Us is eac to witenne, þæt wæron sume gedwolmen ðe cwǽdon, þæt ælc man beo acenned be steorrena gesetnyssum, and þurh heora ymbryna him wyrd gelimpe, and námon to fultume heora gedwylde þæt níwe steorra asprang þaþa Drihten lichamlice acenned wearð, and cwædon þæt se steorra his gewyrd wære. Gewíte ðis gedwyld fram geleaffullum heortum, þæt ænig gewyrd sy, buton se Ælmihtiga Scyppend, seðe ælcum men foresceawað lif be his geearnungum. Nis se man for steorrum gesceapen, ac ða steorran sint mannum to nihtlicere lihtinge gesceapene. Þaða se steorra glád, and þa tungel-witegan gelædde, and him ðæs cildes inn gebícnode, ða geswutelode he þæt he wæs Cristes gesceaft, and rihtlice his Scyppende þenode: ac hé næs his gewyrd. Eft we biddað þæt nán geleafful man his geleafan mid þisum gedwylde ne befyle. Witodlice Rebecca, Isaáces wíf, acende twegen getwysan, Iacob and Esau, on ánre tide, swa þæt Iacob heold þone yldran broðer Esau be ðam fét on ðære cenninge, and hi næron ðeah gelice on ðeawum, ne on lifes geearnungum. Witodlice þæt halige gewrit cwyð þæt God lufode Iacob, and hatode Esau; na for gewyrde, ac for mislicum geearnungum. Hit gelimpð forwel oft þæt on anre tíde acenð seo cwén and seo wyln, and ðeah geðicð se æðeling be his gebyrdum to healicum cynesetle, and ðære wylne sunu wunað eal his líf on ðeowte. Nu cweðað oft stunte men þæt hi be gewyrde lybban sceolon, swylce God hí neadige to yfel-dædum! Ac we wyllað þyssera stuntra manna ydele leasunge adwæscan mid deopnysse godcundra gewrita. Se Ælmihtiga Scyppend gesceop englas þurh his godcundan mihte, and for his micclan rihtwisnysse forgeaf him agenne cyre, þæt hí moston {112} ðurhwunian on ecere gesælðe ðurh gehyrsumnysse, and mihton eac ða gesælða forleosan, na for gewyrde, ac for ungehyrsumnysse. His deope rihtwisnys nolde hí neadian to naðrum, ac forgeaf him agenne cyre; forðan ðe þæt is rihtwisnys þæt gehwylcum sy his agen cyre geðafod. Þonne wære seo rihtwisnys awǽged, gif he hí neadunge to his ðeowte gebigde, oððe gif he hí to yfelnysse bescufe. Ða miswendon sume þa englas heora agenne cyre, and þurh modignysse hy sylfe to awyrigedum deoflum geworhton. Eft ðaða se ðrimwealdenda Scyppend mancyn geworhte, þa forgeaf hé Adame and Euan agenne cyre, swa hi, ðurh gehyrsumnysse, á on ecnysse, butan deaðe, on gesælðe wunodon, mid eallum heora ofspringe, swa hi, ðurh ungehyrsumnysse, deadlice wurdon. Ac ðaþa hí Godes bebod forgægdon, and þæs awyrigedan deofles lare gehyrsumodon, þa wurdon hi deadlice, and forscyldegode þurh agenne cyre, hí and eall heora ofspring; and ðeah ðe næfre ne wurde syððan mancynne gemiltsod, ðe má ðe ðam deoflum is, ðeah wære Godes rihtwisnys eallunga untæle. Ac eft seo miccle mildheortnys ures Drihtnes us alysde þurh his menniscnysse, gif we his bebodum mid ealre heortan gehyrsumiað. Witodlice ða ðe nu þurh agenne cyre and deofles tihtinge God forlætað, God forlæt hí eac to ðam ecan forwyrde.