Daniel of the tribe ^note of Iuda, & ^note royal bloud, about the age of tenne yeares, was caried into Babylon with other children for hostage, when Nabuchodonosor inuaded the kingdom of Iuda, in ^note the third yeare of king Ioakim. ^note His whole life (in al about an hundred and tenne yeares) was most pious, with such zele of Gods honour, and common good of his countrie, that he was called by an Angel, ^note vir desiderior&ubar;, the man of (godlie) desires: ^note whom also Ezechiel, elder in yeares, prophecying part of the same time, ioyned with Noe and Iob for example of holie men; recounting him also the most renowmed of his time for wisdom. ^{note note} VVhose loyal fidelitie towards the king of Babylon, was so clere, that his malignant enimies said expresly of him: ^note We shal not find against this Daniel, anie occasion, vnles perhaps in the law of his God. His booke as wel in respect of various important narrations of thinges done: as of most hiegh diuine Mysteries is very excellent: but withal very obscure, for that manie thinges here inserted, seme hardly to agree with other authentical histories; some thinges also are intricate in themselues; nor placed in order of time as they happened; and manie thinges so briefly related, that they can not be vnderstood, without the knowlege of prophane histories. ^note As S. Ierom affirmeth Epist. 103. ^note But as for an other difficultie which some make, denying the Prayer of Azarias, with the Hymne folowing, & the histories of Susanna, Bel, and the Dragon, to be Canonical Scripture, it is partly solued already, in the Annotations before the Booke of Tobie: where is shewed, that it is no iust exception against these, and other partes of holie Scripture of the old Testament, because they are not in the Hebrew Edition, being otherwise accepted for Canonical by the Catholique Church. And further it is very probable that these parcels were sometimes either in the Hebrew or Chaldee tongue, in which two Languages (part in one, part in the other) the rest of this booke was written. For from whence els could the Septuagint Interpreters, Theodotion, Symmachus, and Aquila translate them? In whose Editions S. Ierom found the same. ^note But S. Ierom, some wil say, calleth these histories fables, and so did not account them Canonical Scripture. ^noteFirst we answer, that he reporting the Iewes opinion vseth their termes, not explicating his owne iudgement, intending only to deliuer sincerely that which he found in the Hebrew: Yet would he not omite to insert the rest, aduertising withal that he had it in Theodotions translation. which answer is clerly iustified by his owne testimonie (li. 2. c. 9. aduersus Ruffinum) in these

wordes: wheras I relate (sayth he) what the Hebrewes say against the historie of Susanna, and the Hymne of the three children, he that for this reputeth me a foole, proueth himself a sycophant. For I did not explicate what myself iudged, but what they are wont to say against me. ^noteSecondly we answer, that if S. Ierom did not thinke these partes to be Canonical, yet seing so manie other ancient Fathers, and now the whole Church hold them for Canonical, we so beleue them to be. For albeit the ancient Councels, and others that recite catalogues of holie Scriptures, do not expresly say, as the councel of Trent lastly doth (Sess. 4.) that al the partes of bookes by them recited, are Canonical; yet they do not except anie partes of this Booke: and therfore speaking indefinitly, do in dede include al, and not exclude anie parcels vsually read in the Church as these are. ^note Moreouer very manie ancient Fathers do expresly alleage these partes as Diuine Canonical Scriptures. Of manie we shal cite some.

The prayer of Azarias is alleaged as diuine Scripture by S. Cyprian, Ser. de lapsis. by holie Ephrem, li. de humilitate comparanda. ca. 9. by S. Chrysostom, ho. de tribus pueris. ^note Leontius Cyptius, apud Eutym. par. 1. Panopliœ, tit. 8. Patianus, Parenesi in Pœnitentiam. S. Augustin, Epist. 122. & li. de natura boni. c. 16. S. Fulgentius, ad Venatiam de pœnitentia. c. 16. Likewise the Hymne of the three children is alleaged by most of the same, and by diuers others. ^note As by S. Ierom himself, in c. 3. ad Galatas, & Epist. 49. de muliere septies icta: S. Ambrose, Præfat. in Psalmos; & li. 6. in Lucanum, c. 2. Concilium Toletanum, c. 13.

In like maner the historie of Susanna is cited as holie Scripture by S. Ignatius, Epist. ad Magnesianos. Tertullian, li. de corona militis. ^note S. Cyprian li. 1. Epist. ep. 8. & 40. S. Chrysostom. Ho. 1. in fine, hath a whole sermon of Susanna, as vpon holie Scripture. S. Ambrose, li. 1. de Officijs, c. 18. li. 3. c. 14. & li. 3. de Spiritu Sancto. c. 7. S. Augustin, Trast. 36. in Ioan. & Ser. 118. & 242.

Finally the histories of Bel, and of the Dragon are iudged Diuine Scripture by S. Cyprian, li. 1. Ep. ep. 4. & li. 3. ep. 1. & li. 4. ep. 6. ^note S. Basil, ho. in diuites auaros. S. Athanasius, in Synopsi briefly explicating the argument of this whole booke, maketh expresse mention of the Hymne of the three children; and of the histories of Susanna, and of Bel, and the Dragon.

To conclude therfore with whom we begane, S. Ierom speaking of this whole Booke, saith: Daniel temporum conscius, & totius mundi philoistor, lapidem præcisum de monte sine manibus, & regna omnia subuertentem, claro sermone pronuntiat. ^note Daniel skilful of times, a studious historiographer, in cleare speach sheweth the stone cut out of the mountaine without handes, which ouerthroweth al kingdomes. Signifying the principal contents of this booke to be, that al other kingdomes

(namely for example sake, the foure great Monarchies, the fist of the Chaldees, the second of the Medes and Persians, the third of the Grecians, and the fourth of the Romanes) should be ouerthrowne, one after an other; and only the kingdom of Christ our Sauiour, borne of a perpetual virgin, shal be permanent for euer. ^note More particularly this Booke may be diuided into three partes. In the first six chapters especially are declared (for most part in maner of historie) certaine actes of Daniel, with the other three Hebrew children, and of the kinges of Babylon. ^note In other six chapters is more directly prophecied of Christ; and of Antichrist; of the perpetual glorie of Christs kingdom, and vtter destruction of the others; with the end of world, and general iudgement. In the two last chapters are conteyned the histories of holie Susanna; and of the idols Bel, and the Dragon. THE PROPHECIE OF DANIEL. Chap. I. ^note The king of Babylon by force entring into Ierusalem, spoyleth the temple: 6. amongst others carieth captiue Daniel, Ananias, Misael, and Azarias: 8. who abstayning from the kings meates, 15. are fayrer then other children. 17. and wiser (Daniel also vnderstanding dreames) then al the magicians of Chaldee.

1   In the third yeare of the kingdom of Ioakim king of Iuda, came Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon into Ierusalem, and besieged it. ^note

2   And our Lord deliuered into his hand Ioakim the king of Iuda, and part of the vessels of the house of God: and he caried ^notethem away into the land of Sennaar, into the house of his god, & the vessels he brought into the house of the treasure of his god.

3   And the king spake to Asphenez the gouernour of the Eunuches, that he should bring in of the children of Israel, and of the kings, & the tyrants seede,

4   children in whom was no spot, beautiful of forme, and instructed in al wisedom, cunning in knowlege, and taught in discipline, and that might stand in the kings palace, that he might teach them the learning, and the tongue of the Chaldees.

5   And the king appoynted them a certaine prouision for euerie day, of his meates, & of the wine wherof he dranke himself, that being nourished three yeares, afterward they might stand in the

kings sight.

6   There were therfore among them of the children of Iuda, Daniel, Ananias, Misael, and Azarias.

7   And the gouernour of the enuches gaue them names: to Daniel, Baltassar: to Ananias, Sidrach, to Misael, Misach: & to Azarias, Abdenago.

8   But ^note Daniel purposed in his hart, that he would not be polluted of the kings table, nor of the wine of his drinke: & he requested the gouernour of the eunuches, that he might not be contaminated.

9   And God gaue vnto Daniel grace and mercie in the sight of the prince of the eunuches.

10   And the prince of the enuches said to Daniel: I feare my Lord the king, who hath appoynted for you meate and drinke: who if he shal see your faces leaner then the other youthes your equals, you shal condemne my head to the king.

11   And Daniel sayd to Malasar whom the prince of the eunuches appoynted ouer Daniel, Ananias, Misael, and Azarias:

12    ^noteProue I besech thee, thy seruants for tenne dayes, & let ^note pulse be geuen vs to eate, & water to drinke:

13   and looke vpon our faces, and the faces of the children that eate of the kings meate: and as thou shalt see, thou shalt doe with thy sernants.

14   Who hearing that maner of speach, proued them for tenne dayes.

15   And after tenne daies their faces appeared better & more corpulent then al the children, that did eate of the kings meate.

16   Moreouer Malasar tooke away the meates, and the wine of their drinke: and he gaue them pulse.

17   And to these children God gaue knowlege, and discipline in euerie booke, and wisedom: but to Daniel the vnderstanding of al visions and dreames.

18   The dayes therfore being accomplished, after which the king had sayd, that they should be brought in; the gouernour of the eunuches brought them in the sight of Nabuchodonosor.

19   And when the king had spoken to them, there were not fond such of them al, as Daniel, Ananias, Misael, and Azarias: and they stood in the kings sight.

20   And euerie word of wisedom and vnderstanding, that the king demanded of them, he found in them more by ten fold aboue al the southsayers, & magicians, that were in al his kingdom.

21   And Daniel was euen to ^note the first yeare of Cyrus the king. Chap. II. Nabuchodonosor dreameth, and forgeteth his dreame, 4. which the magicians not able to tel, 12. are adiudged to dye. 14. But Daniel (praying with his three felowes) by reuelation, 24. telleth, 36. and interpreteth the dreame. 46. the king adoreth him confessing his God to be the onlie true God, and aduanceth him & his felowes.

1   In ^note the second yeare of the kingdom of Nabuchodonosor, Nabuchodonosor saw a dreame, and his spirit was terrified, and his dreame was fled from him.

2   But the king commanded, that the southsayers should be called together, and the magicians, and the sorcerers, and the ^note Chaldees: to declare vnto the king his dreames: who when they were come, stood before the king.

3   And the king sayd to them: I saw a dreame: & being confounded in minde I know not what I saw.

4   And the Chaldees answered the king in Syriach, King for euer liue: tel the dreame to thy seruants, and we wil declare the interpretation therof.

5   And the king answering sayd to the Chaldees. The word is departed from me: vnles you tel me the dreame, and the coniecture therof, you shal perish, and your houses shal be confiscate.

6   But if you tel the dreame, & the coniecture therof, you shal receiue of me rewards, & gifts, and much honour: the dreame therfore, and the interpretation therof tel you me.

7   They answered the second time, & sayd: Let the king tel his seruants the dreame, & we wil declare the interpretation therof.

8   The king answered, & sayd: Surely I know that you redeme time, knowing that the word is departed from me.

9   If therfore you shew me not the dreame, there is one sentence of you, that you haue also framed a guilful interpretation, and ful of deceite, to speake vnto me til the time passe away. Tel me therfore the dreame, that I may know ^note that you speake a true interpretation also therof.

