1B3.2.8

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2

DOMINICA PRIMA IN QUINQVAGESIMA.

3    Geherað nu, men þa leofestan, hu Lucas se godspellere
4sægde be þisse ondweardan tide, ge eac be þære
5toweardan, & hu Drihten wolde cuman to þære stowe þe
6he on þrowian wolde.
7þa mid þy þe hit nealæhte þære tide, Hælend genam his
8twelf þegnas sundor of þæm weorode, & him to
9cwæþ, Nu we faraþ to Gerusalem, & þonne beoð gefylde
10ealle þa halgan gewreotu þe be mannes suna
11awritene wæron.
12& he bið geseald hæþnum mannum, þæt hie hine bysmrian.
13hie hine bindað & swingaþ & spætliað on his onsyne; &
14æfter þære swinglan hie hine ofsleað; & þy
15þriddan dæge he of deaþe ariseþ.
16Hi þa þa Cristes þegnas þeossa worda nan ongeotan ne
17mehton; ac hie wæron him bediglede, forþon þe
18hie wæron þagyt mid worldgeþohtum bewrigene.
19þa wæs geworden þæt Hælend genealæhte Gericho.
20þa sæt þær sum blind þearfa be ðon wege, & gehyrde
21myccle menigo him beforan feran; þa ahsode he
22hwæt þæt wære.
23Hie him ondsworedon & cwædon, Hit is Hælend se Nazarenisca.
24He þa cleopode hluddre stefne, & þus cwæþ: Miltsa me,
25Dauides sunu, miltsa me.
26þa foreferendan him budon þæt he swigade; & swa hie him
27swyþor styrdon, swa he hludor cleopode,
28& þus cwæþ: Miltsa me, Dauides sunu, miltsa me.
29Hælend þa gestod, & hine het to him gelædon; & mid þy þe
30he him genealæhte, he him tocwæþ, Hwæt wilt
31þu þæt ic þe do?
32Se blinda him ondswerede & cwæþ, Drihten, þæt ic mæge
33geseon.
34Hælend him tocwæþ, Loca nu; þin agen geleafa þe hæfþ
35gehæledne.
36He þa sona instæpes geseh, & þa sona wæs Drihtne
37fylgende; & hine herede & weorþode.
38& eal þæt folc þe þis wundor geseah, his noman myccledon.
39Hwæt we nu gehyrdon þis halige godspel beforan us rædan, &
40þeh we hit sceolan eft ofercweþan, þæt
41we þe geornor witon þæt hit us to bysene belimpeþ eces
42lifes.
43Nu ær we gehyrdon þæt Hælend his þegnum sæde his
44þrowunga & þa sar & ða bysmra þe he mid Iudeum adreogan
45wolde.
46forðon he þis dyde þæt

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47he wolde þonne hie gesawon his
48ða heardan bendas, þæt hie ne wæron on heora
49mode gedrefede.
50&, ðonne me hine gesawon sweltendne, þæt hie þonne
51wæron afrefrede, he him gehet his æriste, swa
52he þa mid soðe gefylde, gelice swa he ær þa þrowunge
53dyde.
54His þegnas wæron þagyt flæsclices modes, & næron mid
55gastes mægene getremede.
56forþon hie ne mihton þa word ongeotan þæs heofonlican
57gerynes, hwæþre he getrymede heora geleafan
58mid þon heofonlicon weorce, þeah hie þæt word þæs
59heofonlican gerynes ne ongeaton.
60Nu we sceolan, men þa leofestan, ða wundor gecyrran on
61soþfæstnesse geleafan ures Drihtnes Hælendes
62Cristes, þa he þurh his þa mycclan miht worhte beforan
63manna eagum.
64We nestan ær hwæt se blinda wæs; nu we magon þonne
65ongytan hwæt þæt geryne tacnaþ.
66Eal þis mennisce cyn wæs on blindnesse, seoððan þa
67ærestan men asceofene wæron of gefean neorxnawanges,
68& þa beorhtnessa forleton þæs heofonlican leohtes, &
69þisse worlde þeostro & ermða þrowodan.
70Drihten þa þurh his tocyme þysne middangeard onlyhte, &
71eallum geleaffulum monnum heora gong gestaþelade
72to lifes wege, þæt hie magon þurh þa
73lustfulnesse heora modes, mid godum dædum, geearnian
74leoht þæs ecan lifes.
75Halige gewreotu us tacniaþ þas world þurh þone monan;
76forþon þonne he wexeþ, he bið gelic þæm godum
77men þe ahopað to þæm ecean leohte, & þonne se mona
78wanað, þonne tacnað he ure deaþlicnesse, &
79þisse worlde wanunge.
80Cwæþ se godspellere, mid þy þe se Hælend genealæhte
81Gericho, þæt leoht cyrde to þon blindan.
82þæt tacnaþ þæt seo godcundnes onfeng ure tydran gecynde.
83þa cyrde sona þæt heofonlice leoht to þyssum menniscan
84cynne, þe se æresta man forlet; & forðon
85God to us niþer astahg þe he wolde þæt we wæron
86upahafene to his godcundnesse.
87Rihtlic þæt wæs þæt se blinda be ðæm wege sæte
88wædliende; forþon þe Drihten sylfa cwæþ, Ic eom weg
89soðfæstnesse; & se þe ne can þa beorhtnesse þæs ecan
90leohtes, se bið blind.
91& se leofað & gelyfeþ se þe siteþ be þæm wege
92wædliende, & þonne bideþ þæs ecan leohtes, & no ne
93geblinneþ.
94Se þonne ne ongyteþ þa þeostra his agenra synna, wite he
95þæt he bið wana

