Bright's Anglo-Saxon Reader/Ælfric's Homily on the Assumption of St. John the Apostle
[From the Cambridge Univ. Lib. MS. of Ælfric's Homilies.]
Iōhannes sē Godspellere, Crīstes dȳrling, wearð on ðysum dæge tō heofenan rīces myrhðe þurh Godes nēosunge genumen. Hē wæs Crīstes mōddrian sunu, and hē hine lufode synderlīce; nā swā micclum for ðǣre mǣglīcan sibbe swā for ðǣre clǣnnysse his ansundan mægðhādes. Hē wæs on mægðhāde Gode gecoren, and hē on ēcynesse on ungewemmendum mægðhāde þurhwunode. Hit is gerǣd on gewyrdelīcum racum þæt hē wolde wīfian, and Crīst wearð tō his gyftum gelaðod. Þā gelamp hit þæt æt ðām gyftum wīn wearð ātēorod. Sē Hǣlend ðā hēt þā ðēningmen āfyllan six stǣnene fatu mid hlūttrum wætere, and hē mid his blētsunge þæt wæter tō æðelum wīne āwende. Þis is þæt forme tācn ðe hē on his menniscnysse openlīce geworhte. Þā wearð Iōhannes swā onbryrd þurh þæt tācn, þæt hē ðǣr rihte his brȳde on mægðhāde forlēt, and symle syððan Drihtne folgode, and wearð ðā him inweardlīce gelufod, for ðan ðe hē hine ætbrǣd þām flǣsclīcum lustum. Witodlīce ðisum lēofan leorningcnihte befæste sē Hǣlend his mōdor, þā þā hē on rōdehengene manncynn ālȳsde, þæt his clǣne līf ðæs clǣnan mǣdenes Marīan gȳmde; and hēo ðā on hyre swyster suna þēnungum wunode. Eft on fyrste, æfter Crīstes ūpstige tō heofonum, rīcode sum wælhrēow cāsere on Rōmāna rīce, æfter Nerōne, sē wæs Domiciānus gehāten, crīstenra manna ēhtere: sē hēt āfyllan āne cȳfe mid wallendum ele, and þone mǣran godspellere þǣre on hēt bescūfan; ac hē ðurh Godes gescyldnysse ungewemmed on þām hātan bæðe ēode. Eft ðā ðā sē wælhrēowa ne mihte dahes ēadigan apostoles bodunge ālecgan, þā āsende hē gine on wræcsīð tō ānum īgeoðe þe is Paðmas gecīged, þæt hē ðǣr þurh hungres scearpnysse ācwǣle. Ac sē ælmihtiga Hǣlend ne forlēt tō gȳmelēaste his gelufedan apostol, ac geswutelode him on ðām wræcsīðe þā tōweardan onwrigenysse, be ðǣre hē āwrāt ðā bōc ðe is gehāten 'Apocalipsis': and sē wælhrēowa Domiciāanus on ðǣm ylcan gēare wearð ācweald æt his witena handum; and hī ealle ānmōdlīce rǣddon þæt ealle his gesetnyssa āȳdlode wǣron. Þā wearð Nerua, swīðe ārfæst man, tō cāsere gecoren. Be his geþafunge gecyrde sē apostol ongēan mid micclum wiðmynte, sē ðe mid hospe tō wræcsīðe āsend wæs. Him urnon ongēan weras and wīf fægnigende, and cweðende, 'Geblētsod is sē ðe cōm on Godes naman.'