10   The Chaldees therfore answering before the king, sayd: There is no man vpon the earth, that can accomplish thy word, ô king, yea neither anie king great and mighty, demandeth such a word of anie southsayer, & magician, and Chaldee.

11   For the word that thou askest, ô king, is weightie: neither shal there be found any, that can shew it in sight of the king, except the goddes, whose conuersation is not with men.

12   Which thing being heard, the king in furie, and in great wrath commanded that al the wisemen of Babylon should perish.

13   And the sentence being gone forth, wisemen were slaine: & Daniel and his felowes were sougth for, to perish.

14   Then Daniel inquired concerning the law, and the sentence, of Arioch the prince of the kings warfar, who was gone forth to kil the wisemen of Babylon.

15   And he asked him, that had receiued the powre of the king, for what cause so cruel a sentence was gone forth from the face of the king. When Arioch therfore had shewed the matter to Daniel,

16   Daniel

going in desired the king, that he would geue him a time to tel the solution to the king.

17   And he went into his house, and he told the matter vnto Ananias, & Misael, & Azarias his felowes:

18   that they should aske mercie at the face of the God of heauen vpon this sacrament, & Daniel and his felowes might not perish, with the rest of the wisemen of Babylon.

19   Then was the mysterie reueled to Daniel by a vision in the night: and Daniel blessed the God of heauen,

20   and speaking sayd: The name of our Lord be blessed from euerlasting & for euer more: because wisedom and strength are his.

21   And he changeth times, and ages: transporteth kingdoms & establisheth them: geueth wisedom to the wise, and knowlege to them that vnderstand discipline:

22   he reueleth profound, & hidden thinges, and knoweth the thinges that are done in darkenes: and light is with him.

23   To thee ô God of our fathers I confesse, and I prayse thee: because thou hast geuen me wisedom, & strength: and now thou hast shewed me the thinges that we desired of thee, because the kings word thou hast opened to vs.

24   After these thinges Daniel being entered in to Arioch, whom the king had appoynted to destroy the wisemen of Babylon, spake thus vnto him: Destroy not the wisemen of Babylon: bring me in before the presence of the king, & I wil tel the solution to the king.

25   Then Arioch in hast brought in Daniel to the king, and said to him: I haue found a man of the children of the transmigration of Iuda, that can tel the solution to the king.

26   The king answered, and said to Daniel, whose name was Baltassar: Thinkest thou in very dede thou canst tel me the dreame, that I saw, and the interpretation therof?

27   And Daniel answering before the king, sayd: The mysterie, that the king demandeth, the wisemen, the Magicians, and the southsayers, and the inchanters can not declare vnto the king.

28   But there is a God in heauen that reueleth mysteries, who hath shewed vnto thee, king Nabuchodonosor, what thinges are to come in the later times. Thy dreame, and the visions of thy head in thy bed, are these.

29    ^noteThou ô king beganst to thinke in thy bed, what should be hereafter: and he that reueleth mysteries, shewed thee what thinges are to come.

30   To me also not in the wisedom, that is in me more then in al men aliue, is this sacrament reueled: but that the interpretation might be made manifest to the king, and thou mightest know the cogitations of thy minde.

31   Thou ô king didst see, and behold ^note as

it were one great statua: that statua, great and high of stature stood ouer against thee, and the sight therof was terrible.

32    ^noteThe head of this statua was of the best gold, but the breast and the armes of siluer, moreouer the bellie, and the thighes of brasse:

33   and the legges of yron, of the feete a certaine part was of yron, and a certaine of earth.

34   Thou sawest so, til a stone was cut out of a mountaine without handes: and it stroke the statua on the yron, & earthen feete therof, & brake them in peeces.

35   Then were the yron, the clay, the brasse, the siluer, and gold broken together, and brought as it were into the dust of a summers floore, that are taken violently with the winde: and there was no place found for them: but the stone that stroke the statua, was made a great mountaine, and it filled al the earth.

36   This is the dreame: the interpretation also therof we wil tel before thee, ô king.

37   Thou art the king of kings: and the God of heauen hath geuen thee kingdom, and strength, and empire, and glorie:

38   and al thinges, wherin the children of men, and the beasts of the filde doe inhabite, the foules also of the heauen he hath geuen in thy hand, and vnder thy dominion he hath appoynted al thinges: thou therfore art the golden head.

39   And after thee shal ryse vp an other kingdom lesse then thou of siluer: and an other third kingdom of brasse, which shal rule ouer al the world.

40   And the fourth kingdom shal be as it were yron. As yron breaketh into peeces, & tameth al thinges, so shal that breake, and destroy al these.

41   Moreouer because thou sawest part of the feete, and of the toes of the potters clay, and part of yron: the kindom shal be diuided, which notwithstanding shal rise of the ground of yron, according as thou sawest the yron mingled with the earth of clay.

42   And the toes in part of yron, and in part of earth: in part the kingdom shal be whole, and in part broken.

43   And that thou sawest the yron mingled with the earsh of clay, they shal be mingled in dede together with mans seede, but they shal not sticke fast one to an other, as yron can not be mingled with earth.

44   But in the dayes of those kingdoms the God of heauen wil rayse vp ^note a kingdom, that shal not be dissipated for euer, and his kingdom shal not be deliuered to an other people: and it shal breake in peeces, and shal consume al these kingdoms: and itself shal stand for euer.

45   According as thou sawest, that the stone was cut out of the mountaine without handes, and brake the earth in peeces,

and the yron, and the brasse, and the siluer, and the gold, the great God hath shwed the king what thinges are to come hereafter. & the dreame is true, & the interpretation therof faithful.

46   Then king Nobuchodonosor fel on his face, & ^note adored Daniel, & commanded to sacrifice to him hostes & incense.

47   The king therfore speaking said to Daniel: In very dede ^note your God is the God of goddes, and Lord of kinges, and he that reueleth mysteries: because thou couldst open this ^note sacrament.

48   Then the king aduanced Daniel on high, & he gaue him manie gifts, and great: and he made him prince ouer al the prouinces of Babylon: and chiefe of the magistrates, ouer al the wisemen of Babylon.

49   And Daniel requested of the king, and he appointed ouer the workes of the prouince of Babylon, Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago: but Daniel himself was in the doores of the king. Chap. III. Nabuchodonosor setteh vp a statua, commanding al vnder paine of death to adore it: 8. which Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago refusing to doe, 14. are cast into a burning fornace, 24. wherin they walke, defended by an Angel from burning: praying, and praysing God, 51. with an hymne, 57. inuiting al creatures to praise him. 91. which the king admiring confesseth, and proclameth, that their God is the only true God.

1   Nabvchodonosor the king made ^note a statua of gold in height of sixtie cubites, in bredth of six cubits, and he set it in the fild of Dura of the prouince of Babylon.

2   Therfor Nabuchodonosor the king sent to cal to gether the nobles, the magistrates, and iudges, dukes, and tyrants, and rulers, and al the princes of the countries, that they should come together to the dedication of the statua, which Nabuchodonosor the king had erected.

3   Then were the nobles gathered together, the magistrates, and iudges, the dukes, and tyrants, & the great men that were placed in regiments, and al the princes of the countries, to come together to the dedication of the statua, which Nabuchodonosor the king had erected. And they stood in the sight of the statua, which Nabuchodonosor the king had set vp.

4   And the cryer cried mightely: To you peoples, and tribes, and tongues it is said:

5   In the houre that you shal heare the sound of the trumpet, & pipe, and harpe, of the doulcimer, and psalter, and symphonie, & al kind of musical instruments: falling adore ye the golden statua, which Nabuchodonosor

the king hath set vp.

6   But if any man shal not adore ^note prostrate, he shal the self same houre be cast into a fornace of burning fyre.

7   After this therfore forthwith as al the peoples heard the sound of the trumpet, the pipe, & harpe, of the doulcimer, and psalter, of the symphonie, and of al kind of musical instruments: al the peoples, tribes, and tongues falling adored the golden statua, which Nabuchodonosor the king had set vp.

8   And forthwith in the very same time men of Chaldee coming accused the Iewes,

9   and sayd to Nabuchodonosor the king: King for euer liue:

10   thou, ô king hast made a decree, that euerie man which shal heare the sound of the trumpet, of the pipe, and harpe, of the doulcimer, and psalter, of the symphonie, and of al kind of musical instrumentes, prostrate himself, and adore the golden statua:

11   and if any man do not prostrate on the grond adore, that he be cast into a fornace of burning fyre.

12   There are therfore men of Iewrie, whom thou didst appoynte ouer the workes of the countrie of babylon, Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago: these men, ô king, haue contemned thy decree: thy goddes they worshipe not, and the golden statua, which thou hast erected, they adore not.

13   Then Nabuchodonosor in furie, and in wrath commanded, that Sidrach, Misach, & Abdenago should be brought: who immediatly were brought before the king.

14   And Nabuchodonosor the king pronouncing, sayd to them: In dede Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, doe not you worshipe my goddes, & the golden statua that I haue set vp doe not you adore?

15   Now therfore if you be readie, in what houre soeuer you shal heare the sound of the trumpet, the pipe, the harpe, of the doulcimer, and psalter, and Symphonie, and of al kind of musical instruments, prostrate your selues, & adore the statua which I haue made: but if you adore not, the selfe same houre you shal be cast into the fornace of burning fyre: and what God is there, that shal deliuer you out of my hand?

16   Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago answering said to king Nabuchodonosor; We must not answer thee concerning this thing.

17   For behold our God, whom we worshipe, ^note can saue vs from the fornace of burning fyre, and out of thy handes, ô king, deliuer vs.

18   But if he wil not, be it knowen to thee, ô king, that we worshipe not thy goddes, & the golden statua, which thou hast erected, we adore not.

19   Then was Nabuchodonosor replenished with furie: and the looke of his face was altered vpon Sidrach, Misach, and

Abdenago, and he commanded that the fornace should be heated seuen times more, then it had bene accustomed to be heated.

20   And commanded the strongest men of his host, to binde the feete of Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, and to cast them into the fornace of burning fyre.

21   And forthwith those men being bound with their breeches, ^note and head attire, and shoes, and garments were cast into the fornace of burning fyre.

22   For the commandent of the king did vrge, and the fornace was heated excedingly. Moreouer the flame of the fyre flew those men, that had cast in Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago.

23   But these three men, that is, Sidrach Misach, and Abdenago fel in the middes of the fornace of burning fire, bound together. That vvhich folovveth I found not in the Hebrevve volumes. [Subnote: Though these parcels were not in the Hebrew, in S. Ieroms time, yet either had bene in the Hebrevv or Chalde, or at least were Canonical scripture; as we haue proued in the argument of this booke.]

24   And they walked in the middes of the flame praysing God, and blessing our Lord.

25   And Azarias standing prayed thus, and opening his mouth in the middes of the fire, he sayd:

26   Blessed art thou ô Lord the God of our fathers, and laudable, and glorious is thy name for euer:

27   because thou art iust in al thinges, which thou hast done to vs, and al thy workes are true, and thy wayes right, and al thy iudgements true.

