{ 186} Þis wundor is swiðe micel, and deop on getacnungum. Oft gehwa gesihð fægre stafas awritene, þonne herað he ðone writere and þa stafas, and nat hwæt hi mænað. Se ðe cann ðæra stafa gescead, he herað heora fægernysse, and ræd þa stafas, and understent hwæt hí gemænað. On oðre wisan we sceawiað metinge, and on oðre wisan stafas. Ne gæð na mare to metinge buton þæt þu hit geseo and herige: nis na genóh þæt þu stafas sceawige, buton ðu hí eac ræde, and þæt andgit understande. Swa is eac on ðam wundre þe God worhte mid þam fif hlafum: ne bið na genóh þæt we þæs tacnes wundrian, oþþe þurh þæt God herian, buton we eac þæt gastlice andgit understandon.
Þa fif hlafas ðe se cnapa bær getacniað þa fif béc ðe Moyses se heretoga sette on ðære ealdan ǽ. Se cnapa ðe hi bær, and heora ne onbyrigde, wæs þæt Iudeisce folc, ðe ða fif béc ræddon, and ne cuðe þæron nan gastlic andgit, ærðan ðe Crist com, and þa béc geopenode, and hyra gastlice andgit onwreah his leorning-cnihtum, and hi siððan eallum cristenum folce. We ne magon nu ealle þa fif béc areccan, ac we secgað eow þæt God sylf hi dihte, and Moyses hí awrát, to steore and to lare ðam ealdan folce Israhel, and eac ús on gastlicum andgite. Þa béc wæron awritene be Criste, ac þæt gastlice andgit wæs þam folce digle, oð þæt Crist sylf com to mannum, and geopenede þæra boca digelnysse, æfter gastlicum andgite.
Alii euangelistæ ferunt, quia panes et pisces Dominus discipulis distribuisset, discipuli autem ministrauerunt turbis. He tobrǽc ða fif hlafas and sealde his leorning-cnihtum, and het beran ðam folce; forðon þe hé tæhte him ða gastlican láre: and hí ferdon geond ealne middangeard, and bodedon, swa swa him Crist sylf tæhte. Mid þam ðe hé tobræc ða hlafas, þa wæron hí gemenigfylde, and weoxon him on handum; forðon ðe ða fíf béc wurdon gastlice asmeade, and wise { 188} lareowas hí trahtnodon, and setton of ðam bocum manega oðre béc; and we mid þæra boca lare beoð dæghwonlice gastlice gereordode.
Þa hláfas wæron berene. Bere is swiðe earfoðe to gearcigenne, and þeah-hwæðere fet ðone mann, þonne hé gearo bið. Swa wæs seo ealde ǽ swiðe earfoðe and digle to understandenne; ac ðeah-hwæðere, þonne we cumað to ðam smedman, þæt is to ðære getacnunge, þonne gereordað heo ure mod, and gestrángað mid þære diglan lare. Fif hlafas ðær wæron, and fif ðusend manna þær wæron gereordode; forðan ðe þæt Iudeisce folc wæs underðeodd Godes ǽ, ðe stód on fif bocum awriten. Þaða Crist axode Philippum, and he his afandode, swa swa we ær ræddon, þa getacnode he mid þære acsunge þæs folces nytennysse, þe wæs under ðære ǽ, and ne cuðe þæt gastlice andgit, ðe on ðære ǽ bediglod wæs.