II.

FROM THE GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW.

VII. 24-7.

Ǣlc þāra þe þās mīn word ġe·hīerþ, and þā wyrċþ, biþ

ġe·līc þǣm wīsan were, sē his hūs ofer stān ġet·imbrode.

Þā cōm þǣr reġen and miċel flōd, and þǣr blēowon windas,

and ā·hruron on þæt hūs, and hit nā ne fēoll: sōþlīce hit

wæs ofer stān ġe·timbrod.

And ǣlc þāra þe ġe·hīerþ þās mīn word, and þā ne wyrċþ,

sē biþ ġe·līc þǣm dysigan męnn, þe ġe·timbrode his hūs ofer

sand-ċeosol. Þā rīnde hit, and þǣr cōm flōd, and blēowon

windas, and ā·hruron on þǣt hūs, and þæt hūs fēoll; and

his hryre wæs miċel.

XII. 18-21.

Hēr is mīn cnapa, þone ic ġe·ċēas; mīn ġe·corena, on þǣm

wel ġe·līcode mīnre sāwle: ic ā·sętte mīnne gāst ofer hine,

and dōm hē bodaþ þēodum. Ne flītt hē, ne hē ne hriemþ,

ne nān mann ne ġe·hīerþ his stefne on strǣtum. Tō·cwīesed

hrēod hē ne for·brīett, and smēocende fleax hē ne ā·dwǣscþ,

ǣr þǣm þe hē ā·weorpe dōm tō siġe. And on his naman

þēoda ġe·hyhtaþ.

XIII. 3-8.

Sōþlīce ūt ēode se sāwere his sǣd tō sāwenne. And þā

þā hē sēow, sumu hīe fēollon wiþ weġ, and fuglas cōmon

and ǣton þā. Sōþlīce sumu fēollon on stǣnihte, þǣr hit

næfde miċle eorþan, and hrædlīce ūp sprungon, for þǣm þe

hīe næfdon pǣre eorþan dīepan; sōþlīce, ūp sprungenre

sunnan, hīe ā·drūgodon and for·scruncon, for þǣm þe hīe

næfdon wyrtruman. Sōþlīce sumu fēollon on þornas, and

þā þornas wēoxon, and for·þrysmdon þā. Sumu sōþlīce

fēollon on gōde eorþan, and sealdon wæstm, sum hund-fealdne,

sum siextiġ-fealdne, sum þritiġ-fealdnę.

XIII. 24-30.

Heofona rīċe is ġe·worden þǣm męnn ġe·līc þe sēow gōd

sǣd on his æcere. Sōþlīce, þā þā męnn slēpon, þā cōm his

fēonda sum, and ofer·sēow hit mid coccele on·middan þǣm

hwǣte, and fērde þanon. Sōþlīce, þā sēo wyrt wēox, and

þone wæstm brōhte, þā æt·īewde se coccel hine. Þā ēodon

þæs hlāfordes þēowas and cwǣdon: 'Hlāford, hū, ne sēowe

þū gōd sǣd on þīnum æcere? hwanon hæfde hē coccel?'

Þā cwæþ hē: 'þæt dyde unhold mann.' Þā cwǣdon þā

þēowas: 'Wilt þū, wē gāþ and gadriaþ hīe?' Þā cwæp

hē: 'Nese: þȳ lǣs ġē þone hwǣte ā·wyrtwalien, þonne ġē

þone coccel gadriaþ. Lǣtaþ ǣġþer weaxan oþ rīp-tīman;

and on pǣm rīptīman ic sęċġe þǣm rīperum: "gadriaþ

ǣrest þone coccel, and bindaþ sċēaf-mǣlum tō for·bærnenne;

and gadriaþ þone hwǣte intō mīnum bęrne."'

XIII. 44-8.

Heofona rīċe is ġe·līc ġe·hȳddum gold-horde on þǣm

æcere. Þone be·hȳtt se mann þe hine fint, and for his blisse

gǣþ, and sęlþ eall þæt hē āh, and ġe·byġþ þone æcer.

Eft is heofona rīċe ġe·līc þǣm mangere þe sōhte þæt gōde

męre-grot. Þā hē funde þæt ān dēor-wierþe męregrot, þā

ēode hē, and sealde eall þæt hē āhte, and bohte þæt męregrot.

Eft is heofona rīċe ġe·līc ā·sęndum nętte on þā sǣ, and of

ǣlcum fisc-cynne gadriendum. Þā hīe þā þæt nętt ūp

ā·tugon, and sǣton be þǣm strande, þā ġe·curon hīe þā

gōdan on hiera fatu, and þā yflan hīe ā·wurpon ūt.

XVIII. 12-14.

Ġif hwelc mann hæfþ hund sċēapa, and him losaþ ān of

þǣm, hū, ne for·lǣtt hē þā nigon and hund·nigontiġ on þǣm

muntum, and gǣþ, and sēċþ þæt ān þe for·wearþ? And ġif

hit ġe·limpþ þæt hē hit fint, sōþlīce ic ēow sęċġe þæt hē

swīþor ġe·blissaþ for þǣm ānum þonne for þǣm nigon and

hund·nigontigum þe nā ne losodon.