28   For thou hast done true iudgements according to al thinges, that thou hast brought in vpon vs, and vpon the holie citie of our fathers Ierusalem: because in truth, & in iudgement thou hast brought in al these thinges for our sinnes.

29   For we haue sinned, and done vniustly reuolting from thee: and we haue offended in al thinges;

30   and thy precepts we haue not heard, nor obserued, nor done as thou hadst commanded vs, that it might be wel with vs.

31   Al thinges therfore that thou hast brought in vpon vs, and al thinges that thou hast done to vs, thou hast done with true iudgement:

32   and thou hast deliuered vs into the handes of our enemies vniust, and most wicked, and preuaricatours, & to an vniust king and most wicked aboue al the earth.

33   And now we can not open the mouth: we are become a confusion, and reproch to thy seruants, & to them that worshipe thee.

34   Deliuer vs not for euer, we besech thee, for thy name sake, and dissipate not thy testament:

35   neither take thou away thy mercie from vs ^note for Abraham thy beloued, and Isaac thy seruant, and Israel thy holie one:

36   to whom thou hast spoken, promising that thou wouldest multiplie

their seede as the starres of heauen, and as the sand that is in the sea shore.

37   Because ô Lord we are diminished more then al nations, and are abased in al the earth this day for our sinnes.

38   And there is not at this time ^note prince, & duke, and prophet, nor holocaust, nor sacrifice, nor oblation, nor incense, nor place of first fruits before thee,

39   that we may finde thy mercie: but in contrite minde, & spirit of humilitie let vs be receiued.

40   As in holocaust of rammes, and bulles, and as in thousands of fat lambes: so let our sacrifice be made in thy sight this day, that it may please thee: because there is no confusion to them that trust in thee.

41   And now we folow thee in al our hart, and feare thee, and seeke thy face.

42   Confound vs not, but doe with vs according to thy meekenes, and according to the multitude of thy mercie.

43   And deliuer vs in thy meruels, and geue glorie to thy name ô Lord:

44   and let al be confounded that shew euils to thy seruants, let them be confunded in al thy might, and let their strength be broken:

45   and let them know that thou art the Lord, the onlie God, and glorious ouer the round world.

46   And the kings seruants that had cast them in, ceased not to heate the fornace, with ^note Naphtha, & tow, and pitch, and drie stickes,

47   and the flame mounted out aboue the fornace nine and fourtie cubits:

48   and it brake forth, and burnt them whom it found by the fornace, of the Chaldees.

49   But the Angel of our Lord descended with Azarias, and his felowes into the fornace: and he shooke the flame of the fire out of the fornace,

50   and made the middes of the fornace as a winde of dew blowing, and the fire touched them not at al, nor payned them, nor did them anie greuance.

51   Then these three as out of one mouth praysed, and glorified, and blessed God in the fornace, saying:

52   Blessed art thou ô Lord the God of our fathers: and laudable, and glorious, and superexalted for euer: and blessed is the holie name of thy glorie: and laudable, and superexalted in al ages.

53   Blessed art thou in the holie temple of thy glorie: & passing laudable, and passing glorious for euer.

54   Blessed art thou in the throne of thy kingdom, and passing laudable, and superexalted for euer.

55   Blessed art thou, that beholdest the depths, and sittest vpon the Cherubs: and laudable, and superexalted for euer.

56   Blessed art thou in the firmament of heauen: and laudable and glorious for euer.

57   Al ^note workes of our Lord blesse ye our Lord, prayse and superexalt him for euer.

58   Blesse our Lord ye Angels of our Lord: prayse & superexalt him for euer.

59   Ye heauens blesse our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

60   Al waters that are aboue the heauens, blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

61   Blesse our Lord al ye powers of our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

62   Sunne and moone blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

63   Starres of heauens blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

64   Euerie shower, & dew blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

65   Al spirits of God blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

66   Fire and heate blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

67   Colde and heate blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

68   Dewes and hore frost blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

69   Frost and cold blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

70   Yse and snowes blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

71   Nightes and dayes blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

72   Light and ^note darknes blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

73   Lightenings and cloudes blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

74   Let the earth blesse our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

75   Mountaines and litle hilles blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

76   Al things that spring in the earth blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

77   Blesse our Lord ye fountaines: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

78   Seas and riuers blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

79   Whales, and al things that moue in the waters, blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

80   Blesse our Lord al ye foules of heauen: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

81   Al beasts and cattel blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

82   Sonnes of men blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

83   Let Israel blesse our Lord: prayse and superexalte him for euer.

84   Priests of our Lord blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

85   Seruants of our Lord blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

86   Spirits and soules of the iust blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

87   Holie and humble of hart blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

88   Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, blesse ye our Lord: prayse and superexalt him for euer.

88   Because he hath deliuered vs from hel, and saued vs out of the hand of death, and deliuered vs out of the middes of the burning flame, and out of the middes of the fire hath he rid vs.

89   Confesse ye to our Lord, because he is good: because his mercie is for euer.

90   Al religious blesse ye our Lord the God of goddes: prayse and confesse ye to him, because his mercie is vnto al worldes. Hitherto is not in the Hebrevv: and that vvhich vve haue put, is translated out of the Edition of Theodotion. [Subnote: S. Ieroms vvordes.]

91   Then Nabuchodonosor the king was astonied, and he arose hastely, & said to his nobles: Did we not cast three men ^note fettered into the middes of the fire? Who answering the king, said: It is true ô king.

92   He answered, and said: Behold I see foure men loose, and walking in the middes of the fire, and there is no corruption in them, & the forme of ^note the fourth is like to the sonne of God.

93   Then came Nabuchodonosor to the doore of the fornace of burning fire, and said: Sidrach, Misach, & Abdenago seruants of the high God, goe ye forth,

and come. And forthwith Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago went out of the middes of the fire.

94   And the nobles, and the magistrates, and iudges, and the potentates of the king being gathered together, beheld those men, that the fire had no powre on their bodies, & not a heare of their head was singed, yea their breeches were not altered, & the sent of the fire had not passed by them.

95   And Nabuchodonosor breaking forth, said: Blessed be the God of them, to witte, of Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, who hath sent his Angel, and hath deliuered his seruants that beleued in him: and they changed the kings word, & deliuered their bodies that they might not serue, and might not adore anie god, except their owne God.

96   By me therfore this decree is made, that euerie people, tribe, and tongue, whatsoeuer shal speake blasphemie against the God of Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, he perish, and his house be wasted: for there is none other God, that can so saue.

97   Then did the king ^note promote Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago in the prouince of Babylon.

98   Nabuchodonosor the king, to al peoples, nations, and tongues, that dwel in the whole earth, peace be multiplied vnto you.

99   The high God hath wrought signes and meruelous thinges with me. It hath pleased me therfore to publish

100   his signes, because they are great: and his meruels, because they are strong: and his kingdom an euerlasting kingdom, & his powre in generation and to genaration. Chap. IIII. King Nabuchodonosor having an other dreame, telleth it to Daniel, demanding of him the interpretation: 16. who encoreged and warrented to speake freely, sheweth that the king shal become like a beast in forme seuen yeares: 28. the same is confirmed by a voice from heauen: 30. and being fulfilled, he is at last restored to his owne forme, and state.

1   I ^note Nabuchodonosor was quiet in my house, and florishing in my palace.

2   I saw a dreame that made me sore afrayd: and my cogitations in my bed, and the visions of my head disturbed me.

3   And by me there was a decree setforth, that al the wisemen of Babylon should be brought into my sight, and that they should shew me the solution of the dreame.

4   Then came in the southsayers, magicians, Chaldees, and diuiners, and I told the dreame in their sight: & the solution therof they shewed me not:

5   til their collegue Daniel came into my sight, whose name is Baltassar, according to the name of my God,

who hath the spirit of the holie goddes in himself: and I told the dreame before him.

6   Baltassar prince of the southsayers, because I know that thou hast the spirit of the holie goddes in thee, and no secrete is impossible to thee: tel thou the visions of my dreames, which I haue sene, and the solution of them.

7   The vision of my head in my bed, I saw, and behold a tree in the middes of the earth, and the height therof exceding.

8   A great tree, and strong: and the height therof touching the heauen: the sight therof was euen to the endes of al the earth.

9   The leaues therof most fayre, and the fruit therof exceding much: and the foode of al thinges in it: vnder it dwelt cattel, and beasts, and in the boughes therof conuersed the foules of heauen: and of it al flesh did eate.

10   I saw in the vision of my head vpon my bed, & behold a watchman, and an holie one descended from heauen.

11   He cried mightely, and thus he sayd: Cut ye downe the tree, & choppe of the boughes therof: shake of the leaues therof, and scatter the fruits therof: let the beasts flie that are vnder it, and the foules from the boughes therof.

12   But yet leaue the spring of the rootes therof in the earth, and let it be tyed with yron, and brasen band among the grasse, that is without, and let it be dipped with the dew of heauen, and with wild beasts his portion in the grasse of the eath.

13   09Q0315Let his hart be changed from humane, & let the hart of a wild beast be geuen him: and let seuen ^note times be changed ouer him.

14   In the sentence of the watchman is the decree, and the word of saintes, and the petition, til the liuing know, that the hiegh one ruleth in the kingdom of men; and to whom soeuer it shal please him, he wil geue it, & the basest man he wil appoint ouer it.

15   This dreame saw I Nabuchodonosor the king: thou therfore ô Baltassar tel the interpretation quickly: because al the wisemen of my kingdom can not declare the solution vnto me: but thou canst, because the spirit of holie goddes is in thee.

16   Then Daniel, whose name was Baltassar, began secretly to thinke within himself as it were for one houre: & ^note his cogitations trubled him. But the king answering said: Baltassar, let not the dreame and the interpretation therof truble thee. Baltassar answered, and said: My Lord, the dreame be to them, that hate thee, and the interpretation therof be thine enemies.

17   The tree which thou sawest high and strong, whose height reacheth to the heauen, and the sight therof into al the earth:

18   and the bough therof most

fayre, and the fruit therof exceding much, and the foode of things in it, vnder it the beasts of the filde inhabiting, & in the boughes therof the foules of heauen abyding:

19   It is thou king, which art magnified, & become mightie: & thy greatnes hath growen, and is come euen to heauen, and thy power vnto the endes of the earth. ^note

20   But in that the king saw a watchman, and an holie one descend fron heauen, and say: Cut ye downe the tree, and dissipate it, but leaue the spring of the rootes therof in the earth, and let it be bound with yron and brasse among the grasse without, and let it be sprinkled with the dew of heauen, and let his foder be with the wild beasts, til seauen times be changed ouer him.

21   This is the interpretation of the sentence of the Highest, which is come vpon my Lord the king.

22   They shal cast thee out from men, and with beasts and wilde beasts shal thy habitation be, and grasse thou shalt eate as an oze, & with the dew of heauen thou shalt be wett: seuen times also shal be chaunged ouer thee, til thou know that the High one ruleth ouer the kingdoms of men, and geueth it to whomsoeuer he wil.