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96þæs ecan leohtes, buton
97he gebete þæt he ær forgiten hæfde.
98Cleopian we nu in eglum mode & inneweardre heortan, swa se
99blinda dyde, & cweþan, Miltsa me, Dauides
100sunu, miltsa me.
101Smeagean we nu & þencan hwæt þæt tacnode, þæt seo
102menigo styrde þæm blindan þæt he cleopode.
103Ic þe secge hwæt seo menego tacnode, þa flæsclican willan
104& þa ungereclican uncysta.
105þa cumaþ oft þurh deofles sceonessa ær to manna heortan,
106ær Drihtnes weorc þær wunian mote; & hie
107beoþ on heora mode mid mislicum geþohtum onstyrede, þæt
108seo stemn þære heortan bið swiþe gedrefed
109on þæm gebede.
110Gehyran we nu forhwon se blinda leoht onfeng, & hwæt he dyde
111þa hine seo menego þreade þæt he swigode.
112He ma cegde & geornor bæd þæt Hælend him miltsade: þæt
113is þonne þæt we sceolan beon gelærede mid
114þysse bysene, þonne we beoþ mid mycclum hungre yfelra
115geþohta abisgode, þonne sceolan we geornlice
116biddan þæt he us gescylde wiþ þa þusendlican cræftas
117deofles costunga.
118Cwæþ se godspellere, Hælend ferde þær forþ, & þa
119gehyrde þone blindan cleopian, & he sona gestod,
120& þæt wundor worhte þæt he þone blindan onlyhte.
121Gehyraþ we nu þæt seo mennisce gecynd biþ a færende, &
122seo godcunde meht a staþolfæstlice stondeþ.
123Hwæt hæfde seo godcunde þurh þa menniscan nemne buton
124þæt heo mihte beon acenned, & wacian, & arisan,
125& faran of stowe to oþerre.
126þonne marþon þære godcundnesse nænig onwendnesse on
127carcerne wæs of þære menniscan gecynde, nalas
128of þære godcundan miht.
129he bið a wesende, & æghwær ondweard, & ælce stowe he
130gefylþ & ufan oferwryhþ, & a biþ ece.
131þæt us tacnaþ þæt he þurh þa menniscan gecynd ure
132stefne blindnesse gehyreþ; þonne we ure synna ondettaþ
133& us forgifnessa biddaþ, þonne bið he sona us
134efenþrowiende, & hraþe miltsiende & forgifende
135ura synna.
136Eac is to geþencenne hwæt Drihten spræc, þa se blinda to
137him com; he cwæþ, Hwæt wilt þu þæt ic þe
138do?
139Næs þæt na þæt he nyste hwæt se blinda wolde, se ealle
140þing wat, & him leoht forgeaf; ah Drihten
141wile þæt hine mon bidde, se þe ær geteod hæfde þæt he
142þon biddendan ece lif forgeafe.
143Gelimplice he us lærde & monade, hu we us gebiddan sceoldan,
144& hwæþere

