Þa hyrdas ða spræcon him betweonan, æfter ðæra engla fram-færelde, "Uton gefaran to Bethleém, and geseon þæt word þe geworden is, and God us geswutelode." Eala hú rihtlice hí andetton þone halgan geleafan mid þisum wordum, "On frymðe wæs wórd, and þæt word wæs mid Gode, and þæt wórd wæs God"! Word bið wisdomes geswutelung, and þæt Word, þæt is se Wisdom, is acenned of ðam Ælmihtigum Fæder, butan anginne; forðan ðe hé wæs æfre God of Gode, Wisdom of ðam wisan Fæder. Nis hé na geworht, forðan ðe he is God, and na gesceaft; ac se Ælmihtiga Fæder gesceop þurh ðone Wisdom ealle gesceafta, and hi ealle ðurh þone Halgan Gast gelíffæste. Ne mihte ure mennisce gecynd Crist on ðære godcundlican acennednysse geseon; ac þæt ylce Word wæs geworden flæsc, and wunode on ús, þæt we hine geseon mihton. Næs þæt Word to flæsce awend, ac hit wæs mid menniscum flæsce befangen. Swa swa anra gehwilc manna wunað on sawle and on lichaman án mann, swa eac Crist wunað on godcundnysse and menniscnysse, on ánum hade án Crist. Hí cwædon, "Uton geseon þæt word þe geworden is," forðan ðe hí ne mihton hit geseon ær ðan ðe hit geflæschamod wæs, and to menn geworden. Nis þeahhwæðre seo godcundnys gemenged to ðære menniscnysse, ne ðær nan twæming nys. We mihton eow secgan ane lytle bysne, gif hit to wáclic nære; Sceawa nú on anum æge, hú þæt hwite ne bið gemenged to ðam geolcan, and bið hwæðere án æg. Nis eac Cristes godcundnys gerunnen to ðære menniscnysse, ac he þurhwunað þeah á on ecnysse on anum hade untotwæmed.
Hrædlice ða comon þa hyrdas and gemetton Marian and Ioseph, and þæt cild geléd on ðære binne. Maria wæs be Godes dihte þam rihtwisan Iosepe beweddod, for micclum gebeorge; forðan ðe hit wæs swa gewunelic on Iudeiscre ðeode, æfter Moyses ǽ, þæt gif ænig wimman cild hæfde { 42} butan be rihtre æwe, þæt hí man sceolde mid stanum oftorfian. Ac God asende his engel to Iosepe, ða María eacnigende wæs, and bead þæt he hire gymene hæfde, and þæs cildes foster-fæder wære. Þa wæs geðuht ðam Iudeiscum swilce Ioseph þæs cildes fæder wære, ac hé næs; forðan þe hit næs nan neod þam Ælmihtigum Scyppende þæt hé of wífe acenned wære; ac hé genam ða menniscnysse of Marían innoðe, and forlet hí mæden na gewemmed, ac gehalgod þurh his acennednysse. Ne oncneow heo weres gemanan, and heo acende butan sare, and þurhwunað on mægðhade. Þa hyrdas gesawon, and oncneowon be ðam cilde, swa swa him gesǽd wæs. Nis nan eadignys butan Godes oncnawennesse, swa swa Crist sylf cwæð ðaða he us his Fæder betæhte, "Þæt is ece líf, þæt hi ðe oncnawon soðne God, and ðone ðe þu asendest Hælend Crist." Hwæt ða ealle ða ðe þæt gehyrdon micclum ðæs wundrodon, and be ðam ðe ða hyrdas sædon. María soðlice heold ealle ðas wórd aræfniende on hire heortan. Heo nolde widmærsian Cristes digelnesse, ac anbidode oð þæt he sylf þaða he wolde hí geopenode. Heo cuðe Godes ǽ, and on ðæra witegena gesetnysse rædde, þæt mæden sceolde God acennan. Þa blissode heo micclum þæt heo hit beon moste. Hit wæs gewitegod þæt hé on ðære byrig Bethleem acenned wurde, and heo ðearle wundrode þæt heo æfter ðære witegunge ðær acende. Heo gemunde hwæt sum witega cwæð, "Se oxa oncneow his hlaford, and se assa his hlafordes binne." Þa geseah heo þæt cild licgan on binne, ðær se oxa and se assa gewunelice fodan secað. Godes heah-engel Gabrihel bodode Marían ðæs Hælendes to-cyme on hire innoðe, and heo geseah ða þæt his bodung unleaslice gefylled wæs. Ðyllice word María heold aræfnigende on hire heortan. And þa hyrdas gecyrdon ongean wuldrigende and herigende God, on eallum ðam ðingum ðe hí gehyrdon and gesáwon, swa swa him gesæd wæs.