23   But wheras he commanded, that the spring of the rootes therof, that is, of the tree, should be left: thy kingdom shal remayne to thee after thou shalt haue knowen that powre is heauenly.

24   Wherfore ô king let me counsel thee, and ^note redeme thou thy sinnes with almes, & thine iniquities with the mercies of the poore: perhaps he wil forgeue thyne offences.

25   Al these thinges came vpon Nabuchodonosor the: king.

26   After the end of twelue moneths he walked in the palace of Babylon.

27   And the king answered, & sayd: Is not this Babylon the great citie, which I haue built to be the house of the kingdom, in the strength of my powre, and in the glorie of my beautie?

28   And when the word was yet in the kings mouth, a voice came downe from heauen: To thee it is sayd Nabuchodonosor: Thy kingdom shal passe from thee,

29   and from men they shal cast thee out, and with beastes and wilde beasts shal thy habitation be: grasse as an oxe shalt thou eate, and seuen times shal be changed ouer thee til thou know that the Hiegh one ruleth in the kingdom of men, & to whom soeuer he wil, he geueth it.

30   The self same houre was the word accomplished vpon Nabuchodonosor, and he was cast away from among men, & as an oxe did he eate grasse, and with the dew of heauen his bodie was imbrued: til his heares grew into the similitude of eagles, & his nailes as it were of birds.

31   Therfore

after the end of the dayes, I Nabuchodonosor lifted vp mine eyes to heauen, and my sense was restored to me: and I blessed the Highest, and praysed him that liueth for euer, and glorified him: because his powre is an euerlasting powre, and his kingdom in generation and generation.

32   And al the inhabitants of the earth with him are reputed for nothing: for he doth according to his wil, as wel in the powers of heauen, as in the inhabitants of the earth: & there is none that can resist his hand, and say to him: Why didst thou it?

33   In the very same time did my sense returne to me, & I came to the honour, and beautie of my kingdom: and my ^note figure returned to me: and my nobles, & my magistrates sought for me, and I was restored in my kingdom: and more ample magnificence was added to me.

34   09Q0316Now therfore I Nabuchodonosor praise, and magnifie, and glorifie the king of heauen: because al his workes are true, and his wayes iudgements, and them that walke in pride he can humble. ^{note note note}

Chap. V. King ^note Baltassar making a great banket, with his nobles drinke in the holie vessels, which were taken from the Temple of Ierusalem. 5. Fingers appeare writing on the wal: 10. which only Daniel readeth, and interpreteth: 18. signifying the ruine of the king: 30. happening the same night.

1   Baltassar ^note the king made a great feast to his nobles a thousand: and euerie one dranke according to his age.

2   He commanded therfore now being drunke that the vessels of gold & siluer, should be brought, which Nabuchodonosor his father had caried away out of the temple, that was in Ierusalem, that the king, and his Nobles might drinke in them, and his wiues, and concubines.

3   Then were the golden and siluer vessels brought, which he had caried away out of the temple, that was in Ierusalem: and the king and his nobles dranke in them, his wiues and concubines.

4   They dranke wine, and praysed their goddes of gold, and of siluer, of brasse, of yron, and of wood, and of stone.

5   In the very same houre there appeared fingers, as it were of the hand of a man, writing ouer against the candlesticke in the vtter part of the wal of the kings palace: and the king beheld the ioynts of the hand that wrote.

6   Then was the kings face changed, and his cogitations trubled him: and the iunctures of his reynes were loosed, and his knees were striken one against the other.

7   The king therfore cried out mightely that they should bring in the magicians, Chaldees, and southsayers. And the king speaking sayd to the wisemen of Babylon: Whosoeuer shal read this writing, and shal make the interpretation therof manifest vnto me, shal be clothed with purple, and shal haue a golden chayne on his necke, & shal be the third in my kingdom.

8   Then al the kings wisemen going in could not neither read the writing, nor declare the interpretation to the king.

9   Wherewith king Baltassar was much trubled, and his countenance was changed: yea and his nobles were trubled.

10   And the ^note queene for the thing that had happened to the king, and his Nobles, entered into the house of the feast: and speaking she sayd: King for euer liue: let not thy cogitations truble thee, neither let thy face be

changed.

11   There is a man in thy kingdom, that hath the spirit of the holie goddes in him: and in the dayes of ^note thy father knowlege and wisedom were found in him: for king Nabuchodonosor also thy father appoynted him prince of the magicians, inchanters, Chaldees and southsayers, thy father, I say ô king:

12   Because more ample spirit, and prudence, and vnderstanding, & interpretation of Dreames, and shewing of secrets, and solution of thinge bound were found in him, that is, in Daniel: to whom the king gaue the name Baltassar. Now therfore let Daniel be called, and he wil tel the interpretation.

13   Daniel therfore was brought in before the king. To whom the king speaking, said: Art thou Daniel of the children of the captiuitie of Iuda, whom my father the king brought out of Iewrie?

14   I haue heard of thee, that thou hast the spirit of the goddes, and more ample knowlege, and vnderstanding, and wisedom are found in thee.

15   And now there haue come in into my sight the wise magicians, that they might read this writing, and might shew me the interpretation therof: and they could not declare me the sense of this ^note word.

16   Moreouer I haue heard of thee, that thou canst interpret obscure thinges, and resolue thinges bound: if thefore thou be able to reade the writing, & to shew me the interpretation therof, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and shalt haue a cheyne of gold about thy necke, & shalt be the third prince in my kingdom.

17   To which thinges Daniel answering, sayd before the king: Thy rewardes be they vnto thee, and the giftes of thy house geue to an other: but the writing wil I read thee, ô king, and the interpretation therof wil I shew to thee.

18   O king, God the most high gaue to Nabuchodonosor thy father kingdom and magnificence, glorie and honour.

19   And for the magnificence, which he gaue to him, al peoples, tribes, and tongues trembled, and feared him: whom he would he killed: and whom he would, he stroke: and whom he would he exalted: and whom he would, he humbled.

20   But when his hart was eleuated, and his spirit obstinatly set to pride, he was deposed from the throne of his kingdom, and his glorie was taken away.

21   And he was cast out from the sonnes of men, yea and his ^note hart was set with the beasts, and with the wild asses was his habitation: grasse also he did eate as an oxe, and with the dew of heauen his bodie was embrewed: til he knew that the Highest had powre in the kingdom of men, and whomsoeuer

it shal please him he wil raise vp ouer it.

22   Thou also his sonne Baltassar, hast not humbled thy hart, wheras thou knowest al these thinges:

23   but against the dominatour of heauen thou wast eleuated: and the vessels of his house haue bene brought before thee: and thou, and thy nobles, and thy wiues, and thy concubins haue drunke wine in them: the goddes also of siluer, and of gold, and of brasse, of yron, and of wood, and of stone that see not, nor heare, nor feele, thou hast praysed: moreouer the God, that hath thy breath in his hand, and al thy wayes, thou hast not grorified.

24   Therfore from him is the ioynt of the hand sent, which hath written this that is drawen.

25   And this is the writing which is ordered. Mane, Thecel, Phares.

26   And this the interpretation of the word. Mane: God hath numbred thy kingdom, and hath finished it.

27   Thecel: thou art weighed in the balance, and art found hauing lesse.

28   Phares: thy kingdom is diuided, and is geuen to the Medes, and Persians.

29   Then the king commanding Daniel was clothed with purple, and a cheyne of gold was put about his necke: & it was proclamed of him that he had powre the third in the kingdom.

30    ^noteThe same night was Baltassar the king of Chaldee slaine.

31   And Darius the Mede succeded into the kingdom, being three score and two yeares old. Chap. VI. King Darius making Daniel one of the three chief rulers of his kingdom: 4. and intending also to aduance him higher, other princes accuse him for praying to God, contrarie to the kings edict. 16. wherupon he is cast into the lions denne: 21. but is conserued without anie hurt: 24. his accusers are deuoured by the lions, and commandment is geuen, that al men shal feare the God of Daniel.

1   It pleased ^note Darius, and he appoynted ouer the kingdom. Gouerners an hundred twentie to be in al his kingdom.

2   And ouer them three princes, of whom Daniel was one: that the gouerners might render account to them, & the king might susteyne no truble.

3   Daniel therfore passed al the princes, and gouerners: because there was the spirit of God more ample in him.

4   Moreouer the king thought to appoynt him ouer al the kingdom, wherupon the princes, & the gouerners sought to finde occasion against Daniel on the behalfe of the king: and they could finde no cause, nor suspicion, because

he was faithful, and no fault, nor suspicion was found in him.

5   Those men therfore said: ^note We shal not finde against this same Daniel any occasion, vnles perhaps in the law of his God.

6   Then the princes, and the gouerners by surreption suggested to the king, and spake thus vnto him: King Darius, for euer liue:

7   Al the princes of the kingdom, the magistrates, and gouerners, the senatours and iudges haue taken counsel, that there goe forth an imperial decree, and an edict: That euerie one, which shal aske any petition of whatsoeuer God, or man, vntil thirtie dayes, but of thee ô king, he be cast into the lake of lions.

8   Now therfore ô king, confirme the sentence, and write the decree: that it may not be changed, which is decreed by the Medes and the Persians, nor be lawful for anie man to transgresse it.

9   Moreouer king Darius put forth the edict, and decreed it.

10   Which when Daniel had perceiued, that is to say, the law determined, he went into his house: and ^note the windowes being opened in his vpper chamber, three times in a day toward Ierusalem bowed he his knees, and adored, and confessed before his God, as also he had accustomed to doe before.

11   Those men therfore searching curiousely, found Daniel praying, and beseching his God.

12   And coming they spake to the king vpon the edict: O king, hast thou not decreed, that euerie man which should aske any of the goddes, & men vntil thirtie dayes, but thyself ô king, he should be cast into the lake of lions? To whom the king answering, said: The word is true according to the decree of the Medes, and Persians, which it is not lawful to transgresse.

13   Then they answering sayd before the king: Daniel of the children of the captiuitie of Iuda, hath not cared for thy law, and for the edict, that thou madest: but three times in a day he prayeth with his prayer.

14   Which word when the king had heard, he was strooken very sad: and for Daniel he set his hart to deliuer him, and euen vntil sunne set he laboured to deliuer him.

15   But those men perceiuing the king said to him: know thou ô king, that the law of Medes and Persians is, that euerie decree, which the king hath determined, is not lawful to be changed.

16   Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the lake of lions. And the king said to Daniel: Thy God, whom thou doest worshippe alwayes, he wil deliuer thee.

17   And there was a stone brought, and layd vpon the mouth of the lake: which the king sealed with his ring, and with the ring of his nobles,

that nothing should be done against Daniel.

18   And the king went into his house, and slept vnsupped, and meates were not brought before him, moreouer also sleepe departed from him.