Mid þām ðe sē apostol Iōhannes stōp intō ðǣre byrig Ephesum, þā bær man him tōgēanes ānre wydewan līc tō byrigenne, hire nama wæs Drūsiāna. Hēo wæs swīðe gelȳfed and ælmesgeorn, and þā ðearfan, de hēo mid cystigum mōde eallunga āfēdde, drēorige mid wōpe ðǣm līce folgodon. Ðā hēt sē apostol ðā bǣre settan, and cwæð, 'Mīn Drihten Hǣlend Crīst ārǣre ðē, Drūsiāna; ārīs, and gecyrr hām, and gearca ūs gereordunge on þīnum hūse.' Drūsiāna þā ārās swilce of slǣpe āwreht, and earfull be ðæs apostoles hǣse hām gewende. On ðām ōðrum dæge ēode sē apostol be ðǣre strǣt; þā ofseah hē hwǣre sum ūðwita lǣdde twēgen gecrōðru þe hæfdon behwyrfed eall heora yldrena gestrēon on dēorwurðum gemstānum, and woldon ðā tōcwȳsan on ealles þæs folces gesihðe, tō wǣfersȳne, swylce tō forsewennysse woruldlīcra ǣhta. Hit wæs gewunelīc on ðām tīman þæt ðā ðe woldon woruldwīsdōm gecneordlīce leornian, þæt hī behwyrdon heora āre on gymstānum, and ðā tōbrǣconl oððe on sumum geldenum wecge, and ðone on sǣ āwurpan; þī lǣs ðe sēo smēaung þǣra ǣhta hī æt ðǣre lāre hremde. Þā clypode sē apostol ðone ūðwitan Grāton him tō, and cwæð, 'Dyslīc bið þæt hwā woruldlīce spēda forhogige for manna herunge, and bēo on Godes dōme geniðerod. Ȳdel bið sē lǣcedōm þe ne mæg done untruman gehǣlan; swā bið ēac ȳdel sēo lāre ðe ne gehǣlð ðǣre sāwle leahtras and unðēawas. Sōðlīce mīn lārēow Crīst sumne cniht þe gewilnode þæs ēcan līfes þysum wordum lǣrde, þæt hē sceolde ealle his welan becēapian, and þæt wurð ðearfum dǣlan, gif hē wolde fulfremed bēon, and hē syððan hæfde his golðord on heofenum, and ðǣr tō ēacan þæt ēce līf.' Grāton ðā sē ūðwita him andwyrde, 'Þās gymstānas synde tōcwȳsede for ȳdelum gylpe, ac gif ðīn lārēow is soð God, gefēg ðās bricas tō ansundnysse, þæt heora wurð mæge þearfum fremian.' Iōhannes þā gegaderode ðǣra gymstāna bricas, and beseah tō geofonum, þus cweðende, 'Drihten Hǣlend, nis ðē nān ðing earfode; þū geedstaðelodest ðisne tōbrocenan middangeard on þīnum gelēaffullum þurh tācen þǣre hālgan rōde: geedstaðela nū þās dēorwurðan gymstānas ðurh ðīnra engla handa, þæt ðās nytenan menn ðīne mihta oncnāwon, and on þē gelȳfon.' Hwæt! ðā fǣrlīce wurdon ðā gymstānas swā ansunde þæt furðon nān tācen ðǣre ǣrran tōcwȳsednysse næs gesewen. Þā sē ūðwita Grāton samod mid þām cnihtum fēoll tō Iōhannes fōtum, gelȳfende on God. Sē apostol hine fullode mid eallum his hīrēde, and hē ongann Godes gelēafan openlīce bodian. Þā twēgen gebrōðra, Atticus and Eugenīus, sealdon heora gymstānas, and ealla heora ǣhta dǣldon wǣdlum, and filigdon þām apostole, and micel menigu gelēaffullra him ēac tō geðēodde.
