Eornostlice ne breac se arleasa Herodes his cynerices mid langsumere gesundfulnysse, ac buton yldinge him becom seo {86} godcundlice wracu, þe hine mid menigfealdre yrmðe fordyde, and eac geswutelode on hwilcum suslum he moste æfter forðsiðe ecelice cwylmian. Hine gelæhte unasecgendlic adl; his lichama barn wiðutan mid langsumere hætan, and he eal innan samod forswæled wæs, and toborsten. Him wæs metes micel lust, ac ðeah mid nanum ætum his gyfernysse gefyllan ne mihte. He hriðode, and egeslice hweos, and angsumlice siccetunga teah, swa þæt hé earfoðlice orðian mihte. Wæter-seocnyss hine ofereode, beneoðan þam gyrdle, to ðan swiðe, þæt his gesceapu maðan weollon, and stincende attor singallice of ðam toswollenum fotum fleow. Unaberendlic gyhða ofereode ealne ðone lichaman, and ungelyfendlic toblawennys his innoð geswencte. Him stód stíncende steam of ðam muðe, swa þæt earfoðlice ænig læce him mihte genealæcan. Fela ðæra læca hé acwealde; cwæð þæt hí hine gehælan mihton and noldon. Hine gedrehte singal slæpleast, swa þæt he þurhwacole niht buton slæpe adreah; and gif hé hwon hnáppode, ðærrihte hine drehton nihtlice gedwímor, swa þæt him ðæs slæpes ofþuhte. Þaða hé mid swiðlicum luste his lifes gewilnode, þa hét hé hine ferigan ofer ða eá Iordanen, ðærþær wæron gehæfde háte baðu, þe wǽron halwende gecwedene adligendum lichaman. Wearð þa eac his læcum geðuht þæt hí on wlacum ele hine gebeðedon. Ac ðaða hé wæs on ðissere beðunge geléd, þa wearð se lichama eal toslopen, swa þæt his eagan wendon on gelicnysse sweltendra manna, and hé læg cwydeleas butan andgite. Eft ðaða he com, þa het he hine ferigan to ðære byrig Hiericho. Þaþa he wearð his lifes orwene, þa gelaðode he him to ealle ða Iudeiscan ealdras of gehwilcum burgum, and het hí on cwearterne beclysan, and gelangode him to his swustur Salome and hire wer Alexandrum, and cwæð, "Ic wát þæt ðis Iudeisce folc micclum blissigan wile mines deaðes; ac ic mæg habban arwurðfulle líc-ðenunge of heofigendre menigu, gif ge willað minum bebodum gehyrsumian. Swa ricene swa ic gewíte, ofsleað ealle ðas Iudeiscan ealdras, ðe ic on {88} cwearterne beclysde, þonne beoð heora siblingas to heofunge geneadode, þa ðe wyllað mines forðsiðes fagnian." He ða his cempan to ðam slege genamode, and het heora ælcum fiftig scyllinga to sceatte syllan, þæt hi heora handa fram ðam blodes gyte ne wiðbrudon. Þaða hé mid ormætre angsumnysse wæs gecwylmed, þa het he his agenne sunu Antípatrem arleaslice acwellan, to-eacan þam twam þe hé ær acwealde. Æt nextan, ðaða hé gefredde his deaðes nealæcunge, þa het he him his seax aræcan to screadigenne ænne æppel, and hine sylfne hetelice ðyde, þæt him on acwehte. Þyllic wæs Herodes forðsið, þe mánfullice ymbe þæs heofenlican æþelinges to-cyme syrwde, and his efen-ealdan lytlingas unscæððige arleaslice acwealde.