19   Then the king rising in the very first breake of day, went in hast to the lake of the lions:

20   and approching to the lake, cried on Daniel with a weeping voice, and spake vnto him: Daniel seruant of the liuing God, thy God whom thou seruest alwayes, hath he bene able thinkest thou, to deliuer thee from the lions?

21   And Daniel answering the king said: King for euer liue.

22    ^noteMy God hath sent his Angel, and hath shut vp the mouthes of the lions, and they haue not hurt me: because before him iustice hath bene found in me: yea and before thee, ô king, I haue done no offence.

23   Then was the king exceding glad vpon him, & he commanded Daniel to be brought out of the lake: and Daniel was brought out of the lake, and no hurt was found in him, because he beleued his God.

24   And by the kings comandment, those men were brought that had accused Daniel: and ^note they were cast into the lake of the lions, themselues, and their children, and their wiues: and they came not to the pauement of the lake, til the lions caught them, & brake al their bones in peeces.

25   Then Darius the king wrote to al peoples, tribes, and tongues dwelling in the whole earth: Peace be multiplied vnto you.

26   By me a decree is made, that in al myne empire, and my kingdom they dread and feare the God of Daniel. for he is the liuing and eternal God for euer: and his kingdom shal not be dissipated, & his power euen for euer.

27   He is the deliuerer, and sauiour, doing signe, & meruels in heauen, and in earth: who hath deliuered Daniel out of the lake of the lions.

28   Moreouer Daniel continued vnto the kingdom of Darius, and the kingdom of Cyrus the Persian. Chap. VII. Daniel seeth foure windes fighting, and foure terrible beastes rising from the sea: ^note 9. God sitting in a throne, and serued by innumerable Angels. 11. The greatest beast is slaine, and the powre of the rest diminished. 13. The Sonne of man receiueth eternal powre of God. 15. The prophet much terrified, is instructed that the foure beastes signifie foure kingdoms. 19. The greatest shal preuaile for a while, 26. but shortly perish.

1   In ^note the first yeare of Baltassar the king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dreame: & the vision of his head in his bed: and writing the dreame, he comprehended it in a short speach: and in

summe comprising it, he said:

2   I saw in my vision by night, and behold ^note the foure windes of heauen fought in the great sea.

3   And ^note foure great beasts came vp, out of the sea diuerse one from an other.

4   The first as it were ^note a lyonesse, & she had the wings of an eagle: I beheld til her winges were plucked of, and she was lifted vp from the earth, & she stood vpon the fete as a man, & the hart of a man was geuen to her.

5   And behold an other beast like ^note a beare stood a side: and there were three rewes in the mouth therof, and in the teeth therof, & thus they said to it: Arise, eate very much flesh.

6   After this I beheld, and loe an other as it were ^note a leopard, and it had winges as of a bird, foure vpon it, & there were foure heades in the beast, and powre was geuen to it.

7   After this I beheld in the vision of the night, and loe ^note a fourth beast terrible and meruelous, and strong excedingly, it had great yron teeth, eating and breaking, and treading the rest with her fete: and it was vnlike to the other beasts, which I had sene before it, and it had tenne hornes.

8   I considered the hornes, and behold an other ^note litle horne sprang out of the middes of them: and three of the first hornes were plucked of at the presence therof, and loe eyes as it were the eyes of a man were in this horne, & a mouth speaking great wordes.

9   I beheld til thrones were set, and ^note the ancient of dayes sate: his vesture white as snow, and the heares of his head as cleane wool: his throne flames of fire: his wheeles fire kindled.

10   A fire & swieft streame came forth from his face ^notethousandes of thousands ministred to him, & ^note tenne thousand hundred thousands assisted him: iudgement sate, and the bookes were opened.

11   I beheld because of the voice of the great wordes, which that horne spake: and I saw that the beast was slaine, and the bodie therof was perished, and was committed to the fyre to be burnt.

12   The power of the other beasts also was taken away: and times of life were appointed them vntil time, and time.

13   I beheld therfore in the vision of the night, and loe with the clowdes of heauen there came in, as it were ^note the sonne of man, and he came euen to the ancient of dayes: and in his sight they offered him.

14   And he gaue him powre, and honour, and kingdom: and al peoples, tribes, & tongues shal serue him: his powre, an eternal power, that shal not be taken away: and his kingdom, that shal not be corrupted.

15   My spirit trembled, I Daniel was made sore afrayd at these thinges, and the visions of my head trubled me.

16   I

came to one of the assistants, and I asked the truth of him concerning al these thinges, who told me the interpretation of the wordes, and taught me:

17   These foure great beasts, are foure kingdoms, which shal rise vp out of the earth.

18   And they shal take the kingdom of the holie God most high: & they shal obteine the kingdom euen to world, & world of worldes.

19   After this I would diligently lerne of the fourth beast, which was very vnlike from al, and exceding terrible: his teeth and clawes of yron: he did eate, and breake in peeces, & the rest he stamped with his feete:

20   and of the tenne hornes that he had on his head: and of the other, that had growen vp, before which the three hornes fel: and of that horne, that had eyes, and the mouth speaking great wordes, and was greater then the rest.

21   I beheld, and loe that horne made warre agaynst the saints, and preuailed ouer them,

22   til the ancient of dayes came, & gaue iudgement to the saintes on High, and the time came, and the saintes obteyned the kingdom.

23   And thus he sayd: The fourth beast shal be the fourth kingdom in the earth, which shal be greater then al the kingdoms, and shal deuoure the whole earth, and shal conculcate, and breake it in peeces.

24   Moreouer the tenne hornes of that same kingdom, shal be tenne kinges: and an other shal rise vp after them, and he shal be mightier then the former, and he shal bring downe three kinges.

25   And he shal speake wordes agaynst the High one, and shal destroy the saintes of the Highest: and he shal thinke that he can change times, & lawes, and they shal be deliuered into his hand euen ^note to a time, & times, & half a time.

26   And iudgement shal fitte, that might may be taken away, and be broken, and perish euen to the end.

27   And kingdom, and power, and the greatnes of the kingdom, that is vnder al the heauen, be geuen to the people of the saintes of the Highest: whose kingdom is an euerlasting kingdom, and al kinges shal serue him, and shal obey him.

28   Hitherto the end of the word. I Daniel was much trubled with my cogitations, and my face was changed in me: but the word I kept in my hart.

Chap. VIII. Daniel seeth a ramme with two hornes ouercomen by a goate with one horne: 8. which shal also be broken, and foure lesse rise in place therof: one of them prophaneth the temple in Ierusalem, and taketh away the daylie sacrifice. 15. And Gabriel the Archangel expoundeth the vision.

1   In the third yeare of the reigne of Baltassar the king, a vision appeared to me.

2   I Daniel ^note saw in my vision, after that which I had sene in the beginning, when I was in Susis the castel, which is in the prouince of Ælam: and I saw in the vision, that I was ouer the ^note gate Vlai.

3   & I lifted vp mine eyes, and saw: and behold one ^note ramme stood before the marrice, hauing highe hornes, & one higher then an other & growing vnder.

4   Afterward I saw the ramme pushing with the hornes against the Weast, & against the North, and against the South: and al beasts could not resist him, nor be deliuered out of his hand: and he did according to his wil, & was magnified.

5   And I vnderstood: and behold ^note a buckgoate came from the West vpon the face of the whole earth, & he touched not the ground. Moreouer the buckgoate had a notable horne betwen his eyes:

6   And he came euen to that ramme with the hornes, which I had sene standing before the gate, & he ranne towards him in the violence of his strength.

7   And when he had approched nere the ramme, he was wood against him, and stroke the ramme: and he ^note brake his two hornes, and the ramme could not resist him: and when he had cast him on the ground, he trode him, and no man could deliuer the ramme out of his hand.

8   And the buckgoate became exceding great: and when he was growne, the great horne ^note was broken, and there rose vp ^note foure hornes vnder it by the foure windes of heauen.

9   And out of one of them came forth ^noteone litle horne: and it was made great against the South, and against the East, and against the strength.

10   And it was magnified euen vnto the strength of heauen: and it threw downe of the strength, and of the starres, and trode them.

11   And it was magnified euen vnto the prince of the strength: and from him it tooke the continual sacrifice, and threw downe the place of his sanctification.

12   And strength was geuen against the continual sacrifice because of sinnes: and truth shal be throwen prostrate on the ground, and he shal doe, and shal prosper.

13   And I heard ^note one of the saincts speaking,

& one sainte sayd to an other, I know not to whom that spake: How long the vision, and the continual sacrifice, and the sinne of the desolation that is made: and the sanctuarie, and the strength shal be conculcate?

14   And he sayd to him: Vnto ^note the euening & morning, two thousand three hundred: & the sanctuarie shal be clensed.

15   And it came to passe when I Daniel saw the vision, and sought the vnderstanding: behold there stood in my sight as it were the forme of a man.

16   And I heard the voice of a man betwen the bankes of Vlai: and he cried, and sayd: Gabriel make this man vnderstand the vision.

17   And he came and stood nere where I stoood: and when he was come, trembling I fel on my face, & he sayd to me: Vnderstand ^notesonne of man, that in the time of the end the vision shal be accomplished.

18   And when he spake to me I fel flat on the ground: and he touched me, and sette me vp in my standing,

19   and sayd to me: I wil shew thee what thinges are to come in the last of the malediction: because the time hath his end.

20   The ramme, which thou sawest haue hornes, is the king of the Medes and Persians.

21   Moreouer the buckgoate, is the king of the Græcians, and the great horne, that was betwen his eyes, the same is the first king.

22   But wheras that being broken, there rose vp foure for it: foure kinges shal rise vp of his nation, but not in his strength.

23   And after their reigne, when iniquities shal be increased, ^note there shal arise a king impudent of face, and vnderstanding ^note propositions.

24   And his strength shal be made strong, but not in his owne strength: and more then can be beleued, shal he waste al thinges, and shal prosper, and doe. And he shal kil the strong, and the people of the saints

25   according to his wil, and craft shal be directed in his hand: and he shal magnifie his hart, and in the abundance of al thinges he shal murder very manie: & agaynst the prince of princes shal he arise, & without hand he shal be destroyed.

26   & the vision of the euening and the morning, which hath bene sayd, is true: thou therfore seale the vision, because it shal be ^noteafter manie dayes.

27   And I Daniel languished, and was sicke for certaine dayes: and when I was risen vp, I did the kings workes, and was astonied at the vision, and there was none that could interprete it.

Chap. IX. ^note Daniel confessing that they are iustly afflicted for thier sinnes, 15. prayeth for speedie mercie. 20. An angel signifieth to him, that within seuentie wekes of yeares, Christ wilcome; 26. and be slayne; his people the Iewes denying him, whom he wil therfore reiect.

1   In the first yeare of Darius the sonne ^note of Assuerus of the seede of the Medes, who reigned ouer the kingdom of the Chaldees:

2    ^notethe first yeare of his kingdom, I Daniel vnderstood in bookes the number of the yeares, wherof the word of our Lord was made to Ieremie the prophete, that ^note seuentie yeares should be accomplished of the desolation of Ierusalem.

