Page:KJV 1772 Oxford Edition, vol. 2.djvu/43

Apocrypha. And, behold, the head was turned with them that were with it, and did eat up the two feathers under the wing that would have reigned.

But this head put the whole earth in fear, and bare rule in it over all those that dwelt upon the earth with much oppression; and it had the governance of the world more than all the wings that had been.

And after this I beheld, and, lo, the head that was in the midst suddenly appeared no more, like as the wings.

But there remained the two heads, which also in like sort ruled upon the earth, and over those that dwelt therein.

And I beheld, and, lo, the head upon the right side devoured it that was upon the left side.

Then I head a voice, which said unto me, Look before thee, and consider the thing that thou seest.

And I beheld, and lo, as it were a roaring lion chased out of the wood: and I saw that he sent out a man's voice unto the eagle, and said,

Hear thou, I will talk with thee, and the Highest shall say unto thee,

Art not thou it that remainest of the four beasts, whom I made to reign in my world, that the end of their times might come through them?

And the fourth came, and overcame all the beasts that were past, and had power over the world with great fearfulness, and over the whole compass of the earth with much wicked oppression; and so long time dwelt he upon the earth with deceit.

For the earth hast thou not judged with truth.

For thou hast afflicted the meek, thou hast hurt the peaceable, thou hast loved liars, and destroyed the dwellings of them that brought forth fruit, and hast cast down the walls of such as did thee no harm.

Therefore is thy wrongful dealing come up unto the Highest, and thy pride unto the Mighty.

The Highest also hath looked upon the proud times, and, behold, they are ended, and his abominations are fulfilled.

And therefore appear no more, thou eagle, nor thy horrible wings, nor thy wicked feathers nor thy malicious heads, nor thy hurtful claws, nor all thy vain body:

That all the earth may be refreshed, and may return, being delivered from thy violence, and that she may hope for the judgment and mercy of him that made her.

And it came to pass, whiles the lion spake these words unto the eagle, I saw,

And, behold, the head that remained and the four wings appeared no more, and the two went unto it and set themselves up to reign, and their kingdom was small, and fill of uproar.

And I saw, and, behold, they appeared no more, and the whole body of the eagle was burnt so that the earth was in great fear: then awaked I out of the trouble and trance of my mind, and from great fear, and said unto my spirit,

Lo, this hast thou done unto me, in that thou searchest out the ways of the Highest.

Lo, yet am I weary in my mind, and very weak in my spirit; and little strength is there in me, for the great fear wherewith I was afflicted this night.

Therefore will I now beseech the Highest, that he will comfort me unto the end.

And I said, Lord that bearest rule, if I have found grace before thy sight, and if I am justified with thee before many others, and if my prayer indeed be come up before thy face;

Comfort me then, and shew me thy servant the interpretation and plain difference of this fearful vision, that thou mayest perfectly comfort my soul.

For thou hast judged me worthy to shew me the last times.

And he said unto me, This is the interpretation of the vision:

The eagle, whom thou sawest come up from the sea, is the kingdom which was seen in the vision of thy brother Daniel.

But it was not expounded unto him, therefore now I declare it unto thee.

Behold, the days will come, that there shall rise up a kingdom upon earth, and it shall be feared above all the kingdoms that were before it.

In the same shall twelve kings reign, one after another:

Whereof the second shall begin to reign, and shall have more time than any of the twelve.

And this do the twelve wings signify, which thou sawest.

As for the voice which thou heardest