Se Wealdenda Drihten sæde ðis bígspell his gingrum, þus cweðende, "Sum welig man wæs mid purpuran and godewebbe geglenged, and dæghwamlice mærlice leofode. Þa læg sum wædla at his geate, and his nama wæs Lazarus, se wæs lic-ðrowere:" et reliqua. Þis godspel is nu anfealdlice gesǽd. Se halga papa Gregorius us onwreah ða digelnysse ðisre rædinge. He cwæð, "Ne sæde þæt halige godspel þæt se ríca reafere wære, ac wæs uncystig and modegode on his welum." Be ðisum is to smeagenne, hu se beo gewitnod þe oðerne berypð, þonne se bið to helle fordemed se his agen nolde for Godes lufon syllan. Ðises mannes uncyst and up-ahefednys hine besencte on cwycsusle, forðan ðe he næfde nane mildheortnysse, þæt he mid his gestreone his agene sawle alysde. Nu wenað sume menn þæt nan pleoh ne sy on deorwurðum gyrlum; ac gif hit gylt nære, þonne ne geswutulode þæt halige godspel swa gewislice be ðam rican, þæt he wære mid purpuran and mid godewebbe geglencged. Ne cepð nan man deorwyrðra reafa buton for ydelum gylpe, soðlice þæt he sy toforan oðrum mannum þurh his glencge geteald. Drihten on oðre stowe herede {330} Iohannem ðone Fulluhtere for ðære teartnysse his reafes, forðan ðe hé wæs mid olfendes hærum gescryd, wáclice and stiðlice. Þaða se Hælend spræc be ðam rican, þa cwæð he, "Sum rice man wæs." Eft be ðam wædlan, "Sum ðearfa wæs geháten Lazarus." Cuð is eow þæt se rica bið namcuðre on his leode þonne se þearfa; þeah-hwæðere ne nemde se Hælend þone welegan, ac ðone wædlan; forðan ðe him is cuð þæra eadmodra manna naman ðurh gecorennysse, ac he ne cann ða modigan ðurh heora aworpennysse. Sume beladunge mihte se rica habban his uncyste, gif se reoflia wædla ne læge ætforan his gesihðe: eac wære ðam earman leohtre on mode, gif he ðæs rican mannes welan ne gesawe. Mislice angsumnyssa he forbær, ðaða he næfde ne bigleofan, ne hælðe, ne hætera, and geseah ðone rican halne and deorweorðlice geglencgedne brucan his estmettas. Genoh wære þam wædlan his untrumnys, þeah ðe he wiste hæfde; and eft him wære genoh his hafenleast, ðeah ðe he gesundful wære. Ac seo menigfealde earfoðnys wæs his sawle clænsung, and ðæs rican uncyst and up-ahefednys wæs his geniðerung; forðon ðe he geseah ðæs oðres yrmðe, and hine mid toðundenum mode forseah. Ac ðaða he wæs fram mannum forsewen, ða genealæhton ða hundas, and his wunda geliccedon. Hundes liccung gehælð wunda.