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145cwæþ, Eower Fæder se on heofenum
146is, wat hwæs eow þearf biþ, ær ge hine o biddan.
147We magan ongytan þæt he forþon us gesette þæt we hine
148biddan sceoldan, þy we sceolan þonne eac, in
149þa tid þæs gebedes, ure heortan geclænsian from oþrum
150geþohtum.
151Gehyran we eac þæt se blinda ne bæd goldes, ne seolfres,
152ne worldglenga, ah bæd his eagena leohtes.
153Hwæt we witon þonne se mon bið blind, þeah he mycel age &
154feala fægeres, þæt him bið mycel daru,
155gif he hit geseon ne mæg.
156Men þa leofestan, onhyrgean we þone blindan þe on lichoman
157wæs gehæled ge eac on mode.
158Ne biddan we urne Drihten þyses lænan welan, ne þyssa
159eorþlicra geofa þe hrædlice from monnum gewitaþ,
160ac biddon we Drihten þæs leohtes þe næfre ne
161geendað.
162þis leoht we habbaþ wið nytenu gemæne, ac þæt leoht we
163sceolan secan þæt we motan habban mid englum
164gemæne, in þæm gastlicum þrymmum.
165þæt leoht on nanre tide ne ablinneþ; oþon leohte is
166fulfremednesse weg þe we on feran sceolan, þæt
167is se rihta geleafa.
168Swiþe eaþe þæt mæg beon þæt sume men þencan oþþe
169cweþan, hu mæg ic secan þæt gastlice leoht þe ic
170geseon ne mæg, oþþe hwanan sceal me cuþ beon þæt ic
171mid lichomlicum eagum geseon ne mæg?
172þæm men mæg beon swiþe raþe geondweard.
173Hwæt gelyfeþ se lichoma butan þurh þa sawle?
174Geþencean þa men þæt hie heora sylfra sawla geseon ne
175magon; ac eal swa hwæt swa se gesenelica lichama
176deþ oþþe wyrceþ, eal þæt deþ seo ungesynelice
177sawl þurh þone lichoman.
178& þonne seo sawl hie gedæleþ wiþone lichoman, hwylc bið
179he þonne buton swylce stan, oþþe treow?
180Ne he hine na ne onstyreþ, syþþan seo ungesynelice sawl
181him of biþ; ac sona he molsnaþ, & wyrþ to
182þære ilcan eorþan þe he ær of gesceapen wæs, oþþæt
183Drihten cymeþ on domes dæg, & hateþ þa eorþan
184eft agifan þæt heo ær onfeng.
185& bið þonne undeaþlic, þeah he ær deaþlic wære þa heo
186hine onfeng, & sceal þeah beon gelic his geearnungum.
187Gehyron we nu, men þa leofestan, hwæt awriten is on Godes
188bocum, þæt se mon se þe god onginneþ & þonne
189ablinneþ, ne biþ he Godes leof on þæm nehstan dæge.
190Ac se þe god onginneþ, & on þon þurhwunaþ oþ ende his
191lifes, se bið hal