3   And I sette my face to our Lord my God to pray and besech in fastinges, sackcloth, and ashes.

4   And I prayed our Lord my God, and I confessed, and said: I besech thee ô Lord God great and terrible, which keepest couenant, & mercie to them that loue thee, and keepe thy commandements.

5   We haue sinned, we haue done iniquitie, we haue dealt impiously, and haue reuolted: & we haue declined from thy commandments, and iudgements.

6   We haue not obeyed thy seruants the prophets, that haue spoken in thy name to our kinges, to our princes, to our fathers, and to al the people of the land.

7   To thee ô Lord, iustice: but to vs confusion of face, as is to day to the man of Iuda, and to the inhabiters of Ierusalem, and to al Israel, to them that are nere, and to them that are farre of in al the landes, to which thou hast cast them out, for their iniquities in which they haue sinned against thee.

8   O Lord, to vs confusion of face, to our princes, & to our fathers that haue sinned.

9   But to thee Lord our God mercie and propiciation, because we haue reuolted from the:

10   and haue not heard the voice of the Lord our God, to walke in his law, which he gaue vs by his seruants the prophetes.

11   And al Israel haue transgressed thy law, and haue declined from hearing thy voice, and the malediction hath distilled vpon vs, & the detestation, which is written in the booke of Moyses the seruant of God, because we haue sinned to him.

12   And he hath established his wordes, which he spake vpon vs, and vpon our princes, that iudged vs, that he would bring in vpon vs a great euil, such as neuer was vnder al the heauen, according to that which hath bene done in Iersalem.

13   As it is written in the law of Moyses, al this euil is come vpon vs: and we besought not thy face ô Lord

our God, that we might returne from our iniquities, & might thinke on thy truth.

14   And our Lord hath watched vpon the malice, and hath brought it vpon vs: iust is the Lord our God in al his workes, which he hath done: for we haue not heard his voice.

15   And now ô Lord our God, which broughtest forth thy people out of the Land of Ægypt in a strong hand, & madst thee a name according to this day: we haue sinned, we haue done iniquitie.

16   O Lord according to al thy iustice, but let thy wrath be turned away I besech thee, and thy furie from thy citie Ierusalem, & from thy holie mount. For by reason of our sinnes, and the iniquities of our fathers, Ierusalem, and thy people are a reproch to al round about vs.

17   Now therfore heare ô our God the petition of thy seruant, & his prayers: and shew thy face vpon thy sanctuarie, which is desert, for thyne owne sake.

18   Incline my God thine eare, & heare: open thine eyes, and see our desolation, & the citie vpon which thy name is inuocated: for neither in our iustifications doe we prostrate prayers before thy face, but in thy manie commiserations.

19   Heare ô Lord, be pacified ô Lord: attend & doe, delay not for thine owne sake my God: because thy name is inuocated vpon thy citie, & vpon thy people.

20   And when I yet spake, & prayed, and confessed my sinnes, and the sinnes of my people of Israel, and did prostrate my prayers in the sight of my God, for the holie mount of my God:

21   as I was yet speaking in prayer, loe the man Gabriel, whom I had sene in the vision from the beginning, quickly flying touched me in the time of the euening sacrifice.

22   And he taught me, and spake to me, & sayd: Daniel now am I come forth to teach thee, and that thou mighst vnderstand.

23   From the beginning of thy prayers the word came forth: and I am come to shew it to thee, because thou art ^note a man of desires: and doe thou marke the word, and vnderstand the vision.

24    ^noteSeuentie weekes are abbridged vpon thy people, & vpon thy holie citie, ^note that preuarication may be consummate, and sinne take an end, & iniquitie be abolished; and euerlasting iustice be brought; & vision be accomplished, and prophecie; & the Holie one of holies be anointed.

25   Know therfore, & marke: From the going forth of the word, that Ierusalem be built againe, vnto Christ the prince, there shal be seuen ^noteweekes, & sixtie two weekes, & the streete shal be built againe, & the walles in ^note straitnes of the times.

26   And after sixty two weekes Christ shal be slaine: and it shal not be his people,

that shal denie him. And the city, & the sanctuary shal the people dissipate with the prince to come: & the end therof waste, & after the end of the battel the appoynted desolation.

27   And he wil confirme the couenant to manie, one weeke: and in the halfe of the weeke shal the hoste & the sacrifice fayle: and there shal be in the temple the abomination of desolation: & euen to the consummation, and to the end shal the desolation endure. Chap. X. After fasting & other voluntarie afflictions, 4. Daniel seing a man in a strange forme, and much terrified therwith, 8. is comforted. 13. The Angels of Persians, and Grecians resist his prayer, 20. S. Michael assisting the Iewes.

1   In the third yeare of Cyrus king of the Persians, a word was reueled to Daniel surnamed Baltassar, and a true word, and great strength: & he vnderstood the word: for ^note there is neede of vnderstanding in vision.

2   In those dayes I Daniel mourned the dayes of three weekes,

3   desiderable bread I did not eate, and flesh and wine entered not into my mouth, yea neither with ointment was I annoynted: til the dayes of three weeks were accomplished.

4   And in the foure & twentith day of the first moneth I was by the great riuer, which is Tigris.

5   And I lifted vp mine eyes, & I saw: and beholde a man clothed with linnen clothes, & his reynes girded with the finest gold:

6   and his bodie as it were the chrysolithus, and his face as the forme of lightning, and his eyes as a burning lampe: and his armes, & the partes that are downward euen to the feete, as it were the forme of glistering brasse: and the voice of his word as the voice of a multitude.

7   And I Daniel alone saw the vision: moreouer the men that were with me, saw it not, but exceding terrour fel vpon them, and they fled away, and hidde themselues.

8   And I being left alone saw this great vision: and there remayned no strength in me, yea and my shape of contenance was changed in me, and I withered, neither had any strength.

9   And I heard the voice of his wordes: and hearing I lay astonished vpon my face, and my visage cleaued to the ground.

10   And behold a hand touched me, and lifted me vp vpon my knees, and vpon the ioynts of any handes.

11   And he said to me: Daniel ^note thou man of desires, vnderstand the wordes, that I speake to thee, and stand in thy place: for now am I sent to thee. And when he had said this word to me,

I stood trembling.

12   And he said to me: Feare not Daniel: because since the first day that thou didst set thy hart to vnderstand to afflict thy self in the sight of thy God, thy ^note wordes haue bene heard: and I am come for thy wordes.

13   But ^note the prince of the kingdom of the Persians ^note resisted me one and twentie dayes: and behold Michael one of the chiefe princes came to ayde me, and I taried there by the king of the Persians.

14   But I am come to teach thee what thinges shal come to thy people in the later dayes, because as yet the vision vnto dayes.

15   And when he spake to me in these maner of wordes, I cast downe my countenance to the ground, and held my peace.

16   And behold as it were the similitude of the sonne of man touched my lippes, and opening my mouth I spake, and sayd to him, that stood before me: My Lord, in thy vision my ioynts are dissolued, and no strength hath remayned in me.

17   And how can the seruant of my Lord speake with my Lord? for no strength is remayning in me, yea & my breath is stopped.

18   Agayne therfore there touched me as it were the vision of a man, and strengthened me,

19   and he sayd: Feare not ô man of desires, Peace be to thee: take courege & be strong. And when he spake with me, I receiued strength, and sayd: Speake my Lord, because thou hast strengthened me.

20   And he sayd: Doest thou know wherfore I am come to thee? and now I wil returne, that I ^note may fight agaynst the prince of the Persians. when I therfore went forth, there appeared the prince of the Greekes coming.

21   But yet I wil tel thee that which is expressed in the scripture of truth: and none is my helper in al these, but Michael ^note your prince. Chap. XI. ^note The Angel declareth what shal happen to the Iewes vnder the kinges of Persia, and by occasion of warres betwen Ægypt and Syria.

1   And I from the first yeare of Darius the Mede ^note stood that he might be strengthened, and made strong.

2   And now I wil declare the truth vnto thee. Behold ^note three kinges as yet shal stand in Persia, and ^note the fourth shal be inriched with exceding riches aboue al: & when he is growne mightie in his riches, he shal rayse vp al against the kingdom of Greece.

3   But there shal rise ^note a strong king, and shal rule with much power: and he shal doe what shal please him.

4   And when he ^note shal stand, his kingdom shal be broken, and it shal be diuided

into the foure windes of heauen: but not vnto his posteritie, uor according to his mightines wherwith he ruled. For ^notehis kingdom shal be rent euen vnto foreners, besyde these.

5   And ^note the king ^note of the South shal be made strong, & there shal ^note of his princes preuaile aboue him, and he shal rule in dominion: for his dominion shal be much.

6   And after the end of yeares they shal be confederated: and the daughter of the king of the South shal come to ^note the king ^note of the North to make amitie, and shal not obtayne the strength of the arme, neither shal his sede stand: and she shal be deliuered, and they that brought her, her yongmen and they that strengthened her in the times.

7   And there shal stand of the bud of her rootes a plant: and he shal come with an armie, and shal enter the prouince of the king of the North: and he shal abuse them, and shal obtayne.

8   Moreouer also their goddes, and sculptils, the precious vessels also of gold, and siluer, he shal carie away captiue into Ægypt: he shal preuaile against the king of the North.

9   And the king of the South shal enter into the kingdom, and shal returne to his owne land.

10   And ^note his sonnes shal be prouoked, and they shal gather a multitude of very manie hostes: and he shal come hastning, and ouerflowing: and he shal returne and be stirred vp, and he shal ioyne battel with his force.

11   And the king of the South being prouoked shal goe forth, and shal fight against the king of the North, & shal prepare an exceding great multitude, and a multitude shal be geuen into his handes.

12   And he shal take a multitude, and his hart shal be exalted, and he shal ouerthrow manie thousands: ^notebut he shal not preuaile.

13   For the king of the North shal returne, and shal prepare a multitude much greater then before: & in the end of times, & yeares, he shal come hastining with a great host, and riches exceding much.

14   And in those times manie shal rise vp against the king of the South ^note the children also of the preuaricatours of thy people shal be extolled to fulfil the vision, and they shal fal.

15   And the king of the North shal come, and shal cast vp a mount, and shal take the best fensed cities: & the armes of the South shal not susteyne, and his chosen shal rise vp to resist, & there shal be no strength.

16   And he shal doe coming vpon him according to his pleasure, and there shal be none to stand agaynst his face: and he shal stand in a noble land, & it shal be consumed in his hand.

17   And he shal sette his face to come to possesse al his kingdom, & he

shal doe right thinges with him: and he shal geue vnto him a daughter of wemen, to ouerthrow it: and she shal not stand neither shal she be his.

18   And he shal turne his face to the ilands, & shal take manie: and he shal make the prince of his reproche to cease, and his reproch shal be returned vpon him.

19   And he shal turne his face to the empire of his owne land, and he shal stumble, and fal, & shal not be found.

20   And there shal stand in his place one most vile, & vnworthy of kingly honour: & in few dayes he shal be destroyed, not in furie nor in battel.

