1   Forsothe fro the first &yogh;eer of Darius of Mede Y stode, that he shulde be coumfortid, and strengthid. 2   And now Y shal telle to thee trewthe. And loo! three kyngus shuln stonde in Persis, and the fourthe shal be maad riche with ful manye richessis ouer alle men. And whanne he shal be stronge in his richessis, he shal stire to gydre alle men a&yogh;einus the rewme of Grece. 3   Forsothe a stronge kyng shal rijse, and shal lordshipe

with myche power, and that, that shal plese to hym, shal do. 4   And whanne he shal stonde, his rewme shal be broken, and shal be departid in to foure wyndis of heuen, bot not in to his folewers of bloode, nether after his power, in whiche he lordshipide; the rewme of hym shal be departid, and in to alyens, out taken these. 5   And the kyng of southe shal be coumfortide; and of the princis of hym ther shal be strengthe ouer hym, and shal be lord in lordship; forsothe his lordshipyng myche. 6   And after the eende of &yogh;eeris thei shuln be knyt in pees; and the dou&yogh;ter of kyng of south shal cume to the kyng of the north, for to make frenship. And she shal not haue strengthe of arm, nether hir seed shal stonde; and she shal be bitaken, and hir &yogh;unge men that ledden hir to, and thei that coumfortiden hir in tymes. 7   And a plauntyng shal stonde of the buriownyng of hir rootis; and he shal cum with an oost, and shal entre the prouynce of the kyng of the north, and he shal mysuse hem, and shal weelde the goddis of hem, 8   and grauen thingus. And he shal lede the precious vessels of gold and syluer caitif, or taken in bataile, in to Egipt. He shal haue victorie a&yogh;einus the kyng of the north; 9   and the kyng of the south shal entre in to the kyngdam, and shal turne a&yogh;ein `in to his lond. 10   Forsothe the sonys of hym shuln be stirid to wrath, and thei shuln gadre the multitude of ful manye oostis. And he shal cum hi&yogh;inge and flowynge, and he shal turne a&yogh;ein, and shal be stirid, and go to gydre with strengthe of hym. 11   And the kyng of the south terrid to wrath, shal go out, and fi&yogh;te a&yogh;einus the kyng of the north, and shal make redy a ful grete multitude; and multitude shal be &yogh;ouen in the hond of hym. 12   And he shal take multitude, and the horn of hym shal be enhaunsid; and he shal cast doun many thousandis, bot

he shal not haue victorie. 13   The kyng of the north shal be conuertid, and shal make redy a multitude, miche more than byfore; and in the eende of tymes and &yogh;eeris he shal cum hi&yogh;inge with the most oost, and ful many richessis. 14   And in tho tymes many shuln ryse to gydre a&yogh;einus the kyng of south; and sones of trespassours of thi peple shuln be enhaunsid, that thei fulfille the visioun, and shuln falle to gydre. 15   And the kyng of the north shal cum, and shal bere to gydre hepis of erthe, and shal take strengist cytees; and the armys of the south shuln not susteyne. And the chosen of hym shuln ryse to gydre, for to withstonde, and strengthe shal not be. 16   And he cummynge `vp on hym, shal do vp his likyng; and ther shal not be, whiche shal stonde a&yogh;einus his face. And he shal stonde in the noble lond, and it shal be waastid in hond of hym. 17   And he shal putte his face, that he cum for to holde al the rewme of hym, and he shal do ri&yogh;t thingus with hym. And he shal &yogh;eue to hym the dou&yogh;tre of wymmen, that she turne hym vpsadoun; and it shal not stonde, nether shal be his. 18   And he shal turne his face to ylis, and shal take manye. And he shal make prince for to cese, and the shendship of hym shal be turned in to hym. 19   And he shal turne his face to the empire of his lond, and he shal hurtle, and shal falle, and shal not be founden. 20   And the foulist and vnworthi to kyngis fairnesse shal stonde in place of hym, and in fewe days he shal be broken to gydre, not in wodenesse, nether in batel. 21   And a dispisid man shal stonde in his place, and kyngus honour shal not be &yogh;ouen to hym; and he shal cum priuely, and shal weelde the rewme in fraude doynge. 22   And armys of the fi&yogh;tynge shuln be ouercummen of his face, and shuln be broken to gydre, more ouer and the duyke of pees. 23   And aftir