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192geworden.
193Forþon we habbaþ nedþearfe þæt we ongyton þa blindnesse
194ure ælþeodignesse; we send on þisse worlde
195ælþeodignesse.
196we synd on þisse worlde ælþeodige, & swa wæron siþþon
197se æresta ealdor þisses menniscan cynnes Godes
198bebodu abræc.
199& forþon gylte we wæron on þysne wræcsiþ sende, & nu eft
200sceolon oþerne eþel secan, swa wite, swa
201wuldor, swe we nu geearnian willaþ.
202Gif we willaþ nu on Drihten gelyfan, & hine ongytan, þonne
203beo we sittende be þæm wege, swa se blinda dyde.
204þæt is þonne þæt we sceolon þone geleafan & þæt
205ondgit mid godum dædum gefyllan, þonne beo we urum
206Hælende fylgende, swa se blinda wæs, syþþan he geseon
207mihte.
208Her us cyþ þæt se godspellere sæde hu Drihten cwæþ to
209Petre, þa he bæd þæt he moste faran & his fæder
210bebyrgean.
211Hælend him þa ondswarede & cwæþ, þu scealt fylgean me,
212& lætan þa deadan bergean heora deade.
213On þon he us bysene onstealde þæt nænig mon ne sceal
214lufian ne ne geman his gesibbes, gif he hine
215ærost agælde Godes þeowdomes.
216Geþencean we eac þæt Drihten his englas gesceop, & heofen
217& eorþan, sæ, & ealle þa gesceafta þe on
218þæm syndon; ealle stowa he gefylleþ & ymbfehþ & neoþan
219underwreþeþ, & æghwar he biþ ondweard.
220hwæþere he hine to þon geeaþmedde for ure nedþearfe,
221þæt he astah on medmycelne innoð þære a clænan
222fæmnan, & he onfeng þa ilcan gecynde for urum lufon þe
223he ær gesceop.
224& þa nolde he him geceosan welige yldran, ac þa þe
225hæfdon lytle worldspeda, ne hie næfdan for him
226lamb to syllenne, ah twegen culfran briddas him
227genihtsumedan, & twegen turturan gemæccan.
228& hwæþere hie wæron of Dauides cynnes strynde, þæs
229rihtcynecynnes.
230Nu we gehyrað þæt Drihten forseah þone welan þisse
231worlde; & he eft æfter fæce æt þæm unlædum Iudeum
232manig bysmor geþrowade.
233hie hine swungon, & bundon, & spætledon on his onsyne, & mid
234bradre hand slogan, & mid heora fystum
235beotan; & þa wundan beag of þornum & him setton on
236heafod for cynehelme; & hine þa on rode ahengon.
237Eal þis he þrowode for ure lufan & hælo; þy he wolde
238þæt we þæt heofenlice rice onfengon, þæt þa ærestan

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239men forworhtan þurh heora gifernesse & oferhygde.
240Hwæt wille we on domes dæg forþberan þæs we for urum
241Drihtne arefnedon, nu he swa mycel for ure lufan geþrowode?
242Monige men syndon þe cweþaþ þæt hie on God gelyfon &
243hine lufian, & þonne hweþere nellaþ ablinnan
244from heora unrihtum gestreonum & gitsunga, ah hie beoð
245upahafene on oforhygde & eac beoþ onbærnde
246mid þære biteran æfeste, ge eac beoþ besmitene mid þæm
247MORRIS: þem unclænan firenluste.
248Men þa men þe þyssum uncystum fylgað, ne healdaþ hie
249Drihtnes bebodu ne his bysenum ne fylgeað;
250ac hie swiþor fylgaþ deofles larum, & his sceonessum; symle
251he hie getyhþ to eallum uncystum, & to
252þære lufan þisse worlde mid his leascræftum.
253& se þe him þonne ne wile wiþstondan, he him æt his ende
254grim geweorþeþ & hine gelædeþ on ece forwyrd.
255Gemunon we nu ure dæghwamlican synna þe we wið Godes
256willan geworht habbaþ, þæt we mid eallum mægene
257hie beton mid fæstenum, & mid gebedum, & mid
258ælmesweorcum, & mid soþre hreowe.
259þæt bið seo soþe hreow þæt mon þa geworhtan synna
260andette & georne bete.
261Wepan we nu, & cweþan & geþencan hu Drihten cwæð, Eadige
262beoþ þa þe nu wepað, forþon þe hi beoþ eft afrefrede.
263Hwæt we nu gehyraþ þæt we magon mid þære soðan hreowe
264ece blisse geearnian.
265& eft he cwæþ, Wa eow þe nu hlihaþ, forþon ge eft wepað
266on ecnesse, þæt is þæt unasecgenlice wræc
267& þæt ungeendode wite, þæt þon unlædon þær
268geteohhod biþ; him wære betere þæt he næfre geboren
269nære.
270Forþon we sceolan beon gemyndige Godes beboda, & ure sawle
271þearfe, þa hwile þe we motan, & biddan
272we georne urne Drihten þæt he us generige from þon ecan
273cwealme, & us gelæde on þone gefean his
274wuldres.
275þær is ece blis & þæt ungeendode rice; nis þær ænig
276sar gemeted, ne adl, ne ece, ne nænig unrotnes;
277nis þær ege, ne geflit, ne yrre, ne nænig
278wiþerweardnes.
279ac þær is gefea, & blis, & fægernes , & se ham is
280gefylled mid heofonlicum gastum, mid englum &
281heahenglum, mid heahfæderum & apostolum, & mid þy
282unarimedan weorode haligra martyra þa ealle motan
283wunian mid Drihtne in eallra worlda world.
284Amen.