Instructions for Christians
Syle ece gode
æhta þinra
þone teoðan dæl;
he getyþað þe
and he ðe mænigfealdað
mycle þa nigone.
Syndon feower þing
forð-steppende
to þæra ecan
eadignesse;
he ne missað na
ða he gemetað.
An is monnes geswinc,
oðer muðes gebede;
þridde is leornung
on lifes æ;
seo feorða is þæt fæsten
ðe we gefremmon sceolon.
Syndon eac swa some
oðer feower
þære woruld-þinga,
þæt gewitan mæig
man fram deofla
and beon metodes þeing.
An is ærest
þæt he ofte do
wop and hreowe%
for his misdæda.
þonne is þæt oðer,
þæt he æfter þan
heofanan kyninge
herige georne.
þonne is þæt þridde,
þæt he æfre sceal,
a wilnie eces lifes.
þonne is þæt feorðe
þæt he fremman sceal,
þæt he gemettige
metas and drincas.
Ne synd þa þrowunga
on þissera weorulda
monna ænig
þæra meda weorð
ðe us gegearcod is
on Godes riche,
ac lytle hwile
on þissere leana dagum
witena eanig
winnað for Criste,
and eft swa ðeah
in ecnesse
gewunað in wuldre
mid weroda Godd.
For þi sceal þegna gehwilc
geþylde nimon,
forþon is þæt seo mæste
mæigen þæra saula.
æla, ðu ærma
and þu eorðlica
man ofer moldan,
hwi ne gemynas þu a
þæs diæðes hryre,
ðe us drihten gescop?
Gif þu þisses eorðlican weles
ane gewilnost
orsorhnesse,
ne bið þær oht% betweon þe
and þæm neatum
ðe naht ne witen.
Hit is idelnisse
þæt þu her on locest,
and eal þæt þu her sceawast
hit is sceaduwa gelic;
æll hit gewitað
swa þe wanna scur.
Ac þu scealt þæt selre lif
symble lufian
and æfre fleon
unrihte gestreon,
forþan heo hit forgyldað
þam ðe hit georna lufað
on þam ende-dæge
mid ęce wita.
Ne scealt þu þæt æfre%
ayldan to lange
þæt ðu behatest%
heofonan kyninge,
forþan ðe him unþiaw
ælc mislicað
and ealra wyrrest
yfela getreowa%.
Ne scylen wandian
witona ænig
þæt he his% ælmessan
ofte gesyllæ;
alning deð
oðer twegea
oððe þonne monnan
miclum aliseð
wom-dæda gehwas,
oððe his wita onleoht
her oððe on helle,
oððe huru siððan
on domes dæge
þurh drihtnes gifu
lissum forgyldað
þam ðe he ær lustum gæf.
Gif we us sylfum
synna gehwylce
weriað% be gewyrhtum,
ne wrecað æfre ða
ealmihtig Godd
on us syððan.
Se ðe æfter synnum
swiðe lange
forhæfednesse
habben þæncað,
þæt beoð anlicost
swylc swa he wære
on mægðhade
metode to willan,
and for Cristes lufan
clæne gehealdan.
Swa hwilc man swa mæg
and nu nele
geleornian hwæt-hwugo,
he bið lað Gode,
and his saul bið
swiðe scyldig.
Ac þæm ðe wællað lufæ
on wisdome,
he hit mid þam mod gifeð,
mihtig drihten,
mid his handum twam
þurh þone halga gast.
Se forholena cræft
and forhyded god
ne bið ællunga
ungelice%.
Betere bið þe dusige,
gif he on breostum can
his unwisdom
inne belucan,
þonne se snotere
ðe symle wile
æt his heah-þearfe
forhelan his wisdom.
Ac þu scealt gelome
gelæran and tæcan,
ða hwile þe ðe mihtig Godd
mægnes unne,
þe læs hit þe on ende
eft gereowe
æfter dæg-rime,
þonne þu hit gedon ne miht.
Onlær þinum bearne%
bysne goda,
and eac swa some
eallum leoda;
þonne ðu geearnost
ece blisse
and æfter þisse weorlda
weorðscipe mycelne.
Se ðe leornunge
longe fyligeð
halgum bocum
her on worulde,
heo ðone gelæredon
longe gebetað,
and þone unlærdan
eac gelæreð.
