Godes engel æteowode Iosepe, ðæs cíldes foster-fæder, on swefnum, cweðende, 'Arís, and nim þis cild mid þære meder, and fleoh to Egypta lánde, and beo þær oð þæt ic þe eft secge: soðlice toweard is þæt Herodes smeað hú hé þæt cild fordó.' Ioseph {80} ða arás nihtes, and þæt cild mid þære meder samod to Egypta lánde ferede, and þær wunode oð þæt Herodes gewát; þæt seo witegung wære gefylled, þe be ðære fare ær ðus cwæð, Of Egypta lánde ic geclypode minne sunu." Nu secgað wyrd-writeras þæt Herodes betwux ðisum wearð gewréged to þam Romaniscan casere, þe ealne middangeard on þam timan geweold. Þa gewende he to Rome, be ðæs caseres hæse, þæt he hine betealde, gif he mihte. Þa betealde he hine swiðe geaplice, swa swa he wæs snotorwyrde to ðan swiðe, þæt se casere hine mid maran wurðmynte ongean to Iudeiscum rice asende. Þaþa he ham com, þa gemunde he hwæt he ær be ðan cilde gemynte, and geseah þæt he wæs bepæht fram ðam tungel-witegum, and wearð þa ðearle gegremod. Sende ða his cwelleras, and ofsloh ealle ða hyse-cild, þe wǽron on þære byrig Bethleem, and on eallum hyre gemærum, fram twywintrum cilde to anre nihte, be ðære tide þe hé geaxode æt ðam tungel-witegum. Þa wæs gefylled Hieremias wítegung, þe ðus witegode, "Stemn is gehyred on heannysse, micel wóp and ðoterung: Rachel beweop hire cildru, and nolde beon gefrefrod, forðan ðe hi ne sind." On ðam twelftan dæge Cristes acennednysse comon ða ðry tungel-witegan to Herode, and hine axodon be ðam acennedan cilde; and þaþa hí his cenning-stowe geaxodon, þa gewendon hí wið þæs cildes, and noldon ðone reðan cwellere eft gecyrran, swa swa he het. Þa ne mihte he forbugan þæs caseres hæse, and wæs ða, þurh his langsume fær, þæra cildra slege geuferod swiðor þonne he gemynt hæfde; and hí wurdon ða on ðysum dægþerlicum dæge wuldorfullice gemartyrode; na swa-þeah þæs geares þe Crist acenned wæs, ac æfter twegra geara ymbryne æfter ðæs wælhreowan hamcyme. Næs hé æðelboren, ne him naht to þam cynecynne ne gebyrode; ac mid syrewungum and swicdome he becom to {82} ðære cynelican geðincðe; swa swa Moyses be ðam awrát, Þæt ne sceolde ateorian þæt Iudeisce cynecynn, oþþæt Crist sylf come. Ða com Crist on ðam timan þe seo cynelice mæigð ateorode, and se ælfremeda Herodes þæs rices geweold. Þa wearð he micclum afyrht and anðracode þæt his rice feallan sceolde, þurh to-cyme þæs soðan cyninges. Þa clypode hé ða tungel-witegan on sunder-spræce, and geornlice hí befrán, on hwilcne timan hí ærest þone steorran gesawon; forðan ðe he ondred, swa swa hit gelamp, þæt hí eft hine ne gecyrdon. Þa het he forðy acwellan ealle ða hyse-cild þære burhscire, fram twywintrum cilde oð anre nihte: ðohte gif he hí ealle ofsloge, þæt se án ne ætburste þe he sohte. Ac he wæs ungemyndig þæs halgan gewrites, ðe cwyð, "Nis nán wisdom, ne nán ræd naht ongean God."