XX. 1-16.

Heofona rīċe is ġe·līc þǣm hīredes ealdre, þe on ǣrnemerġen

ūt ēode ā·hȳran wyrhtan on his wīn-ġeard. Ġe·wordenre

ġe·cwid-rǣdenne þǣm wyrhtum, hē sealde ǣlcum ānne

þęning wiþ his dæġes weorce, and ā·sęnde hīe on his wīnġeard.

And þā hē ūt ēode ymbe undern-tīd, hē ġe·seah

oþre on strǣte īdle standan. Þā cwæþ hē: 'Gā ġē on

mīnne wīnġeard, and ic sęlle ēow þæt riht biþ.' And hīe þā

fērdon. Eft hē ūt ēode ymbe þā siextan and nigoþan

tīd, and dyde þǣm swā ġe·līce. Þā ymbe þā ęndlyftan

tīd hē ūt ēode, and funde ōþre standende, and þā sæġde hē:

'Hwȳ stande ġē hēr ealne daeġ īdle?' Þā cwǣdon hīe:

'For þǣm þe ūs nān mann ne hȳrde.' Þā cwæþ hē: 'And

gā ġē on mīnne wīnġeard.'

Sōþlīce þā hit wæs ǣfen ġe·worden, þā sæġde se wīnġeardes

hlāford his ġe·rēfan: 'Clipa þā wyrhtan, and ā·ġief him

hiera mēde; on·ġinn fram þǣm ȳt·emestan oþ þone fyrmestan.'

Eornostlīce þā þā ġe·cōmon þe ymbe þā ęndlyftan

tīd cōmon, þā on·fēngon hīe ǣlc his pęning. And þā þe

þǣr ǣrest cōmon, wēndon þæt hīe scolden māre on·fōn; þā

on·fēngon hīe syndriġe þęningas. Þa on·gunnon hīe murcnian

on·ġēan þone hīredes ealdor, and þus cwǣdon: 'Þās

ȳtemestan worhton āne tīd, and þū dydest hīe ġe·līce ūs,

þe bǣron byrþenna on þisses dæġes hǣtan.' Þā cwæþ hē

and-swariende hiera ānum: 'Ēalā þū frēond, ne dō ic þē

nānne tēonan; hū, ne cōme þū tō mē tō wyrċenne wiþ

ānum pęninge? Nim þæt þīn is, and gā; ic wile þissum

ȳtemestum sęllan eall swā miċel swā þē. Oþþe ne mōt ic

dōn þæt ic wile? Hwæþer þe þīn ēage mānfull is for þǣm

þe ic gōd eom? Swā bēoþ þa fyrmestan ȳtemeste, and þā

ȳtemestan fyrmeste; sōþlīce maniġe sind ġe·clipode, and

fēa ġe·corene.'

XXII. 2-14.

Heofona rīċe is ġe·līc þǣm cyninge þe macode his suna

ġiefta, and sęnde his þēowas, and clipode þā ġe·laþodan tō

þǣm ġieftum. Þā noldon hīe cuman. Þā sęnde hē eft ōþre

þēowas, and sæġde þǣm ġe·laþodum: 'Nū ic ġe·ġearwode

mīne feorme: mīne fearras and mīne fuglas sind of·slæġene,

and eall mīn þing sind ġearu; cumaþ tō þǣm ġieftum.' Þā

for·gīemdon hīe þæt, and fērdon, sum tō his tūne, sum tō

his mangunge. And þā ōþre nāmon his þēowas, and mid

tēonan ġe·swęnċton, and of·slōgon. Þā se cyning þæt ġe·hierde,

þā wæs hē ierre, and sęnde his hęre tō, and for·dyde

100

þā mann-slagan, and hiera burg for·bærnde.

Þā cwæþ hē tō his þēowum: 'Witodlīce þās ġiefta sind

ġearwe, ac þā þe ġe·laþode wǣron ne sind wierþe. Gāþ nū

tō wega ġelǣtum, and clipiaþ tō þissum ġieftum swā hwelce

swā ġē ġe·mēten.' Þā ēodon þā þēowas ūt on þā wegas,

105

and ġe·gadrodon ealle þā þe hīe ġe·mētton, gōde and yfle;

þā wǣron þā ġieft-hūs mid sittendum mannum ġefyldu.

Þā ēode se cyning inn, þæt hē wolde ġe·sēon þā þe þǣr

sǣton, and þā ġe·seah hē þǣr ānne mann þe næs mid ġieftlicum

rēafe ġescrȳdd. Þā cwæþ hē: 'Lā, frēond, hūmeta

110

ēodest þū inn, and næfdest ġieftlic rēaf?' Þa swīgode hē.

And se cyning cwæþ tō his þeġnum: 'Ġe·bindaþ his handa

and his fēt, and weorpaþ hine on þā ȳterran þēostru; þǣr biþ

wōp and tōþa grīst-bītung.' Witodlīce maniġe sind ġe·laþode,

and fēa ġe·corene.