Þā becōm sē apostol æt sumum sǣle tō þǣre byrig Pergamum, þǣr ðā foresǣdan cnihtas īu ǣr eardodon, and gesāwon heora ðēowan mid godwebbe gefrætewode, and on woruldlīcum wuldre scīnende. Ðā wurdon hī mid dēofles flān þurhscotene, and drēorige on mōde þæt hī wǣdligende on ānum wāclīcum wǣfelse fērdon, and heora ðēowan on woruldlīcum wuldre scīnende wǣron. Þā undergeat sē apostol ðās dēoflīcan fācn, and cwæð, 'Ic gesēo þæt ēower mōd is āwend and ēower andwlita, for ðan ðe gē ēowre spēda þearfum dǣldon, and mīnes Drihtnes lāre fyligdon: gāð nū for ðī tō wuda, and hēawað incre burðene gyrda, and gebringað tō mē.' Hī dydon be his hǣse, and hē on Godes naman ðā grēnan gyrda geblētsode, and hī wurdon tō rēadum golde āwende. Eft cwæð sē apostol Iōhannes, 'Gāð tō ðǣre sǣ strande, and feccað mē papolstānas.' Hī dydon swā; and Iōhannes þā on Godes mæsgenðrymme hī geblētsode, and hī wurdon gehwyrfede tō dēorwurðum gymmum. Þā cwæð sē apostol, 'Gāð tō smiððan, and fandiað þises goldes and ðissera gymstāna.' Hī ðā eōdon, and eft cōmon, þus cweðende, 'Ealle ðās goldsmiðas secgað þæt hī nǣfre ǣr swā clǣne gold nē swā rēad ne gesāwon; ēac ðās gymwyrhtan secgað þæt hī nǣfre swā dēorwurðe gymstānas ne gemētton.' Þā cwæð sē apostol him tō, 'Nimað þis gold and ðās gymstānas, and farað, and bicgað ēow landāre; for ðan þe gē forluron ðā heofonlīcan spēda. Bicgað ēow pællene cyrtlas, þæt gē tō lȳtelre hwīle scīnon swā swā rōse, þæt gē hrædlīce forweornion. Bēoð blōwende and welige hwīlwendlīce, þæt gē ēcelīce wǣdlion. Hwæt lā! ne mæg sē ælmihtiga Wealdend þurhtēon þæt hē dō his ðēowan rīce for worulde, genihtsume on welan, and unwiðmetenlīce scīnan? Ac hē sette gecamp gelēaffullum sāwlum, þæt hī gelȳfon tō geāgenne þā ēcan welan, ðā ðe for his naman þā hwīlwendan spēda forhogiað. Gē gehǣldon untruman on þæs Hǣlendes naman, gē āflīgdon dēoflu, gē forgēadon blindum gesihðe, and gehwilce uncoðe gehǣldon: efne, nū is ðēos gifu ēow ætbrōden, and gē sind earmingas gewordene, gē ðe wǣron mǣre and strange. Swā micel ege stōd dēoflum fram ēow þæt hī be ēowere hǣse þā ofsettan dēofolsēocan forlēton; nū gē ondrǣdað ēow dēoflu. Þā heofonlīcan ǣhta sind ūs eallum gemǣne. Nacode wē wǣron ācennede, and nacode wē gewītað. Þǣre sunnan beorhtnys, and þæs mōnan lēoht and ealra tungla sind gemǣne þām rīcan and ðām hēanan. Rēnscūras and cyrcan duru, fulluht and synna forgyfennys, hūselgang and Godes nēosung sind eallum gemǣne, earmum and ēadigum; ac sē ungesǣliga gȳtsere wile māre habban þonne him genihtsumað, þonne hē furðon onsorh ne brīcð his genihtsumnysse. Sē gȳtsere hæfð ǣnne līchaman, and menigfealde scrūd; hē hæfð āne wambe, and þūsend manna bigleofan: witodlīce þæt hē for gȳtsunge uncyste nānum ōðrum syllan ne mæg, þæt hē hordað, and nāt hwām; swā swā sē wītega cwæð. "On īdel bið ǣle man gedrēfed sē ðe horðað, and nāt hwām hē hit gegaderað." Witodlīce ne bið hē ðǣre ǣhta hlāfor, ðonne hē hī ðǣlan ne mæg; ac hē bið þǣra ǣhta ðēowa, þonne hē him eallunga þēowað; and þǣr tō ēacan him weaxað untrumnyssa on his līchaman, þæt hē ne mæg ǣtes oððe wǣtes brūcan. Hē carað dæges and nihtes þæt his feoh gehealdan sȳ; hē gȳmð grǣdelīce his teolunge, his gafoles, his gebylta hē berȳpð þā wanspēdigan, hē fulgǣð his lustum and his plegan; þonne fǣrlīce gewītt hē of ðissere worulde, nacod and forscyldigod, synna āna mid him ferigende; for ðan þe hē sceal ēce wīte ðrōwian.'
