Se ealda deofol gecostnode urne fæder Adám on ðreo wisan: þæt is mid gyfernysse, and mid idelum wuldre, and mid gitsunge; and þa wearð he oferswiðed, forðon þe he geðafode ðam deofle on eallum þam ðrim costnungum. Þurh gyfernysse he wæs oferswiðed, þaþa he ðurh deofles lare æt ðone forbodenan æppel. Þurh idel wuldor he wæs oferswiðed, ðaða he gelyfde ðæs deofles wordum, ðaða he cwæð, "Swa mære ge beoð swa swa englas, gif ge of þam treowe etað." And hí ða gelyfdon his leasunge, and woldon mid idelum gylpe beon beteran þonne hí gesceapene wæron: ða wurdon hí wyrsan. Mid gytsunge he wæs oferswiðed, þaþa se deofol cwæð to him, "And ge habbað gescead ægðer ge gódes ge ýfeles." Nis na gytsung on feo anum, ac is eac on gewilnunge micelre geðincðe.
Mid þam ylcum ðrim ðingum þe se deofol ðone frumsceapenan mann oferswiðde, mid þam ylcan Crist oferswiðde hine, and astrehte. Þurh gyfernysse fandode se deofol Cristes, ðaða he cwæð, "Cweð to ðysum stanum þæt hí beon to hlafum awende, and et." Þurh idel wuldor he fandode his, þaþa he hine tihte þæt hé sceolde sceotan nyðer of ðæs temples scylfe. Þurh gitsunge he fandode his, ðaða he mid leasunge him behet ealles middangeardes welan, gif he wolde feallan to his fotum. Ac se deofol wæs þa oferswiðed { 178} ðurh Crist on þam ylcum gemetum þe he ær Adam oferswiðde; þæt he gewite fram urum heortum mid þam innfære gehæft, mid þam þe he inn-afaren wæs and us gehæfte.
We gehyrdon on ðisum godspelle þæt ure Drihten fæste feowertig daga and feowertig nihta on án. Ðaða he swa lange fæste, þa geswutelode he þa micelan mihte his godcundnysse, þurh ða he mihte on eallum ðisum andweardum life butan eorðlicum mettum lybban, gif he wolde. Eft, ðaða him hingrode, þa geswutelode he þæt hé wæs soð man, and forði metes behofode. Moyses se heretoga fæste eac feowertig daga and feowertig nihta, to ði þæt he moste underfon Godes ǽ; ac he ne fæste na þurh his agene mihte, ac þurh Godes. Eac se witega Elias fæste ealswa lange eac þurh Godes mihte, and siððan wæs genumen butan deaðe of ðisum life.
Nu is ðis fæsten eallum cristenum mannum geset to healdenne on ælces geares ymbryne; ac we moton ælce dæg ures metes brucan mid forhæfednysse, ðæra metta þe alyfede sind. Hwí is ðis fæsten þus geteald þurh feowertig daga? On eallum geare sind getealde ðreo hund daga and fif and sixtig daga; þonne, gif we teoðiað þas gearlican dagas, þonne beoð þær six and ðritig teoðing-dagas; and fram ðisum dæge oð þone halgan Easter-dæg sind twa and feowertig daga: dó þonne ða six sunnan-dagas of ðam getele, þonne beoð þa six and ðritig þæs geares teoðing-dagas ús to forhæfednysse getealde.