XXV. 1-13.

115

Þonne biþ heofona rīċe ġe·līc þǣm tīen fǣmnum, þe þā

leoht-fatu nāmon, and fērdon on·ġēan þone brȳd-guman and

þā brȳd. Hiera fīf wǣron dysiġe, and fīf glēawe. And þā fīf

dysigan nāmon leohtfatu, and ne nāmon nānne ele mid him;

þā glēawan nāmon ele on hiera fatum mid þǣm leohtfatum.

120

Þā se brȳdguma ielde, þā hnappodon hīe ealle, and slēpon.

Witodlīce tō middre nihte man hrīemde, and cwæþ: 'Nū se

brȳdguma cymþ, faraþ him tō·ġēanes.' Þā ā·rison ealle þā

fǣmnan, and glęnġdon hiera leohtfatu. Þā cwǣdon þā

dysigan to pǣm wīsum: 'Sęllaþ ūs of ēowrum ele, for þǣm

125

ūre leohtfatu sind ā·cwęnċtu.' Þā and·swarodon þā glēawan,

and cwǣdon: 'Nese; þȳ lǣs þe wē and ġē næbben ġenōg:

gāþ tō þǣm ċīependum, and byċġaþ ēow ele.' Witodlīce,

þā hīe fērdon, and woldon byċġan, þā cōm se brȳdguma;

and þā þe ġearwe wǣron ēodon inn mid him tō þǣm

130

ġieftum; and sēo duru wæs be·locen. Þā æt nīehstan cōmon

þa ōþre fǣmnan, and cwǣdon: 'Dryhten, Dryhten, lǣt ūs

inn.' Þā and-swarode hē him, and cwæþ: 'Sōþ ic ēow

sęċġe, ne cann ic ēow.' Witodlīce, waciaþ, for þǣm þe ġē

nyton ne þone dæġ ne þā tīd.

XXV. 14-30.

135

Sum mann fērde on ęlþēodiġnesse, and clipode his

þēowas, and be·tǣhte him his ǣhta. And ānum hē sealde

fīf pund, sumum twā, sumum ān: ǣġhwelcum be his āgnum

mæġne; and fērde sōna.

Þā fērde sē þe þā fīf pund under·fēng, and ġe·strīende

140

ōþru fīf. And eall-swā sē þe þā twā under·feng, ġe·strīende

ōþru twā. Witodlīce sē þe þæt ān under·fēng, fērde, and

be·dealf hit on eorþan, and be·hȳdde his hlāfordes feoh.

Witodlīce æfter miċlum fierste cōm þāra þēowa hlāford,

and dihte him ġe·rad. Þā cōm sē þe þā fīf pund under·fēng,

145

and brōhte ōþru fīf, and cwæþ: 'Hlāford, fīf pund þū sealdest

mē; nū ic ġe·strīende ōþru fīf.' Þā cwæp his hlāford tō

him: 'Bēo blīþe, þū gōda þēow and ġe·trēowa: for þǣm

þe þū wǣre ġe·trēowe ofer lȳtlu þing, ic [.]ge·sętte þē ofer

miċlu; gā intō þīnes hlāfordes blisse.' Þā cōm sē þe þā

150

twā pund under·fēng, and cwæþ: 'Hlāford, twā pund þū

mē sealdest; nū ic hæbbe ġe·strīened ōþru twā.' Þā cwæþ

his hlāford tō him: 'Ġe·blissa, þū gōda þēow and ġetrēowa:

for þǣm þe þū wǣre ġe·trēowe ofer fēa, ofer fela ic þē

ġe·sętte; gā on þīnes hlāfordes ġe·fēan.' Þā cōm sē þe þæt

155

ān pund under·fēng, and cwæþ: 'Hlāford, ic wāt þæt

þū eart heard mann: þū rīpst þǣr þū ne sēowe, and

gaderast þǣr þū ne spręnġdest. And ic fērde of·drǣdd,

and be·hȳdde þīn pund on eorþan; hēr þū hæfst þæt þīn

is.' Þā andswarode his hlāford him, and cwæþ: 'þū yfla

160

þēow and slāwa, þū wistest þæt ic rīpe þǣr ic ne sēowe,

and ic gadriġe þǣr ic ne strēdde: hit ġe·byrede þæt þū

be·fæste mīn feoh myneterum, and ic nāme, þonne ic cōme,

þæt mīn is, mid þǣm gafole. Ā·nimaþ þæt pund æt him, and

sęllaþ þǣm þe mē þā tīen pund brōhte. Witodlīce ǣlcum

165

þāra þe hæfþ man sęlþ, and hē hæfþ ġe·nōg; þǣm þe næfþ,

þæt him þynċþ þæt hē hæbbe, þæt him biþ æt·brogden. And

weorpaþ þone un·nyttan þēow on þā ȳterran þēostru; þǣr

biþ wōp and tōþa grist·bītung.'