Efne ðā ðā sē apostol þās lāre sprecende wæs, ðā bær sum wuduwe hire suna līc tō bebyrgenne, sē hæfde gewīfod þrītigum nihtum ǣr. Sēo drēorige mōdor þā samod mid þām līcmannum rārigende hī āstrehte æt þæs hālgan apostoles fōtum, biddende þæt hē hire sunu on Godes naman ārǣrde, swā swā hē dyde þā wydewan Drūsiānam. Iōhannes ðā ofhrēow þǣre mēder and ðǣra līcmanna drēorignysse, and āstrehte his līchaman tō eorðan on langsumum gebede, and ðā æt nēxtan ārās, and eft ūpāhafenum handum langlīce bæd. Þā ðā hē þus þrīwa gedōn hæfde, ðā hēt hē unwindan þæs cnihtes līc, and cwæð, 'Ēalā ðū cniht, ðe þurh ðīnes flǣsces lust hrædlīce ðīne sāwle forlure; ēalā þū cniht, þū ne cūðest ðīnne Scyppend; þū ne cūðest manna Hǣlend; þū ne cūðest ðone sōðan frēond; and for ðī þū beurne on ðone wyrstan fēond. Nū ic āgēat mīne tēaras, and for ðīnre nytennysse geornlīce bæd, þæt þū of dēaðe ārīse, and þisum twām gebrōðrum, Attico and Eugenīo, cȳðe hū micel wuldor hī forluron, and hwilc wīte hī geearonodon.' Mid ðām þā ārās sē cniht Stactus, and fēoll tō Iōhannes fōtum, and begann to ðrēagenne þā gebrōðu þe miswende wǣron, þus cweðende, 'Ic geseah ðā englas þe ēower gȳmdon drēorige wēpan, and ðā āwyrigedan sceoccan blissigende on ēowerum forwyrde. Ēow wæs heofenan rīce gearo, and scīende gebytlu mid wistum āfyllede and mid ēcum lēohte; þā gē forluron þurh unwærscipe, and gē begēaton ēow ðēosterfulle wununga mid dracum āfyllede and mid brastligendum līgum, mid unāsecgendlīcum wītum āfyllede and mid anðrǣcum stencum; on ðām ne āblinð grānung and þoterung dægs oþþe nihtes: biddað for ðī mid inweardre heortan ðysne Godes apostol, ēowerne lārēow, þæt hē ēow fram ðām ēcum forwyrde ārǣre, swā swā hē mē fram dēaðe ārǣrde; and hē ēowre sāula, þe nū sind ādȳlegode of þǣre līflīcan bēc, gelǣde eft tō Godes gife and miltsunge.'
Sē cniht þā Stacteus, ðe of dēaðe ārās, samod mid þām gebrōðrum āstrehte hine tō Iōhannes fōtswaðum, and þæt folc forð mid ealle, ānmōdlīce biddende þæt hē him tō Gode geþingode. Sē apostol þā bebēad ðām twām gebrōðrum þæt hī ðrītig daga be hrēowsunge dǣdbētende Gode geofrodon, and on ðām fæce geornlīce bǣdon þæt þā gyldenan gyrda eft tō þan ǣrran gecynde āwendon, and þā gymstānas tō heora wācnysse. Æfter ðrītigra daga fæce, þā þā hī ne mihton mid heora bēnum þæt gold and þā gymstānas tō heora gecynde āwendan, ðā cōmon hī mid wōpe tō þām apostole, þus cweþende, 'Symle ðū tǣhtest mildheortnysse, and þæt man ōðrum miltsode; and gif man ōðrum miltsað, hū micele swīðor wile God miltsian and ārian mannum his handgeweorce! Þæt þæt wē mid gītsigendum ēagum āgylton, þæt wē nū mid wēpendum ēagum behrēowdiað.' Ðā andwyrde sē apostol, 'Berað ðā gyrda tō wuda, and þā stānas tō sǣstrange: hī synd gecyrrede tō heora gecynde'. Þā ðā hī þis gedōn hæfdon, ðā underfēngon hī eft Godes gife, swā þæt hī ādrǣfdon dēoflu, and blinde and untrume gehǣldon, and feala tācna on Drihtnes naman gefremedon, swā swā hȳ ǣr dydon.
Sē apostol þā gebīgde tō Gode ealne þone eard Asiam, sē is geteald tō healfum dǣle middaneardes; and āwrāt ðā fēorðan Crīstes bōc, sēp hrepað swȳðost ymbe Crīstes godcundnysse. Ðā ōðre ðrȳ godspellereas, Mathēus, Marcus, Lūcās, āwriton ǣror be Crīstes menniscnysse. Þā āsprungan gedwolmenn on Godes gelaðunge, and cwǣdon ðæt Crīst nǣre, ǣre hē ācenned wæs of Marīan. Þā bǣdan ealle ðā lēodbisceopas ðone hālgan apostol þæt hē þā fēorðan bōc gesette, and þǣra gedwolmanns dyrstignesse āadwǣscte. Iōhannes þā bēad ðrēora daga fæsten gemǣnelīce; and hē æfter ðām fæsten wearð swā miclum mid Godes gāste āfylled, þæt hē ealle Godes englas and ealle gesceafta mid hēalīcum mōde oferst_ah, and mid ðysum wordum þā godspellīcan gesetnysse ongan, 'In principio erat verbum, et verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat verbum, et reliqua,' þæt is on Englisc, 'On frymðe wæs word; and þæt word wæs mid Gode, and þæt word wæs God; þis wæs on frymðe mid Gode. Ealle ðing sind þurh hine geworhte, and nis nān þing būton him gesceapan.' And swā forð on ealre ðǣre godspellīcan gesetnysse hē cȳdde fela be Crīstes godcundnysse, hū hē ēcelīce būtan angynne of his Fæder ācenned is, and mid him rīxað on ānnyse þæs Hālgan Gāstes, ā būtan ende. Fēaws hē āwrāt be his menniscnysse, for ðan þe þā ðrȳ ōðre godspelleras gnihtsumlīce be þām heora bēc setton.
