdful, and wondirful, and ful strong. It hadde grete irun teeth, and it ete, and made lesse, and defoulide with hise feet othere thingis; forsothe it was vnlijk othere beestis, which Y hadde seyn bifore it, and it hadde ten hornes.
After this I saw in the night visions, and look, a fourth animal, awesome and powerful, and extremely strong. And it had great iron teeth. It devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped what was left with its feet. And it was diverse from all the animals that were before it; and it had ten horns.
8 Y bihelde the hornes, and lo! an other litil horn cam forth of the myddis of tho, and thre of the firste hornes weren drawun out fro the face therof; and lo! iyen as iyen of a man weren in this horn, and a mouth spekynge grete thingis.
I considered the horns, and look, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And look, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking arrogant things.
9 Y bihelde, til that trones weren set, and the elde of daies sat; his cloth was whijt as snow, and the heeris of his heed weren as cleene wolle, his trone was as flawmes of fier, hise wheelis weren fier kyndlid.
I saw until thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool. His throne was fiery flames, and its wheels burning fire.
10 A flood of fier and rennynge faste yede out fro his face, a thousynde thousynde mynistriden to hym, and ten sithis a thousynde sithis an hundrid thousynde stoden niy hym; the dom sat, and bookis weren opened.
A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him. Thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.
11 Y bihelde for the vois of grete wordis whiche thilke horn spak; and Y siy that the beeste was slayn, and his bodi was perischid, and was youun to be brent in fier.
I saw at that time because of the voice of the arrogant words which the horn spoke. I was watching until the animal was killed and its body destroyed and was given to be burned with fire.
12 And Y siy that the power of othere beestis was takun awei, and the tymes of lijf weren ordeyned to hem, til to tyme and tyme.
As for the rest of the animals, their dominion was taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
13 Therfor Y bihelde in the visyoun of niyt, and lo! as a sone of man cam with the cloudis of heuene; and he cam fulli til to the elde of daies, and in the siyt of hym thei offriden hym.
I saw in the night visions, and look, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And he yaf to hym power, and onour, and rewme, and alle the puplis, lynagis, and langagis schulen serue hym; his power is euerlastynge power, that schal not be takun awei, and his rewme, that schal not be corrupt.
There was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
15 My spirit hadde orrour, ether hidousnesse; Y, Danyel, was aferd in these thingis, and the siytis of myn heed disturbliden me.
As for me, Daniel, my spirit was grieved in the midst of my body, and the visions of my mind troubled me.
16 Y neiyede to oon of the stonderis niy, and Y axide of hym the treuthe of alle these thingis. And he seide to me the interpretyng of wordis, and he tauyte me.
I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the true meaning concerning all this. So he told me, and revealed to me the interpretation of these things.
17 These foure grete beestis ben foure rewmes, that schulen rise of erthe.
These great animals, which are four, are four kings, who shall arise out of the earth.
18 Forsothe hooli men schulen take the rewme of hiyeste God, and thei schulen holde the rewme, til in to the world, and `til in to the world of worldis.
But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.
19 Aftir these thingis Y wolde lerne diligentli of the fourthe beeste, that was greetli vnlijk fro alle, and was ful ferdful, the teeth and nailis therof weren of irun; it eet, and made lesse, and defoulide with hise feet othere thingis.
Then I desired to know the true meaning concerning the fourth animal, which was different from all of them, exceedingly terrible, whose teeth were of iron, and its claws of bronze; which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped what was left with its feet.
20 And of ten hornes whiche it hadde in the heed, and of the tother horn, that cam forth, bifore which thre hornes fellen doun, and of that horn that hadde iyen, and a mouth spekynge grete thingis, and was grettere than othere;
And concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three fell, even that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spoke arrogant things, whose look was larger than the others.
21 I bihelde, and lo! thilke horn made batel ayens hooli men, and hadde maistrie of hem,
I saw, and the same horn made war with the holy ones, and prevailed against them,
22 til the elde of daies cam, and hiy God yaf doom to hooli men; and lo! tyme cam, and hooli men goten rewme.
until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the holy ones of the Most High, and the time came that the holy ones possessed the kingdom.
23 And he seide thus, The fourthe beeste schal be the fourthe rewme in erthe, that schal be more than alle rewmes, and it schal deuoure al erthe, and it schal defoule, and make lesse that erthe.
This he said, 'The fourth animal shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 Forsothe ten hornes schulen be ten kyngis of that rewme; and another kyng schal rise after hem, and he schal be miytiere than the formere, and he schal make low thre kyngis.
As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom shall ten kings arise, and another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the former, and he shall put down three kings.
25 And he schal speke wordis ayens the hiy God, and he schal defoule the seyntis of the hiyeste; and he schal gesse, that he mai chaunge tymes and lawis; and thei schulen be youun in to his hondis, til to tyme, and times, and the half of tyme.
He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall oppress the holy ones of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given over to him until a time and times and half a time.
26 And doom schal sitte, that the power be takun awei, and be al to-brokun, and perische til in to the ende.
And the court shall sit in judgment, and they shall take away his dominion, consumed and completely destroyed forever.
27 Sotheli that the rewme, and power, and the greetnesse of rewme, which is vndur ech heuene, be youun to the puple of the seintis of the hiyeste, whos rewme is euerlastynge rewme, and alle kingis schulen serue, and obeie to hym.
The kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.'
28 Hidur to is the ende of the word. Y, Danyel, was disturblid myche in my thouytis, and my face was chaungid in me; forsothe Y kepte the word in myn herte.
Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts troubled me greatly, and my face turned pale. I kept the matter to myself."
