Drihten wæs acenned on þære byrig ðe is gehaten Bethleem; forðan ðe hit wæs swa ǽr gewitegod þisum wordum, "Þu Bethleem, Iudeisc land, ne eart ðu wacost burga on Iudeiscum ealdrum: soðlice of ðe cymð se latteow þe gewylt Israhela ðeoda." Crist wolde on ytinge beon acenned, to ði þæt he wurde his ehterum bedigelod. Bethleem is gereht 'Hlaf-hús,' and on hire wæs Crist, se soða hlaf, acenned, þe be him sylfum cwæð, "Ic eom se liflica hláf, þe of heofenum astáh, and seðe of ðam hlafe geett ne swylt hé on ecnysse." Þæs hlafes we onbyriað þonne we mid geleafan to husle gað; forðan þe þæt halige husel is gastlice Cristes lichama; and þurh ðone we beoð alysede fram ðam ecan deaðe. María acende ða hire frumcennedan sunu on ðisum andweardan dæge, and hine mid cild-claðum bewánd, and for rymetleaste on anre binne geléde. Næs þæt cild forði gecweden hire frumcennede cild swilce heo oðer siððan acende, ac forði þe Crist is frumcenned of manegum gastlicum gebroðrum. Ealle cristene men sind his gastlican gebroðra, and hé is se frumcenneda, on gife and on godcundnysse ancenned of ðam Ælmihtigan Fæder. Hé wæs mid wacum cild-claðum bewæfed, þæt he ús forgeafe ða undeadlican tunecan, þe we forluron on ðæs frumsceapenan mannes forgægednysse. Se Ælmihtiga Godes Sunu, ðe heofenas befon ne mihton, wæs geled on nearuwre binne, to ði þæt he ús fram hellicum nyrwette alysde. María wæs ða cuma ðær, swa swa þæt godspel ús segð; and for ðæs folces geðryle wæs þæt gesthus ðearle genyrwed. {36} Se Godes Sunu wæs on his gesthuse genyrwed, þæt he us rume wununge on heofonan rice forgife, gif we his willan gehyrsumiað. Ne bitt hé us nánes ðinges to edleane his geswinces, buton ure sawle hælo, þæt we ús sylfe clæne and ungewemmede him gegearcian, to blisse and to ecere myrhðe. Þa hyrdas ðe wacodon ofer heora eowode on Cristes acennednysse, getacnodon ða halgan lareowas on Godes gelaðunge, þe sind gastlice hyrdas geleaffulra sawla: and se engel cydde Cristes acennednysse hyrdemannum, forðam ðe ðan gastlicum hyrdum, þæt sind lareowas, is swiðost geopenod embe Cristes menniscnysse, þurh boclice lare; and hí sceolon gecneordlice heora underþeoddum bodian, þæt þæt him geswutelod is, swa swa ða hyrdas þa heofenlican gesihðe gewídmærsodan. Þam lareowe gedafenað þæt hé symle wacol sy ofer Godes eowode, þæt se ungesewenlica wulf Godes scep ne tostence.