Hit gelamp æt sumum sǣle þæt þā dēofolgyldan, þe þā gȳt ungelēaffulle wǣron, gecwǣdon þæt hī woldon þone apostol tō heora hǣðenscipe genēadian. Þā cwæð sē apostol tō ðām hǣðengyldum, 'Gāð elle endemes tō Godes cyrcan, and clypiað ealle tō ēowerum godum, þæt sēo cyrce āfealle ðurh heora mihte; ðonne būge ic tō ēowerum hǣðenscipe. Gif ðonne ēower godes miht þā hālgan gyrcan tōwurpan ne mæg, ic tōwurpe ēower tempel þurh ðæs ælmihtigan Godes mihte, and ic tōcwȳse ēower dēofolgyld; and bið þonne rihtlīc geðūht þæt gē geswȳcon ēoweres gedwyldes, and gelȳfon on ðonne sōðan God, sē ðe āna is ælmihtig.' Þā hǣðengyldan ðisum cwyde geðǣrlǣhton, and Iōhannes mid geswǣsum wordum þæt folc tihte þæt hī ufor ēodon fram þām dēofles temple; and mid beorhtre stemne ætforum him ealle clypode, 'On Godes naman āhrēose þis templ mid eallum þām dēofolgyldum þe him on eardiað, þæt þēos menigu tōcnāwe þæt ðis hǣðengyld dēofles biggeng is.' Hwæt ðā fǣrlīce āhrēas þæt tempel grundlunga mid eallum his anlīcnyssum tō dūste āwende. On þām ylcan dæge wurdon gebīgede twelf ðūsend hǣðenra manna tō Crīstes gelēafan, and mid fulluhte gehālgode.
Þā sceorede ðā gȳt sē yldesta hǣðengylda mid mycelre þwyrnysse, and cwæð þæt hē nolde gelȳfan būton. Iōhannes āttor drunce, and þurh Godes mihte ðone cwealmbǣran drenc oferswīðde. Þā cwæð sē apostol, 'Þēah ðū mē āttor sylle, þurh Godes naman hit mē ne derað.' Ðā cwæð sē hǣðengylda Aristodēmus, 'Þū scealt ǣrest ōðerne gesēon drincan, and ðǣr rihte cwelan, þæt hūru ðīn heorte swā forhtige for ðām dēadbǣrum drence.' Iōhannes him andwyrde, 'Gif ðū on God gelȳfan wylt, ic unforhtmōd ðæs drences onfō.' Þā getengde sē Aristodēmus tō ðām hēahgerēfan, and genam on his cwearterne twēgen dēofas, and sealde him ðone unlybban ætforan eallum ðām folce, on Iōhannes gesihðe; and hī ðǣr rihte æfter ðām drence gewiton. Syððan sē hǣðengilda ēac sealde ðone āttorbǣran drenc þām apostole, and hē mid rōdetācne his mūð and ealne his līchaman gewǣpnode, and ðone unlybban on Godes naman hālsode, and siððan mid gebildum mōde hine ealne gedranc. Aristodēmus ðā and þæt folc behēoldon þone apostol ðrēo tīda dæges, and gesāwon gine habban glædne andwlitan būton blācunge and forhtunge; and hī ealle clypodon, 'Ān sōð God is, sē ðe Iōhannes wurðað.' Þā cwæð sē hǣðengylda tō ðām apostole, 'Gȳt mē twēonað; ac gif ðū ðās dēadan sceaðan on ðīnes Godes naman ārǣrst, þonne bið mīn heorte geclǣnsod fram ǣlcere twȳnunge.' Ðā cwæð Iōhannes, 'Aristodēme, nim mīne tunecan, and lege bufon þǣra dēadra manna līc, and cweð, "Þæs Hǣlendes Crīstes apostol mē āsende tō ēow, þæt gē on his naman of dēaðe ārīson, and ǣlc mann oncnāwe þæt dēað and līf þēowiað nīnum Hǣlende."' Hē ðā be ðæs apostoles hǣse bær his tunecan, and ālēde uppon ðām twām dēadum; and hī ðǣr rihte ansunde ārison. Þā ðā sē hǣðengilda þæt geseah, ðā āstrehte hē hine tō Iōhannes fōtum, and syððan fērde tō ðām hēahgerēfan, and him ðā wundra