21   And ^note there shal stand in his place one despised, and kinglie honour shal not be geuen him: and he shal come secretly, and shal obteyne the kingdom by fraude. ^note

22   And the armes of him that fighteth shal be expugned from before his face, and shal be broken: moreouer also the prince ^note of the league.

23   And after the amities, he shal worke deceite with him: and he shal goe vp, and shal ouercome with few people.

24   And he shal enter abundant and plentiful cities: & he shal doe thinges that his fathers neuer did, & his fathers fathers: their robberies, and pray, & riches he shal dissipate, and shal deuise deuises against the best sensed: and this vntil a time.

25   And his strength & his hart shal be stirred vp against the king of the South in a great armie: and the king of the South shal be prouoked to battel with manie aydes, and exceding strong: & they shal not stand because they shal take counsels against him.

26   And they that eate bread with him, shal destroy him, and his armie shal be oppressed: & there shal fal slaine very manie.

27   The hart also of the two kinges shal be to euil, and at one table they shal speake lies, and they shal not prosper: because as yet the end vnto an other time.

28   And he shal returne into his land with much riches: and his hart against the holie testament, and he shal prosper and shal returne into his owne land.

29   At the time appointed he shal returne, and he shal come to the South, and the later end shal not be like to the former.

30   And there shal come vpon him galleis, and the Romanes, and he shal be strooken, and shal returne, and shal frette against the testament of the sanctuarie, and he shal spede: and shal returne, and shal deuise against them, that haue forsaken the testament of the sanctuarie.

31   And of him shal stand ^note armes, and shal pollute the sanctuarie of strength, and shal take away the continual sacrifice: and they shal geue abomination into desolation.

32   And the impious against the testament shal dissemble

fraudulently: but ^note the people that knoweth their God, shal obtayne, and shal doe.

33   And the learned in the people shal teach very manie: and they shal fal by sword, and by flame, and by captiuitie, and by spoyle of dayes.

34   And when they are fallen, they shal be releeued with a litle ayde: and very manie shal be ioyned to them faynedly.

35   And of the learned there shal fal, that they may be tried, and may be chosen, and made white euen to the time prefixed: because yet there shal be an other time.

36   And the king shal doe according to his wil, and shal be eleuated, & magnified against euerie god: and against the God of goddes he shal speake magnifical thinges, & shal be directed, til the wrath be accomplished. for the determination is made.

37   And the God of his fathers he shal not account of: and he shal be in the concupiscences of wemen, neither shal he care for anie of the goddes: because he shal ryse vp against al thinges.

38   But god ^note Maozim he shal worshipe in his place: and the God whom his fathers knewe not, he shal worshipe with gold, and siluer, and precious stone, and precious thinges.

39   And he shal doe it to sense Maôzim with a strange god, whom he acknowledged, and he shal multiplie glorie, and shal geue them powre in manie, and shal diuide the land gratis.

40   And in the time prefixed shal the king of the South make battel against him, & as a tempest shal the king of the North come against him in charets, and in horsemen, and in a great nauie, and he shal enter the landes, and shal destroy, and passe through.

41   And he shal enter into the glorious land, and manie shal fal: but these onlie shal be saued out of his hand, Edom, and Moab, and the beginning of the children of Ammon.

42   And he shal lay his hand vpon the landes: and the Land of Ægypt shal not escape.

43   And he shal rule ouer the treasures of gold, and of siluer, and in al the precious thinges of Ægypt: through Lybia also, and Æthyopia he shal passe.

44   And a bruite shal truble him from the East, and from the North: and he shal come in a great multitude to destroy and kil very manie.

45   And he shal pitche his tabernacle ^note Apadno betwen the seas, vpon a mount glorious and holie: and he shal come euen to the toppe therof, and no man shal helpe him.

Chap. XII. ^note The Angel describeth the persecution of Antiochus, as the figure; & of Antichrist prefigured. 6. the shortnes also of his reigne is clearly prophecied.

1   Bvt in that time shal rise vp ^note Michael the great prince, who standeth for the children of thy people: and a time shal come such as hath not beene from the time since nations begane euen vntil that time. And in that time shal thy people be saued, euerie one that shal be found writen in the booke.

2   And manie of those, that sleepe in the dust of the earth, shal awake: ^note some vnto life euerlasting, & others vnto reproch to see it alwayes.

3   But they that be learned ^note shal shine as the brightnes of the firmament: and they that instruct many to iustice, ^note as starres vnto perpetual eternities.

4   But thou Daniel ^note shut vp the wordes, and seale the booke, euen to the time appointed: verie manie shal passe ouer, and there shal be manifest knowlege.

5   And I Daniel saw, and behold there stood as it were two others: one on this side vpon the banke of the riuer, and an other on that side, on the other banke of the riuer.

6   And I sayd to the man, that was clothed with linen garments, that stood vpon the waters of the riuer: How long the end of these meruels?

7   And I heard the man, that was clothed with the linen garments, that stood vpon the waters of the riuer, when he had lifted vp his right hand, & his left hand vnto heauen, and had sworne by him that liueth for euer, that 09Q0317 vnto ^note a time, & times, & the halfe of a time. And when the dispersion of the hand of the holie people shal be accomplished, al these thinges shal be accomplished.

8   And I heard, & vnderstood not. And I sayd: My Lord, what shal be after these things?

9   And he said? Goe Daniel, because the wordes are shut vp, and sealed vntil the prefixed time.

10   Manie shal be chosen, and made white, & shal be tried as fyre: and the impious shal doe impiousely, neither shal al the impious vnderstand, but the learned shal vnderstand.

11   And from the time ^note when the continual sacrifice shal be taken away, and the abomination to desolation shal be set vp, a thousand two hundred ninetie dayes.

12   Blessed is he that expecteth, and cometh vnto dayes ^notea thousand three hundred thirtie fiue.

13   But thou ^note goe, vntil the time prefixed: and thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lotte vnto the end of the dayes.

^{note note} Hitherto vve read Daniel in the Hebrevv volume. That vvhich folovveth euen to the end of the booke, is translated out of Theodotions Edition. Chap. XIII. ^note Two old iudges ouercomen with carnal concupiscence, tempt chaste Susanna: ^note 22. who constantly resisting, 27. is by them falsly accused, 41. & condemned of adultrie. 45. Daniel conuinceth them of false testimonie, 60. and they are punished with death.

1   And there was a man dwelling in Babylon, and this name Ioakim: ^note

2   & he tooke a wife named Susanna, the daughter of Helcias exceding fayre, and fearing God.

3   For her parents being iust, instructed their daughter according to the law of Moyses.

4   And Ioakim was very rich, and he had an orchard nere vnto his house: and to him the Iewes resorted together, because he was the more honorable of al.

5   And there were ^note two ancients appointed iudges in that yeare, of whom our Lord spake: That iniquities came out of Babylon from the seniour iudges, that semed to rule the people.

6   These frequented the house of Ioakim, and al that had iudgements came to them.

7   And when the people returned at noone, Susanna went in, and walked in her husbands orchard.

8   and the ancients saw her dayly going in, and walking: and

they were inflamed to the concupiscence of her:

9   and they subuerted their sense, and declined their eyes that they would not see heauen, nor remember iust iudgements.

10   They were both therfore wounded with the loue of her, neither did they shew their griefe one to the other:

11   for they were ashamed to shew one an other their concupiscence, being desirous to lie with her:

12   and they watched euerie day carefully to see her. And one sayd to the other:

13   Let vs goe home, because it is the houre of dinner. And going forth they departed one from an other.

14   And when they were returned, they came into one place: and asking of each other the cause, they confessed their concupiscence: and then in commune they appoynted a time, when they might fynd her alone.

15   And it came to passe, when they obserued a fitte day, she went in on a time as yesterday and the day before, with two maydes onlie, & would be washed in the orchard: for it was an hote season.

16   And there was none there, but the two ancients hid, & beholding her.

17   She therfore sayd to the maydes: Fetch me oile, and washing balles, and shut the doores of the orchard, that I may be washed.

18   And they did as she had commanded: and they shut the doores of the orchard, and went out by a backe doore to fetch the thing that she had commanded. and they knew not that the ancients were hid within.

19   But when the maydes were gone forth, the two ancients arose, and ranne to her, and sayd:

20   Loe the doores of the orchard be shut, and no bodie seeth vs, and we are in the concupiscence of thee: wherfore consent to vs, and lie with vs.

21   and if thou wilt not, we wil geue testimonie against thee, that there was a yong man with thee, and for this cause thou didst send out thy maydes from thee.

22   Susanna sighed, and sayd: Perplexities are to me on euerie side: for if I shal doe this, it is death to me: and if I doe it not, I shal not escape your handes.

23   But it is better for me without the act to fal into your handes, then to sinne in the sight of our Lord.

24   And Susanna cried out with a lowd voice: but the ancients also cried out against her.

25   And one ranne to the doore of the orchard, and opened it.

26   when the seruants therfore of the house had heard the crie in the orchard, they rushed in by the backe doore, to see what it was.

27   And after the ancients spake, the seruants were ashamed excedingly: because neuer had there bene such a word sayd of Susanna. And the morow came.

28   And when the people was,

come to Ioakim her husband, the two ancients also came ful of vniust cogitation against Susanna, to put her to death.

29   And they sayd ^note before the people: Send to Susanna daughter of Helcias the wife of Ioakim. And forthwith they sent.

30   And she came with her parents, and children, and al her kinne.

31   Moreouer Susanna was exceding delicate, and beautiful of face.

32   But those wicked men commanded that she should be vncouered (for she whas couered) that so at least they might be satisfied with her beautie.

33   Her frendes therfore wept, & al that had knowne her.

34   But the two ancients rysing vp in the middes of the people, layd their handes vpon her head.

35   Who weeping looked vp to heauen, for her hart had confidence in our Lord.

36   And the ancients sayd: When we walked alone in the orchard, this woman came in with two maydes, & shut the doores of the orchard: and she sent away the maydes from her.

37   And a yongman that was hid came to her, and lay with her.

38   But we being in a corner of the orchard, seeing the iniquitie, ranne to them, and saw them lie together.

39   And him in deed we could not take, because he was stronger then we, and opening the doores he lept out:

40   but her when we apprehended, we asked what yongman it was, and she would not tel vs, of this thing we are witnesses.

41   The multitude beleued them as the ancients and the iudges of the people, and ^note they condemned her to death.

42   But Susanna cried out with a lowd voice, and sayd: Eternal God, which art the knower of hidden things before they come to passe,

43   thou knowest that they haue borne false witnes against me: and loe I dye, wheras I haue done none of these thinges, which these men haue maliciousely forged against me.

44   And our Lord heard her voice.

45   and when she was led to death, our Lord ^note raysed vp the holie spirit of a yong boy, whose name was Daniel:

46   and he cried out with a lowd voice: ^note I am cleane from the bloud of this woman.

47   And al the people turning to him, sayd: What is this word, that thou hast spoken?

48   Who when he stood in the middes of them, sayd: So folish ye children of Israel, not iudgeing, nor discerning that which is the truth, haue you condemned the daughter of Israel?

