"On ðam fifteoðan geare ðæs caseres rices Tyberii com Godes word ofer Iohannem, on ðam westene; and he ferde to folces neawiste, and bodade Iudeiscum folce fulluht on synna forgyfenysse, swa swa hit awriten is on Isaies witegunge." Cristes fulluht he bodade toweard eallum geleaffullum, on ðam is synna forgyfenys þurh ðone Halgan Gást. Iohannes eac be Godes dihte fullode ða ðe him to comon ðæra Iudeiscra ðeoda, ac his fulluht ne dyde nánre synne forgyfenysse, forðan ðe he wæs Godes bydel, and na God. He bodade mannum þæs Hælendes to-cyme mid wordum, and his halige fulluht mid his agenum fulluhte, on ðam he gefullode ðone unsynnian Godes Sunu, ðe nánre synne forgyfenysse ne behófade. Rihtlice weorðað Godes gelaðung ðisne dæg þæs mæran Fulluhteres gebyrd-tide, for ðam manegum wundrum ðe gelumpon on his acennednysse. Godes heah-engel Gabrihel bodade ðam fæder Zacharían his acennednysse, and his healican geðincðu, and his mærlican drohtnunge. Þæt cild on his modor innoðe oncneow Marian stemne, Godes cynnestran; and on innoðe ða-gyt beclysed, mid wítigendlicre fægnunge getácnode þone halwendan to-cyme ures Alysendes. On his acennednysse he ætbræd þære meder hire unwæstmbærnysse, and þæs fæder tungan his nama unbánd, þe mid his agenre geleafleaste adumbod wæs. Ðreora manna gebyrd-tide freolsað seo halige gelaðung: ðæs Hælendes, seðe is God and mann, and Iohannes his bydeles, and ðære eadigan Marian his moder. Oðra gecorenra {354} manna, ðe ðurh martyrdom, oððe þurh oðre halige geearnunga, Godes rice geferdon, heora endenextan dæg, seðe hí æfter gefyllednysse ealra earfoðnyssa sigefæste to ðam ecan life acende, we wurðiað him to gebyrd-tide; and ðone dæg, ðe hí to ðisum andweardan life acennede wæron, we lætað to gymeleaste, forðan ðe hí comon hider to earfoðnyssum, and costnungum, and mislicum fræcednyssum. Se dæg bið gemyndig Godes ðeowum ðe ða halgan, æfter gewunnenum sige, asende to ecere myrhðe fram eallum gedreccednyssum, and se is heora soðe acennednys; na wóplic, swa swa seo ærre, ac blissigendlic to ðam ecum life. Ac us is to wurðigenne mid micelre gecnyrdnysse Cristes gebyrd-tide, ðurh ða us com alysednys. Iohannes is geendung ðære ealdan ǽ and anginn ðære níwan, swa swa se Hælend be him cwæð, "Seo ealde ǽ and wítegan wæron oð Iohannes to-cyme." Siððan ongann godspel-bodung. Nu for his micclan halignysse is gewurðod his acennednys, swa swa se heah-engel behet his fæder mid ðisum wordum, "Manega blissiað on his gebyrd-tide." María, Godes cynnestre, nis nanum oðrum gelic, forðan ðe heo is mæden and modor, and ðone abǽr ðe hí and ealle gesceafta gesceop: is heo forði wel wyrðe þæt hire acennednys arwurðlice gefreolsod sy.