We rædað on bócum, þæt ðeos gehealdsumnys wurde arǽred on ðone timan ðe gelámp on anre byrig, ðe Uigenna is gecweden, micel eorð-styrung, and feollon cyrcan and hús, and comon wilde beran and wulfas, and abíton ðæs folces micelne dǽl, and þæs cynges botl wearð mid heofonlicum fyre forbærned. Þa bead se biscop Mamertus ðreora daga fæsten, and seo gedreccednys ða geswac; and se gewuna ðæs fæstenes ðurhwunað gehwær on geleaffulre gelaðunge. Hí namon þa bysne ðæs fæstenys æt ðam Niniueiscan folce. Þæt folc wæs swiðe fyrenful: þa wolde God hí fordón, ac hí gegladodon hine mid heora behreowsunge. God spræc to anum wítegan, se wæs Ionas geháten, "Far to ðære byrig Niniuen, and boda ðær ða word þe ic þe secge. Þa wearð se wítega afyrht, and wolde forfleon Godes gesihðe, ac hé ne mihte. Ferde ða to sǽ, and stah on scip. Ðaða þa scypmen comon ut on sǽ, þa sende him God to micelne {246} wind and hreohnysse, swa þæt hí wæron órwene heora lífes. Hi ða wurpon heora waru oforbord, and se wítega læg and slép. Hi wurpon ða tán betweox him, and bædon þæt God sceolde geswutulian hwanon him þæt ungelimp become. Þa com ðæs wítegan tá upp. Hi axodon hine, Hwæt hé wære, oððe hú hé faran wolde? He cwæð, þæt hé wære Godes ðeow, seðe gesceop sǽ and lánd, and þæt hé fleon wolde of Godes gesihðe. Hí cwædon, Hú do we ymbe ðe? Hé andwyrde, Weorpað me oforbord, þonne geswicð þeos gedreccednys. Hí ða swa dydon, and seo hreohnys wearð gestilled, and hí offrodon Gode heora lác, and tugon forð." God ða gegearcode ænne hwǽl, and hé forswealh þone wítegan, and abǽr hine to ðam lande þe he tó sceolde, and hine ðær út-aspáw. Þa com eft Godes wórd to ðam wítegan, and cwæð, "Arís nu, and ga to ðære mycelan byrig Niniuén, and boda swa swa ic ðe ær sæde." He ferde, and bodode, þæt him wæs Godes grama ónsigende, gif hí to Gode bugan noldon. Ða arás se cyning of his cynesetle, and awearp his deorwyrðe reaf, and dyde hæran to his lice, and axan uppan his heafod, and bead þæt ælc man swa dón sceolde; and ægðer ge men ge ða sucendan cild and eac ða nytenu ne onbyrigdon nanes ðinges binnan ðrim dagum. Þa, ðurh þa gecyrrednysse, þæt hí yfeles geswicon, and ðurh þæt strange fæsten, him gemildsode God, and nolde hi fordón, swa swa he ǽr þa twa burhwara Sodomam and Gomorram, for heora leahtrum, mid heofonlicum fyre forbærnde. We sceolon eac on ðissum dagum begán ure gebedu, and fyligan urum haligdome ut and inn, and ðone Ælmihtigan God mid geornfulnysse herian. We wyllað nu þis godspel eow gereccan, þe her nu geræd wæs: "Quis uestrum habebit amicum:" et reliqua. "Se Hælend cwæð to his leorning-cnihtum, Hwilc eower is þe hæfð sumne freond, and gæð him to on middere nihte, and cwyð": et reliqua.