49   Returne ye to iudgement, because they haue spoken false testimonie against her.

50   The people therfore returned with speede, and the ancients sayd to him: Come, and sitte in the middes of vs, and tel vs: because God

hath geuen thee the honour of old age.

51   And Daniel sayd to the people: Separate them far one from an other, and I wil discouer them.

52   When they were therfore diuided one from the other, he called one of them, and said to him: O thou inueterated of euil dayes, now are thy sinnes come, which thou didst committe before: iudging vniust iudgements,

53   oppressing innocents, and dismissing offenders, our Lord saying: The innocent and the iust thou shalt not kil.

54   Now then if thou sawest her, tel vnder what tree thou sawest them talking together. Who sayd: Vnder a schine tree.

55   And Daniel sayd: Wel hast thou lyed agaynst thine owne head: for behold the Angel of God taking the sentence of him, shal cut thee in the middes.

56   And remouing him away, he commanded that the other should come, and he sayd to him: Seede of Chanaan, and not of Iuda, beautie hath deceiued thee, and concupiscence hath subuerted thy hart:

57   so did you to the daughters of Israel, and they fearing spake to you: but the daughter of Iuda did not abide your iniquitie.

58   Now therfore tel me, vnder what tree thou tookest them speaking one to an other. Who said: Vnder a prine tree.

59   And Daniel said to him: Wel hast thou also lyed against thine owne head: for the Angel of our Lord tarieth, hauing a sword, that he may cut thee in the middes, and kil you.

60   Therfore al the assemblie cried out with a lowd voice, and they blessed God, which saueth them that hope in him.

61   And they rose vp against the two elders (for Daniel had conuinced them by their owne mouth to haue geuen false testimonie) and they did to them as they had dealt naughtely against their neighbour,

62   to doe according to the law of Moyses: & they killed them, and innocent bloud was saued in that day.

63   But Helcias, and his wyfe praysed God, for their daughter Susanna, with Ioakim her husband, and al her kinne, because there was no vnhonest thing found in her.

64   And ^note Daniel became great in the sight of the people from that day, & thence forward.

65    ^noteAnd king Astyages was layd to his fathers, & Cyrus the Persian receiued his kingdom. Chap. XIIII. ^note Daniel detecteth the fraud of Bels priestes: who pretend that Bel eateth much meate: 21. for which they are slaine, and the idol destroyed. 22. Likewise he destroyeth a dragon, which the Babylonians held for a god. 27. He is cast into the lake of seuen lions. 32. whither Habacuc miraculously bringeth him meate: 39. the lions hurt him not: & his accusers are deuoured.

1   And Daniel was ^note the kings ghest, and honoured aboue al his freindes.

2   There was also an idol among the Babylonians named Bel: and there were bestowed on him euerie day of floure twelue ^note arctabaes, and fourtie sheepe, and of wine six great pottes.

3   The king also did worshipe him, and went euery day to adore him: But ^note Daniel adored his God. & the king sayd to him: Why dost thou not adore Bel.

4   Who answering, sayd to him: Because I worshipe not idols made with hand, but the liuing God, that created heauen, and earth, and hath powre ouer al flesh.

5   And the king sayd to him: Doeth not Bel seme vnto thee to be a liuing God? Seest thou not how much he eateth and drinketh euerie day?

6   And Daniel smiling sayd: Be not deceiued ô king. For this same is within of clay, and without of brasse, neither hath he eaten at any time.

7   And the king being wrath called his priests, & sayd to them: Vnlesse you tel me, who it is that eateth these expenses, you shal dye.

8   But if you shew, that Bel eateth these things Daniel shal dye, because he hath blasphemed against Bel. And Daniel sayd to the king: Be it done according to thy woord.

9   And the priests of Bel were seuentie, beside their wiues, and litle ones, & children. And the king came with Daniel into the temple of Bel.

10   And the priestes of Bel sayd: Behold we goe forth: & thou ô king set the meates, & mingle the wine, & shut the doore, & seale it with thy ring:

11   and when thou shalt come in the morning, vnles thou finde al eaten of Bel, dying we wil dye, or Daniel that hath lyed against vs.

12   And they contemned, because they had made vnder the table a secrete entrance, & by it they came in alwayes, and deuoured those thinges.

13   It came to passe therfore after they were gone out, the king set the meates before Bel: & Daniel commanded his seruants, and they brought ashes, and he sifted them ouer al the temple before the king: and going forth they shut the doore, and sealing it with the kings ring, they departed.

14   But the priestes went in by night, according to their custome, and their wiues, and their children: and they did eate, and drinke al.

15   And the king arose in the first breake of day, and Daniel with him.

16   And the king sayd: Are the seales safe, Daniel? Who answered: Safe ô king.

17   And forth with when he had opened the doore, the king looking on the table, cried out with a lowd voice: Great art thou ô Bel, and there is not any deceite with thee.

18   And Daniel laughed: and he held the king that he should not goe

in: and he sayd: Behold the pauement, marke whose steppes these are.

19   And the king sayd: I see the steppes of men, & wemen, and of infantes. And the king was angrie.

20   Then apprehended he the priests, & their wiues, & their children: and they shewed him secrete litle doores by which they came in; & consumed the thinges that were on the table.

21   The king therfore slewe them, & he deliuered Bel into the powre of Daniel: who ouerthrewe him, & his temple.

22   And ^note there was a great dragon in that place, & the Babylonians worshipped him.

23   And the king sayd to Daniel: Loe now thou canst not say, that this same is not a liuing god: adore him therfore.

24   And Daniel sayd: The Lord my God I doe adore: because he is the liuing God:

25   but thou ô king geue me licence, and I wil kil the Dragon without sword and clubbe. And the king sayd: I geue thee licence.

26   Daniel therfore tooke pitch, & fatte, and heares, and sod them together: & he made lumpes, and gaue into the Dragons mouth, & the Dragon burst in sunder. And he sayd: Loe whom you worshipped.

27   Which when the Babylonians had heard, they were wrath excedingly: and being gathered together against the king, they said: The king is become a Iewe. Bel he hath destroyed, the Dragon he hath killed, & he hath slaine the priests.

28   And they sayd when they were come to the king: Deliuer vs Daniel, otherwise we wil kil thee, & thy house.

29   The king therfore saw that they pressed vpon him vehemently: and compelled by necessity he deliuered Daniel to them.

30   Who cast him into the lake of lions, and he was there six dayes.

31   Moreouer in the lake were seuen lions, & there were geuen to them two bodies euerie day, & two sheepe: and they were not geuen vnto them, that they might deuoure Daniel.

32   And there was ^noteHabacuc a prophete in Iewrie, & he had boyled broth, & had broken bread in a bowle: and he went into the field, to carie it to the reapers.

33   And the Angel of our Lord sayd to Habacuc: Carie the dinner which thou hast, into Babylon to Daniel, who is in the lake of lions.

34   And Habacuc sayd: Lord, Babylon I haue not sene, and the lake I know not.

35   And the Angel of our Lord tooke him by the toppe of his head, and caried him by the heare of his head, & put him into Babylon ouer the lake in the force of his spirit.

36   And Habacuc cried, saying: Daniel, take the dinner that God hath sent to thee.

37   And Daniel sayd: Thou hast remembred me ô God, and hast not forsaken them that loue thee.

38   And Daniel rysing vp did eate. Moreouer the

Angel of our Lord restored Habacuc forthwith in his place.

39   The king therfore came the seuenth day to lament Daniel: and he came to the lake, and looked in, and behold Daniel sitting in the middes of the lions.

40   And the king cried out with a lowd voice, saying: Great art thou ô Lord the God of Daniel. And he drew him out of the lake of lions.

41   But those that had bene the cause of his perdition, he cast into the lake, and they were deuoured in a moment before him.

42   Then the king sayd: Let al inhabitants in the whole earth feare the God of Daniel: because he is the Sauiour, doing signes, & meruels in the earth: who hath deliuered Daniel out of the lions denne. THE ARGVMENT OF THE TWELVE LESSE PROPHECIES. ^note

VVhy Isai, Ieremie, Ezechiel, and Daniel are called the foure greater Prophetes, and these twelue the lesse: there semeth no other certaine and proper reason, but because they writte more largely, and these more brifely. ^note For otherwise without essential difference, al the sixtene, as also Baruch (whose booke is inserted with Ieremies) and Moyses, Samuel, the Royal Psalmist Dauid, Nathan, Elias, Elizeus, Esdras, Nehemias, and manie others, some writing bookes, some not, were absolutly true Prophetes of God, indued with the holie spirite of prophecie; had the like reuelations, with the same assurance of truth, in great part of the same Mysteries, as wel perteyning to the old Testament, as to the New. ^note And so these twelue, contracted into the straitnes of one volume (sayth S. Ierom) multò aliud, quam sonant in litera, præfigurant. Prefigurate a farre other thing, then they sound in the letter. ^note Sygnifying, as he elswhere explicæteth, that they do foreshew manie important thinges, not only perteyning to the Iewes, and some other peoples of those former times, but also of al nations to be conuerted to Christ. They were not al at one time: but Osee, Ioel, Amos, Abdias, Ionas, and Micheas, prophecied before the captiuitie of the tenne Tribes. Nahum, Habacuc, and Sophonias, after that captiuitie, and before the captiuitie of the two Tribes. And the other three Aggæus, Zacharias, and Malachie, after the relaxation from captiuitie. Neither did they al prophecie in the same places: nor concerning the same people; and so haue their particular arguments, as we shal briefly note of euerie one, as they folow in order.

Here vve may note for instruction of the vulgar reader, that the Prophetes commonly vse one of these names, when they direct their speach of the kingdom of two Tribes. ^note {Iuda, Beniamin, Ierusalem, or The house of Dauid.}

Because Iuda vvas the chiefe, and most vvorthie tribe. Beniamin the other only tribe (besides Leui) that ioyned vvith Iuda. Ierusalem the Metropolitan and Royal citie, vvhere both the Temple, and Kinges palace vvere situated. The House of Dauid is the familie, vvherof succeded al the kinges of that kingdom, so long as it stood; and of vvhich some remayned in more estimation then anie other euen to Christ.

Likevvise they vse some of these other names, vvhen they speake of the kingdom of tenne Tribes. ^note {Ephraim, Ioseph, Samaria, Iezrahel, Bethel, or Bethauen.}

For that their first king Ieroboam vvas of the tribe of Ephraim, and so descended from Ioseph; Samaria, and Iezrabel vvere the chifest cities of that kingdom; Bethel vvas one of the places (Dan the other) vvhere Ieroboam set vp the tvvo calues. VVhich place vvas othervvise, & more truly called Bethauen, the house of the idol, or of vanitie, or iniquitie. The names also of Israel and Iacob, were more commonly vsed for the tenne tribes; who being more in number vsurped, and appropriated to themselues the names of their general Progenitor, and Patriarch. ^note Yet sometimes these names importe al the tvvelue tribes, including also Leui. And sometimes, especially after the captiuitie of the tenne tribes, these names signifie the tvvo tribes only: vvhich more imitated Iacobs steppes and vertues, then the tenne.

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