Lines 124–249

Wearð he on þam egesan acol worden,
þa he ne wisse word ne angin
swefnes sines; het him secgan þeah.
þa him unbliðe andswaredon
deofolwitgan (næs him dom gearu
to asecganne swefen cyninge):
"Hu magon we swa dygle, drihten, ahicgan
on sefan þinne, hu ðe swefnede,
oððe wyrda gesceaft wisdom bude,
gif þu his ærest ne meaht or areccan?"
þa him unbliðe andswarode
wulfheort cyning, witgum sinum:
"Næron ge swa eacne ofer ealle men
modgeþances swa ge me sægdon,
and þæt gecwædon, þæt ge cuðon
mine aldorlege, swa me æfter wearð,
oððe ic furðor findan sceolde.
Nu ge mætinge mine ne cunnon,
þa þe me for werode wisdom berað.
Ge sweltað deaðe, nymþe ic dom wite
soðan swefnes, þæs min sefa myndgað."
Ne meahte þa seo mænigeo on þam meðelstede
þurh witigdom wihte aþencean
ne ahicgan, þa hit forhæfed gewearð
þætte hie sædon swefn cyninge,
wyrda gerynu, oðþæt witga cwom,
Daniel to dome, se wæs drihtne gecoren,
snotor and soðfæst, in þæt seld gangan.
Se wæs ordfruma earmre lafe
þære þe þam hæðenan hyran sceolde.
Him god sealde gife of heofnum
þurh hleoðorcwyde haliges gastes,
þæt him engel godes eall asægde
swa his mandrihten gemæted wearð.
ða eode Daniel, þa dæg lyhte,
swefen reccan sinum frean,
sægde him wislice wereda gesceafte,
þætte sona ongeat swiðmod cyning
ord and ende þæs þe him ywed wæs.
ða hæfde Daniel dom micelne,
blæd in Babilonia mid bocerum,
siððan he gesæde swefen cyninge,
þæt he ær for fyrenum onfon ne meahte,
Babilonie weard, in his breostlocan.
No hwæðere þæt Daniel gedon mihte
þæt he wolde metodes mihte gelyfan,
ac he wyrcan ongan weoh on felda
þam þe deormode Diran heton,
se wæs on ðære ðeode ðe swa hatte,
bresne Babilonige. þære burge weard
anne manlican ofer metodes est,
gyld of golde, gumum arærde,
for þam þe gleaw ne wæs, gumrices weard,
reðe and rædleas, riht ......
þa wearð hæleða hlyst þa hleoðor cwom
byman stefne ofer burhware.
þa hie for þam cumble on cneowum sæton,
onhnigon to þam herige hæðne þeode,
wurðedon wihgyld, ne wiston wræstran ræd,
efndon unrihtdom, swa hyra aldor dyde,
mane gemenged, mode gefrecnod.
Fremde folcmægen, swa hyra frea ærest,
unræd efnde, (him þæs æfter becwom
yfel endelean), unriht dyde.
þær þry wæron on þæs þeodnes byrig,
eorlas Israela, þæt hie a noldon
hyra þeodnes dom þafigan onginnan,
þæt hie to þam beacne gebedu rærde,
ðeah ðe ðær on herige byman sungon.
ða wæron æðelum god Abrahames bearn,
wæron wærfæste, wiston drihten
ecne uppe, ælmihtigne.
Cnihtas cynegode cuð gedydon,
þæt hie him þæt gold to gode noldon
habban ne healdan, ac þone hean cyning,
gasta hyrde, ðe him gife sealde.
Oft hie to bote balde gecwædon
þæt hie þæs wiges wihte ne rohton,
ne hie to þam gebede mihte gebædon
hæðen heriges wisa, þæt hie þider hweorfan wolden,
guman to þam gyldnan gylde, þe he him to gode geteode.
þegnas þeodne sægdon þæt hie þære geþeahte wæron,
hæftas hearan, in þisse hean byrig,
þa þis hegan ne willað, ne þysne wig wurðigean,
þe ðu þe to wuldre wundrum teodest.
ða him bolgenmod Babilone weard
yrre andswarode, eorlum onmælde
grimme þam gingum, and geocre oncwæð,
þæt hie gegnunga gyldan sceolde
oððe þrowigean þreanied micel,
frecne fyres wylm, nymðe hie friðes wolde
wilnian to þam wyrrestan, weras Ebrea,
guman to þam golde, þe he him to gode teode.
Noldon þeah þa hyssas hyran larum
in hige hæðnum. Hogedon georne
þæt æ godes ealle gelæste,
and ne awacodon wereda drihtne,
ne þan mæ gehwurfe in hæðendom,
ne hie to facne freoðo wilnedan,
þeah þe him se bitera deað geboden wære.
þa wearð yrre anmod cyning, het he ofn onhætan
to cwale cnihta feorum forðam þe hie his cræftas onsocon.
þa he wæs gegleded, swa he grimmost mihte,
frecne fyres lige, þa he þyder folc samnode,
and gebindan het, Babilone weard,
grim and gealhmod, godes spelbodan.
Het þa his scealcas scufan þa hyssas
in bælblyse, beornas geonge.
Gearo wæs se him geoce gefremede; þeah þe hie swa grome nydde
in fæðm fyres lige, hwæðere heora feorh generede
mihtig metodes weard. Swa þæt mænige gefrunon,
halige him þær help geteode, sende him of hean rodore
god, gumena weard, gast þone halgan.
Engel in þone ofn innan becwom þær hie þæt aglac drugon,
freobearn fæðmum beþeahte under þam fyrenan hrofe.
Ne mihte þeah heora wlite gewemman owiht
wylm þæs wæfran liges, þa hie se waldend nerede.
Hreohmod wæs se hæðena þeoden, het hie hraðe bærnan.
æled wæs ungescead micel. þa wæs se ofen onhæted,
isen eall ðurhgleded. Hine ðær esnas mænige
wurpon wudu on innan, swa him wæs on wordum gedemed;
bæron brandas on bryne blacan fyres,
(wolde wulfheort cyning wall onsteallan,
iserne ymb æfæste), oðþæt up gewat
lig ofer leofum and þurh lust gesloh
micle mare þonne gemet wære.