Hrædlice ða comon þa hyrdas and gemetton Marian and Ioseph, and þæt cild geléd on ðære binne. Maria wæs be Godes dihte þam rihtwisan Iosepe beweddod, for micclum gebeorge; forðan ðe hit wæs swa gewunelic on Iudeiscre ðeode, æfter Moyses ǽ, þæt gif ænig wimman cild hæfde {42} butan be rihtre æwe, þæt hí man sceolde mid stanum oftorfian. Ac God asende his engel to Iosepe, ða María eacnigende wæs, and bead þæt he hire gymene hæfde, and þæs cildes foster-fæder wære. Þa wæs geðuht ðam Iudeiscum swilce Ioseph þæs cildes fæder wære, ac hé næs; forðan þe hit næs nan neod þam Ælmihtigum Scyppende þæt hé of wífe acenned wære; ac hé genam ða menniscnysse of Marían innoðe, and forlet hí mæden na gewemmed, ac gehalgod þurh his acennednysse. Ne oncneow heo weres gemanan, and heo acende butan sare, and þurhwunað on mægðhade. Þa hyrdas gesawon, and oncneowon be ðam cilde, swa swa him gesǽd wæs. Nis nan eadignys butan Godes oncnawennesse, swa swa Crist sylf cwæð ðaða he us his Fæder betæhte, "Þæt is ece líf, þæt hi ðe oncnawon soðne God, and ðone ðe þu asendest Hælend Crist." Hwæt ða ealle ða ðe þæt gehyrdon micclum ðæs wundrodon, and be ðam ðe ða hyrdas sædon. María soðlice heold ealle ðas wórd aræfniende on hire heortan. Heo nolde widmærsian Cristes digelnesse, ac anbidode oð þæt he sylf þaða he wolde hí geopenode. Heo cuðe Godes ǽ, and on ðæra witegena gesetnysse rædde, þæt mæden sceolde God acennan. Þa blissode heo micclum þæt heo hit beon moste. Hit wæs gewitegod þæt hé on ðære byrig Bethleem acenned wurde, and heo ðearle wundrode þæt heo æfter ðære witegunge ðær acende. Heo gemunde hwæt sum witega cwæð, "Se oxa oncneow his hlaford, and se assa his hlafordes binne." Þa geseah heo þæt cild licgan on binne, ðær se oxa and se assa gewunelice fodan secað. Godes heah-engel Gabrihel bodode Marían ðæs Hælendes to-cyme on hire innoðe, and heo geseah ða þæt his bodung unleaslice gefylled wæs. Ðyllice word María heold aræfnigende on hire heortan. And þa hyrdas gecyrdon ongean wuldrigende and herigende God, on eallum ðam ðingum ðe hí gehyrdon and gesáwon, swa swa him gesæd wæs. Þyssera ðreora hyrda gemynd is gehæfd be eastan Bethleem áne mile, on Godes cyrcan geswutelod, þam ðe ða stowe {44} geneosiað. We sceolon geefenlæcan þysum hyrdum, and wuldrian and hérian urne Drihten on eallum ðam ðingum þe he for ure lufe gefremode, ús to alysednysse and to ecere blisse, ðam sy wuldor and lof mid ðam Ælmihtigum Fæder, on annysse þæs Halgan Gastes, on ealra worulda woruld. Amen. DECEMBER XXV. SERMON ON THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD. We will, for the confirmation of your faith, relate to you the nativity of our Saviour, according to the order of the gospel: how he on this present day was born in true humanity in divine nature.