God bebead on þære ealdan ǽ, and het Moyses, þone heretogan, þæt he hit awrite betwux oðrum bebodum, þæt ælc wíf ðe cild gebære sceolde gebidan feowertig daga æfter þære cenninge, swa þæt heo ne cóme into Godes temple, ne on anum bedde mid hire were, ær ðam fyrste þe we ǽr cwædon; þæt is feowertig daga, gif hit hyse-cild wære: gif hit þonne mæden-cild wære, þonne sceolde heo forhabban fram ingange Godes huses hund-ehtatig daga, and eac fram hire gebeddan; and æfter ðam fyrste gán mid lace to Godes huse, and beran þæt cild forð mid þære láce, and syððan, mid Godes bletsunge, genealæcan hyre gemacan. Þis wæs geset be wifum. Nu wæs ðeah-hwæðere þæt halige mæden MARIA, Cristes moder, Godes beboda gemyndig, and eode on ðysum dæge to Godes huse mid láce, and gebrohte þæt cild þe heo acende, Hælend Crist, gelácod to þam Godes temple, swa swa hit on Godes ǽ geset wæs. Ða wæs þær, binnan þære byrig Hierusalem, sum Godes mann, and his nama wæs Symeon; he wæs swyðe rihtwis, {136} and hæfde micelne Godes ege, and he ge-andbidode ðone frofer, ðe behaten wæs þam folce Israhel, þæt is Cristes to-cyme. Se Halga Gast wæs wunigende on ðæm Symeone, and he wiste genoh georne þæt se Ælmihtiga Godes Sunu wolde to mannum cuman, and menniscnysse underfon. Þa wæs ðes man swiðe oflyst ðæs Hælendes to-cymes, and bæd æt Gode dæighwamlice on his gebedum, þæt he moste Crist geseon ær he deaðes onbyrigde. Þa forðy þe he swa micele gewilnunge hæfde Cristes to-cymes, ða com him andswaru fram þam Halgan Gaste, þæt he ne sceolde deaðes onbyrigan ærþam ðe he Crist gesawe. And he wæs þa bliðe þæs behates, and cóm to Godes temple, þurh myngunge ðæs Halgan Gastes. And seo halige Maria cóm ða to ðam temple mid þam cilde, and se ealda man Symeon eode togeanes þam cilde, and geseah þone Hælend, and hine georne gecneow, þæt he wæs Godes Sunu, Alysend ealles middan-eardes. He hine genam ða on his earmas mid micelre onbryrdnesse, and hine gebær into þam temple, and þancode georne Gode þæt he hine geseon moste. He cwæð þa, "Min Drihten, ðu forlætst me nú mid sibbe of þisum life, after þinum worde; forðon þe mine eagan gesawon þinne Halwendan, ðone ðu gearcodest ætforan ansyne ealles folces; leoht to onwrigennysse þeoda, and wuldor þinum folce Israhele." Hit is awriten on Crístes béc, and gehwær on oþrum bocum, þæt fela witegan and rihtwise men woldan geseon Cristes to-cyme, ac hit næs na him getiðod, ac wæs getiðod þisum ealdan men; forðam þe hit is be him awriten, þæt he cwæde dæghwamlice on his gebedum, "Ela, hwænne cymð se Hælend? Hwænne bið he acenned? Hwænne mot ic hine geseon? Hwæðer ic mote lybban oðþæt ic hine geseo?" And þa for ðysre gewilnunge him com andswaru, þæt he ne gesawe deað, ærðam ðe he Crist gesawe.