Textus Receptus Bibles
The Great Bible 1539
| 2:1 | In the seconde yeare of the raygne of Nabuchodonosor, had Nabuchodonosor a dreame, where thorow his sprete was vexed, and his slepe brake from hym. |
| 2:2 | Then the kynge commaunded to call to gether all the sothsayers, charmers, witches and caldees, for to shewe the kynge hys dreame. So they came, and stode before the kynge. |
| 2:3 | And the kynge sayde vnto them: I haue dreamed a dreame, and my sprete was so troubled therwith, that I haue clene forgotten, what I dreamed. |
| 2:4 | Upon this the Caldees answered the kynge in the Syrians speache: O kynge, God saue thy lyfe for euer. Shewe thy seruauntes the dreame, and we shal shewe the, what it meaneth. |
| 2:5 | The kynge gaue the Caldees theyr answere and sayde: It is gone fro me. Yf ye wyll not make me vnderstande the dreame with the interpretacyon therof, ye shall dye, and youre houses shalbe prysed. |
| 2:6 | But yf yee tell me the dreame and the meanynge therof, ye shall haue of me gyftes, rewardes and greate honoure: onely, shewe me the dreame and the signifycacyon of it. |
| 2:7 | They answered agayne, and sayde: the kynge must shewe his seruauntes the dreame, and so shall we declare what it meaneth. |
| 2:8 | Then the kynge answered, saying: I perceaue of a trueth, that ye do but prolonge the tyme: for so moche as ye se, that the thynge is gone fro me. |
| 2:9 | Therfore ye wyll not tell me the dreame, ye shall all haue one iudgement. But ye fayne & dissemble wt vayne wordes, which ye speake before me, to put of the tyme. Therfore tell me the dreame, & so shall I knowe, yf ye can shewe me, what it meaneth. |
| 2:10 | Upon this, the Caldees gaue answere before the kynge, and sayde: there is no man vpon earth, that can tell the thinge, which the kynge speaketh of: yee, there is nether kynge, prince ner Lorde, that euer asked soche thynges at a sothsayer, charmer or Caldeer: |
| 2:11 | for it is a very harde matter, that the kynge requyreth. Nether is there any, that can certifye the kynge therof, excepte the goddes: whose dwellynge is not amonge the creatures. |
| 2:12 | For the which cause the kynge was wroth with greate indignacion, and commaunded to destroye all the wyse men at Babylon: |
| 2:13 | & the proclamacyon wente forth, and the wyse men were slayne. They sought also to slaye Daniel with his companyons. |
| 2:14 | Then Daniel enquered of Arioch the kinges stewarde, of the iudgement and sentence, that was gone forth alredy to kyll soch as were wyse at Babylon. |
| 2:15 | He answered and sayde vnto Arioch beynge then the kynges debyte. Why hath the kynge proclamed so cruell a sentence? So Arioch tolde Daniel the matter. |
| 2:16 | Upon this, wente Daniel vp, and desyred the kynge, that he myght haue leysoure, to shewe the kynge the interpretacyon, |
| 2:17 | & then came he home agayne & shewed the thynge vnto. Ananias, Misael & Asarias his companions: |
| 2:18 | that they shulde beseche the God of heauen for grace in thys secret, that Daniel & hys felowes with other soche as were wyse in Babylon, perished not. |
| 2:19 | Then was the mystery shewed vnto Daniel in a visyon by nyght. And Daniel praysed the God of heauen. |
| 2:20 | Daniel also cried loude, & sayde: O that the name of God myght be praysed for euer and euer, for wysdome and strength are hys awne: |
| 2:21 | he chaungeth the tymes and ages he putteth downe kynges, he setteth vp kynges: he geueth wysdome vnto the wyse, & vnderstandinge to those that vnderstande, |
| 2:22 | he openeth the depe secretes: he knoweth the thinge that lyeth in darcknesse for the lyght dwelleth with hym. |
| 2:23 | I thancke the, & prayse the (O thou God of my fathers) that thou hast lent me wysdome & strength, & hast shewed me the thynge, that we desyred of the, for thou hast opened the kynges matter vnto me. |
| 2:24 | Upon this went Daniel in vnto Arioch, whom the kynge had ordened to destroye the wyse at Babylon he went vnto him, & sayde: destroye not soche as are wyse in Babylon, but brynge me in vnto the kyng, and I shall shewe the kynge the interpretacyon. |
| 2:25 | Then Arioch brought Daniel into the kynge in all the haste, and sayde vnto hym: I haue founde a man amonge the presoners of Iuda, that shall shewe the kynge the interpretacyon. |
| 2:26 | Then answered the kynge, & sayde vnto Daniel, whose name was Balthazar. Art thou he that canst shewe me the dreame, whiche I haue sene, & the interpretacyon therof? |
| 2:27 | Daniel answered the kynge to his face, & sayde: As for thys secrete, for the which the kynge maketh inquisicyon: it is nether the wyse, the sorcerer, the charmer ner the deuell coniurer, that can certifye the kynge of it. |
