Crist is goód gecyndelice, and soðlice nis nan ðing gód butan Gode anum. Gif ænig gesceaft is gód, þonne is seo gódnys of ðam Scyppende, seðe is healice gód. He cwæð, "Se góda hyrde sylð his agen líf for his sceapum." Ure Alysend is se góda hyrde, and we cristene men sind his scép, and he sealde his agen líf for ure alysednysse. He dyde swa swa he manede, and mid þam he geswutelode hwæt he bebead. Gód hyrde wæs Petrus, and gód wæs Paulus, and góde wæron ða apostoli, ðe hyra líf sealdon for Godes folce and for rihtum geleafan; ac heora gódnys wæs of ðam heafde, þæt is Crist, ðe is heora heafod, and hí sind his lima. Ælc bisceop and ælc láreow is to hyrde gesett Godes folce, þæt hí sceolon þæt folc wið ðone wulf gescyldan. Se wulf {240} is deofol, þe syrwð ymbe Godes gelaðunge, and cepð hu he mage cristenra manna sawla mid leahtrum fordón. Þonne sceal se hyrde, þæt is se bisceop oððe oðer láreow, wiðstandan þam reðan wulfe mid láre and mid gebedum. Mid lare he sceal him tæcan, þæt hi cunnon hwæt deofol tæchð mannum to forwyrde, and hwæt God bebýt to gehealdenne, for begeate þæs ecan lifes. He sceal him fore-gebiddan, þæt God gehealde þa strángan, and gehæle ða untruman. Se bið to strángum geteald, seþe wiðstent deofles lare; se bið untrum, seðe on leahtrum fylð. Ac se láreow bið unscyldig, gif he þæt folc mid lare gewissað, and him wið God geðingað. Þa twa ðing he sceal ðam folce dón, and eac mid his agenum oðrum gehelpan; and gif hit swa getímað, his agen líf syllan for ðæs folces hreddinge. "Se hyra flihð þonne he ðone wulf gesihð." Se is hyra and na hyrde, seðe bið begripen on woruld-ðingum, and lufað þone wurðmynt and ða ateorigendlican edlean, and næfð inweardlice lufe to Godes sceapum. He cepð þæra sceatta, and blissað on ðam wurðmynte, and hæfð his mede for ðisum life, and bið bescyred þære ecan mede. Nast ðu hwá bið hyra, hwá hyrde, ærðam ðe se wulf cume; ac se wulf geswutelað mid hwilcum mode he gymde þæra sceapa. Se wulf cymð to ðam sceapum, and sume hé abitt, sume hé tostencð, þonne se reða deofol tihð þa cristenan men, sume to forlígre, sume hé ontent to gytsunge, sume hé arærð to modignysse, sume hé þurh graman totwæmð, and mid mislicum costnungum gastlice ofslihð. Ac se hyra ne bið naðor ne mid ware ne mid lufe astyred, ac flyhð, forðan þe hé smeað embe ða woruldlican hyðða, and lǽt to gymeleaste þære sceapa lyre. Ne flyhð he na mid lichaman, ac mid mode. He flyhð, forðan þe hé geseh unrihtwisnysse and suwade. Hé flyhð forðan ðe he is hyra, and ná hyrde, swilce hit swa gecweden sy, Ne mæg se standan ongean fræcednyssa þæra sceapa, seðe ne gymð þæra sceapa mid lufe, ac {242} tylað his sylfes; þæt is þæt hé lufað þa eorðlican gestreon, and na Godes folc.