Þa cwæð se ealda Symeon to ðære eadigan Marian, "His swurd sceal ðurhgán ðine sawle." Þæt swurd getacnode Cristes ðrowunge. Næs seo eadige Maria na ofslegen ne gemartyrod lichomlice, ac gastlice. Ðaða heo geseh niman hyre cild, and adrifan ísene næglas þurh þa handa and þurh ða fét, and syððan mid spere gewundigan on ða siðan, þa wæs Cristes ðrowung hire ðrowung; and heo wæs mare ðonne martyr, forðon þe mare wæs hyre modes þrowung þonne wære hire lichaman, gif heo gemartyrod wære. Ne cwæð na se Symeon þæt Cristes swurd sceolde þurhgán Marian lichaman, ac hyre sawle. Cristes swurd is her gesett, swa swa we cwædon, for his ðrowunge. Þeah ðe Maria gelyfde þæt Crist arisan wolde of deaðe, þeah-hwæðere eode hyre cildes þrowung swiðe þearle into hire heortan.
Þaða se Symeon hæfde gewitegod þas witegunge be Criste, þa com þær sum wuduwe, seo wæs Anna gehaten. "Seo leofode mid hire were seofon gear, and syððan heo wæs wuduwe feower and hund-eahtatig geara, and þeowode Gode on fæstenum, and on gebedum, and on clænnysse; and wæs on eallum þam fyrste wunigende binnan þam Godes temple; and com ða to þam cilde, and witegode be him, and andette Gode." Rihtlice swa halig wíf wæs þæs wyrðe þæt heo moste witigian embe Crist, ðaða heo swa lange on clænnesse Gode þeowode. Behealde, ge wíf, and understandað hu be hire awriten is. Seofon gear heo leofode mid hire were, and siððan heo wæs wunigende on wudewan háde, oð feower and hund-eahtatig geara, swa lybbende swa se apostol tæhte. He cwæð, se apostol Paulus, "Seo wuduwe þe lyfað on estmettum, heo ne lyfað na, ac heo is dead." Þeos Anna, ðe we { 148} embe sprecað, ne lufude heo na estmettas, ac lufude fæstenu. Ne lufude heo ydele spellunge, ac beeode hire gebedu. Ne ferde heo wórigende geond land, ac wæs wunigende geþyldelice binnan Godes temple. Gif wife getimige þæt heo hire wer forleose, ðonne nime heo bysne be ðisre wudewan.
Ðry hadas sindon þe cyðdon gecyðnysse be Criste; þæt is mæigð-had, and wudewan-had, and riht sinscype. Mæden is Cristes modor, and on mægð-hade wunude Iohannes se Fulluhtere, þe embe Crist cydde, and manega oðre to-eacan him. Widewe wæs ðeos Anna, þe we gefyrn ær embe spræcon. Zacharias, Iohannes fæder, wæs wer; ægðer ge he ge his wíf witegodon embe Crist. Þas ðry hadas syndon Gode gecweme, gif hi rihtlice lybbað. Mægð-had is ægþer ge on wæpmannum ge on wífmannum. Þa habbað rihtne mægð-had þa þe fram cild-hade wuniað on clænnysse, and ealle galnysse on him sylfum forseoð, ægðer ge modes ge lichoman, þurh Godes fultum. Þonne habbað hi æt Gode hundfealde mede on ðam ecan life. Widewan beoð þa þe æfter heora gemacan on clænnysse wuniað for Godes lufon: hí habbað þonne syxtigfealde mede æt Gode hyra geswinces. Þa ðe rihtlice healdað hyra ǽwe, and on alyfedum timan, for bearnes gestreone, hæmed begáð, hí habbað þrittigfealde mede for hyra gesceadwisnysse. Se ðe wile his galnysse gefyllan swa oft swa hine lyst, þonne bið he wiðmeten nytenum and na mannum. Be þysum tæhte se apostol Paulus, "Þa ðe wíf habbað, beon hí swilce hí nan nabbon;" forðan ealle hyra unlustas hi sceolon gebetan sylfwylles on þyssum life, oððe unþances æfter ðyssum life; and hí cumað siððan to ðam ecan life mid maran earfoðnysse. Þa men þe beoð butan rihtre ǽwe, and yrnað fram anum to oðrum, nabbað hí nænne dæl ne nane bletsunge mid Criste, buton hí ðæs geswicon and hit gebeton. Uton fon nu on þæt godspel ðær we hit ær forleton.