| 2:28 | Only God in heauen can open secretes, and he it is, that sheweth the kynge Nabuchodonosor, what is for to come in the latter dayes. Thy dreame, & that which thou hast sene in thyne head vpon thy bed, is this: |
| 2:29 | O kynge thou dydest cast in thy mynde, what shulde come herafter. So he that is the opener of mysteries, telleth the, what is for to come. |
| 2:30 | As for me, this secrete is not shewed me, for eny wysdome that I haue, more then eny other lyuinge: but onely that I myght shewe the kynge the interpretacyon, and that he myght knowe the thoughtes of his awne herte. |
| 2:31 | Thou kynge sawest, and beholde: there stode before the a greate Image, whose fygure was maruelous greate, and hys visage grymme. |
| 2:32 | The Image heade was of fyne golde, hys brest & armes of siluer, his body and loynes were of copper, |
| 2:33 | his legges were of yron, hys fete were parte of yron, and parte of earth. |
| 2:34 | This thou sawest tyll, the tyme that, without eny handes, there was hewen of, a stone which smote the Image vpon the fete, that were both of yron and earth, and brake them to poulder: |
| 2:35 | then was the yron, the earth, the copper, the syluer and golde broken altogether in peces: and became lyke the chaffe of corne, that the wynde bloweth awaye from the somer floores, that they can no more be founde. But the stone that smote the ymage, became a greate mountayne, which fulfylleth the whole earth: |
| 2:36 | This is the dreame. And nowe wyll we shewe before the kyng, what it meaneth. |
| 2:37 | O kynge, thou art a kynge of kynges: For the God of heauen hath geuen the a kyngdome, ryches, strength and maiesty: |
| 2:38 | & hath delyuered the all thynges, that are amonge the children of men: the beastes of the felde, & the foules vnder the heauen, and geuen the dominion ouer them all. Thou art that golden head. |
| 2:39 | After that there shall aryse another kingdome, which shall be lesse then thyne. The thyrde kyngdome shalbe lyke copper, & haue dominacyon in all landes. |
| 2:40 | The fourth kyngdome shall be as stronge as yron. For lyke as yron broseth and breaketh all thynges: Yee, euen as yron beateth euery thynge downe, so shall it beate downe and destroye. |
| 2:41 | Where as thou sawest the fete and toes, parte of earth and parte of yron: that is a deuyded kyngdome, whyche neuertheles shall haue some of the yron grounde mixte with it for so moche as thou hast sene the yron mixte with the claye. |
| 2:42 | The toes of the fete that were parte of yron and parte of claye, sygnifyeth: that it shalbe a kyngdome partely stronge and partely weake. |
| 2:43 | And where as thou sawest yron myxte wyth claye: they shall myngle them selues wyth the sede of symple people, & yet not contynue one wyth another, lyke as yron wyll not be souldered wyth a potsherde. |
| 2:44 | In the dayes of these kynges, shall the God of heauen set vp an euerlasting kyngdome whych shall not perish, & his kyngdome shal not be geuen ouer to another people: yee, the same shall breake & destroye all these kyngdomes, but it shall endure for euer. |
| 2:45 | And where as thou sawest, that wythout eny handes there was cut out of the mounte a stone, which brake the yron, the copper, the earth, the syluer and golde in peces: by that hath the greate God shewed the kyng, what wyll come after this. This is a true dreame, and the interpretacyon of it is sure. |
| 2:46 | Then the kynge Nabuchodonosor fell downe vpon his face, & bowed him selfe vnto Daniel, and commaunded that they shuld offre meatofferinges and swete odoures vnto hym. |
| 2:47 | The kynge answered Daniel, and sayde: yee, of a trueth youre God is a God aboue all goddes, a Lorde aboue all kynges, and an opener of secretes: seynge thou canst discouer this mysterie. |
| 2:48 | So the kynge made Daniel a greate man, and gaue hym many & greate gyftes. He made him ruler of all the countrees of Babylon, and Lord of all the nobles, that were at Babylon. |
| 2:49 | Nowe Daniel intreated the kynge for Sidrach, Misach and Abednago, so that he made them rulers ouer all the officers in the lande of Babylon: But Daniel hym selfe remayned styll in the courte by the kynge. |
The Great Bible 1539
The Great Bible of 1539 was the first authorized edition of the Bible in English, authorized by King Henry VIII of England to be read aloud in the church services of the Church of England. The Great Bible was prepared by Myles Coverdale, working under commission of Thomas, Lord Cromwell, Secretary to Henry VIII and Vicar General. In 1538, Cromwell directed the clergy to provide "one book of the bible of the largest volume in English, and the same set up in some convenient place within the said church that ye have care of, whereas your parishioners may most commodiously resort to the same and read it."