mid hlūddre stemne cȳdde. Hī ðā bēgen þone apostol gesōhton, his miltsunge biddende. Þā bēad sē apostol him seofon nihta fæsten, and hī siððan gefullode; and hī æfter ðām fulluhte tōwurpon eall heora dēofolgyld, and mid heora māga fultume and mid eallum cræfte ārǣrdon Gode mǣre cyrcan on ðæs apostoles wurðmynte. Þā ðā sē apostol wæs nigon and hundnigontig gēara, þā ætēowode him Drihten Crīst mid þām ōðrum apostolum, þe hē of ðisum līf genumen hæfde, and cwæð, 'Iōhannes, cum tō mē: tīma is þæt þū mid ðīnum gebrōðrum wistfullige on mīnum gebēorscipe.' Iōhannes þā ārās, and ēode wið þæs Hǣlendes; ac hē him tō cwæð, 'Nū on sunnandæg, mīnes ǣrīstes dæge, þū cymst tō mē;' and æfter ðām worde Drihten gewende tō heofonum. Sē apostol micelum blissode on ðām behāte, and on þām sunnannūhtan ǣrwacol tō ðǣre cyrcan cōm, and þām folce, fram hancrēde oð undern, Godes herihta lǣrde, and him mæssan gesang, and cwæð þæt sē Hǣlende hine on ðām dæge tō hēofonum gelaðod hæfde. Hēt ðā delfan his byrgene wið þæt wēofod, and þæt grēot ūtāwegan. And hē ēode cucu and gesund intō his byrgene, and āstrehtum handum tō Gode clypode, 'Drihten Crīst, ic þancige ðē þæt þū mē gelaðodest tō þīnum wistum; þū wāst þæt ic mid ealre heortan þē gewilnode. Oft ic ðē bæd þæt ic mōste tō ðē faran, ac þū cwǣde þæt ic andbidode, þæt ic ðē māre folc gestrȳnde. Þū hēolde mīnne līchaman wið ǣlce besmitennysse, and þū simle mīne sāwle onlīhtest, and mē nāhwār ne forlēte. Þū settest on mīnum mūðe þīnre sōðfæstnysse word, and ic āwrāt ðā lāre ðe ic of ðīnum mūðe gehȳrde, and ðā wundra ðe ic ðē wyrcan geseah. Nū ic ðē betǣce, Drihten, þīne bearn, ðā ðe þīn gelaðung, mǣden and mōder, þurh wæter and þone Hālgan Gāst ðē gestrȳnde. Onfōh mē tō mīnum gebrōðrum mid ðām ðe ðū cōme, and mē gelaðodest. Geopena ongēan mē līfes geat, þæt ðǣra ðēostra ealdras mē ne gemēton. Þū eart Crīst, ðæs lifigendan Godes Sunu, þū þe be ðīnes Fæder hǣse middangeard gehǣldest, and ūs ðone Hālgan Gāst āsendest. Þē wē heriað, and þanciað þīnra menigfealdra gōda geond ungeendode worulde. Amen.'
Æfter ðysum gebede ætēowode heofonlīc lēoht bufon ðām apostol binnon ðǣre byrgene, āne tīd swā beorhte scīnende þæt nānes mannes gesihð þæs lēohtes lēoman scēawian ne mihte; and hē mid þām lēohte his gāst āgeaf þām Drihtne þe hine tō his rīce gelaðode. Hē gewāt swā frēoh fram dēades sārnysse of ðisum andweardan līfe swā swā hē wæs ælfremed fram līchamlīcere gewemmednysse. Sōðlīce syððan wæs his byrgen gemēt mid mannan āfylled. Manna wæs gehāten sē heofonlīca mete þe fēowertig gēara āfēdde Israhēla folc on wēstene. Nū wæs sē bigleofa gemētt on Iōhannes byrgene, and nān ðing elles; and sē mete is weaxende on hire oð ðisne andweardan dæg. Þǣr bēoð fela tācna ætēcwode, and untrume gehǣlde and fram eallum frēcednyssum ālȳsede þurh ðæs apostoles ðingunge. Þæs him getīðað Drihten Crīst, þām is wuldor and wurðmynt mid Fæder and Hālgum Gāste ā būton ende. Amen.