Men ða leofostan, nu for feawum dagum we oferræddon þis godspel ætforan eow, þe belimpð to ðysses dæges ðenunge, for gereccednysse ðære godspellican endebyrdnysse; ac we ne hrepodon þone traht na swiðor þonne to ðæs dæges wurðmynte belámp: nu wille we eft oferyrnan þa ylcan godspellican endebyrdnysse, and be ðyssere andweardan freolstíde trahtnian. Matheus se Godspellere cwæð, "Cum natus esset Iesus in Bethleem Iudæ, in diebus Herodis regis, ecce Magi ab oriente uenerunt Hierosolimam, dicentes, Ubi est qui natus est Rex Iudeorum?" et reliqua. "Þaða se Hælend acenned wæs on þære Iudeiscan Bethleem, on Herodes dagum cyninges, efne ða comon fram east-dæle middangeardes ðry tungel-witegan to ðære byrig Hierusalem, þus befrínende, Hwær is Iudeiscra leoda Cyning, seðe acenned is?" etc. Ðes dæg is gehaten Epiphania Domini, þæt is Godes geswutelung-dæg. On þysum dæge Crist wæs geswutelod þam ðrym cyningum, ðe fram east-dæle middangeardes hine mid þrimfealdum lacum gesohton. Eft embe geara ymbrynum hé wearð on his fulluhte on þysum dæge middangearde geswutelod, ðaða se Halga Gást, on culfran híwe, uppon him gereste, and þæs Fæder stemn of heofenum hlúde swegde, þus cweðende, "Þes is min leofa Sunu, þe me wél licað; gehyrað him." Eac on ðisum dæge he awende wæter to æðelum wine, and mid þam geswutelode þæt he is se soða Scyppend, þe ða gesceafta awendan mihte. For ðisum þrym ðingum is ðes freols-dæg Godes swutelung gecweden. On ðam forman dæge his gebyrd-tide he wearð æteowed þrym hyrdum on Iudeiscum earde, þurh ðæs engles bodunge. On ðam ylcum dæge he wearð gecydd þam ðrym tungel-witegum on east-dæle, þurh ðone beorhtan steorran; ac on þysum dæge {106} hí comon mid heora lacum. Hit wæs gedafenlic þæt se gesceadwisa engel hine cydde þam gesceadwisum Iudeiscum, ðe Godes ǽ cuðon, and ðam haðenum, þe ðæs godcundan gesceades nyston na ðurh stemne, ac ðurh tacn wære geswutelod. Þa Iudeiscan hyrdas getácnodon ða gastlican hyrdas, þæt sind ða apostolas, þe Crist geceas of Iudeiscum folce, ús to hyrdum and to lareowum. Ða tungel-witegan, ðe wæron on hæðenscipe wunigende, hæfdon getacnunge ealles hæðenes folces, ðe wurdon to Gode gebígede þurh ðæra apostola láre, þe wæron Iudeiscre ðeode. Soðlice se sealm-sceop awrát be Criste, þæt hé is se hyrn-stan þe gefegð þa twegen weallas togædere, forðan ðe he geþeodde his gecorenan of Iudeiscum folce and þa geleaffullan of hæðenum, swilce twegen wagas to anre gelaðunge; be ðam cwæð Paulus se apostol, "Se Hælend bodade on his to-cyme sibbe us ðe feorran wǽron, and sibbe þam ðe gehende wǽron. He is ure sibb, seðe dyde ægðer to anum, towurpende ða ǽrran feondscipas on him sylfum." Þa Iudeiscan ðe on Crist gelyfdon wæron him gehéndor stówlice, and eac ðurh cyððe þære ealdan ǽ: we wæron swiðe fyrlyne, ægðer ge stówlice ge ðurh uncyððe; ac he us gegaderode mid ánum geleafan to ðam healicum hyrn-stane, þæt is to annysse his gelaðunge.