frendship with hym, he shal do gyle. And he shal sti&yogh;e vp, and ouercume litil peple; 24   and he shal entre plenteuous and grete citees, and shal do whiche thingis the fadris of hym diden not, and fadris of fadris of hym. He shal scatere raueyns, and prayes, and ricchessis of hem, and he shal bygynne, or go yn, counseile a&yogh;einus saddist thou&yogh;tis, and this thing vn to tyme. 25   And the strengthe of hym shal be stirid, and the herte of hym, a&yogh;einus the kyng of south in grete oost. And the kyng of south shal be terrid to bateil with manye helpis, and stronge ful myche; and thei shuln not stonde, for thei shuln go in to counseilis a&yogh;einus hym. 26   And thei etynge breede with hym shuln breke hym to gydre; and his oost shal be oppressid, and his slayn men ful manye shuln falle. 27   And the herte of two kyngus shal be, that thei do yuel, and at oo bord thei shuln speke lesyng, and thei shul not profite; for &yogh;it the eende in to other tyme. 28   And he shal turne a&yogh;ein to his lond with manye ricchessis, and his herte a&yogh;einus the holy testament, and he shal do, and shal turne a&yogh;ein `in to his lond. 29   In tyme ordeynyd he shal cum a&yogh;ein, and shal cum to the south, and the last shal not be lijc to the former. 30   And grete shippis, and Romayns, shal cum vpon hym, and he shal be smyten. And he shal turne a&yogh;ein, and be wrothe a&yogh;einus the testament of the sayntuarie, and shal do. And he shal turne a&yogh;ein, and shal thinke a&yogh;einus hem that forsoken the testament of sayntuarye. 31   And the armes of hym shuln stonde, and shuln defoule the sayntuarie of strengthe, and shuln take awey the contynuel sacrifice, and shuln &yogh;eue abominacioun in to desolacioun. 32   And vnpitous men shuln feyne gylfuly a testament; forsothe the peple witynge her God shal weelde, and do. 33   And tau&yogh;t men in peple shuln teche ful

manye, and shuln falle in swerd, and in flawme, and in caitiftee, and in to rauyn of days. 34   And whanne thei shuln falle to gidre, thei shuln be reysid vp with litil help; and ful many shuln be applied, or putt to, to hem gylfully. 35   And of lerned men shuln falle, that thei be wellyd to gydre, and be chosen, and be maad whijt unto the tyme determynyd; for &yogh;it an other tyme shal be. 36   And the kyng shal do after his wille, and shal be reysid vp, and magnyfied a&yogh;einus eche god, and a&yogh;eines God of goddis he shal speke great thingus; and he shal be dressid, til wrath be fulfillid. Forsothe diffinicioun, or dome, is fully don. 37   And he shal not rette the God of his fadris, and he shal be in coueityngis of wymmen, nether he shal recke eny of goddis, for a&yogh;einus alle thingus he shal ryse to gydre. 38   Forsothe he shal wirshipe god of Maosym in his place, and he shal honoure god, whom his fadris knewen not, in gold, and syluer, and precious stoon, and precious thingus. 39   And he shal do that he make stronge Maosym, with an alien god whom he knewe not. And he shal multiplie glorie, and shal &yogh;eue to hem power in many thingus, and he shal departe erth at his wille. 40   And in tyme sett the kyng of south shal fi&yogh;t a&yogh;einus

hym, and the kyng of the north as a tempest shal cum a&yogh;einus hym, in chaaris, and horsmen, and grete nauee. 41   And he shal entre londis, and shal breke to gydre; and shal passe by, and shal entre in to glorious lond, and many shuln falle. Forsothe these aloone shuln be saued fro the hond of hym, Edom, and Moab, and of the princis of the sonys of Amon. 42   And he shal sende his hond in to londis, and the lond of Egypt shal not scape. 43   And he shal be lord of tresours of gold, and syluer, and in alle precious thingis of Egypt; and he shal passe by Libie and Ethiopie. 44   And fame shal truble hym fro eest and north; and he shal cum in grete multitude, for to breke to gydre, and slea ful manye. 45   And he shal sette his tabernacle fro Feduo, bitwixe seese, vpon a noble hille and holy; and he shal cum vnto the hee&yogh; therof, and no man shal help hym.

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