Heo geeadmodað
eghwylcne kyng,
swilce þone earman
eac aræreð
and þa saula swa
some geclensað
and þæt mod gedeþ
mycle ðe bliðre;
and heo eac æþelne gedeð
þone ðe ær ne wæs;
eac heo þrah-mælum
þeowne gefreolsað.
Godd sceal% deman%
and gume þæncan;
þæt is riht gebede
rinca gewylce,
þæt he þence to þam
ðe he þonne cweðe.
Se ðe ear gifeð%
and eft oftihð
bearna gehwylce,
bysmer he gewyrceð
furþur mycele
þonne ænig freondscipe.
æll þæt mon alæteð
metes oððe drincas,
and his innoðe
riht gemetegað,
sona þæt gefylleð
fæder almihtig
mid gastlicum gifum,
God on heofonum,
þæt he for his ege
ær gewonede.
Ac gif þu nelt
naht leofes gesyllan,
ne miht þu na gebicgan
þæt ðe best% licað.
Is se mæsse-preost
monna gehwilces
sacerd gehaten,
þæt bið siððan gereht
eft on ænglisc,
þæt he eallum scyle
clæne sellan;
he bið gecoræn to þan
sygora wearde.
He sceal swilc wesan
þæt he gelæran cunne
his leodscype
heofon-kyninges bebod
and halige þeawas.
þæt is for gemænan
þæt we munuc nemniað.
Ne mot ænig heora
awiht onsundran
habban ænlepig,
ac sceal eal wesan
munucum gemæne,
þæt heom metod leanað.
Ne scylen ge þæs wenan
þeah ic þisne word-cwide
after Dauiðe
dihtum sette,
þæt God nelle
gumena gehwylcne
healan and gehyran,
þeah he heah-gestreon
on eorð-rice
age mycelne
goldes and seolfres,
and eac godes fele
to habbanne
her on weorulde.
Ac we sculon gemunan
mæla gehwylce
þæt se apostol
Paulus ongan
geond eal cristen folc
cyðan and læran,
þæt ða weologan
for heora woruld-rice
on heora mod-sefan
men oferseagon.
Ac se ðe hine sylfne
to swiðe ahefð
for his ofer-mode,
he bið earm for Gode.
Hwæt, we þæt gehyrdon
hæleða secgan,
þæt iu-dagum
Iacob hæfde
and Moyses eac
micele speda,
swylce Isaac
and Abraham;
and Dauide
drihten sealde
win-burgum mid
weolan unmete%;
and eac Noe hæfde
weoruld-weolona genohne.
Ealle hi wæron
æðeles kynnes,
geþungen on þeod-land;
þeah hwaðere drihten heora
on ælcere tide
bena gehyrda.
Ne dereð mycel wela
manna ænegum,
gif he to swiðe ne bið
sylfe beleapen
on þes feos lufan
mid feondes larum,
for þi heo synd þearflicu
þegna gehwilcum
to habbanne
her on weorlde;
mid þam bið þe earman
oftost geholpen
and þa mettruman
myclum gehælede
and þa nacodan eac
niowum gewerede;
of þæm cumað monige
men to heofonum.
Sceal æghwylc man
ælne swincan
on swylcum cræfte
swa him Crist onlænð,
þæt willan his
gewyrce georne.
Ne þearf he þæs gewenan
þæt hine drihten Godd
maran mænige%
þonne he hine onmunde ær.
Spræc God geara
to Hieremie,
þan witegan,
and þus wordon cwæð
Far nu ymbe æll
eorðan rices,
sec and smeage,
swa ðu swiðost miht.
Gif þu mage gefinden
fæst-hydigne wer,
þe wel wille
and gewyrcan swa,
recce and gesmeage
soðne geleafan,
þæt ic mage wið hine
miltse gefremman.
Ne scealt þu beon to sene
ne to sið-geare,
ne to slapor ne to slaw,
gif þu sige-drihten
mid cræfte on gecampe
gecweman þæncest.
Gif mon mid ealra
innancundre%
heortan gehygde%
gehreowað his synna,
and fulfæstlice þencð
þæt he forð ofer þæt
þam æfre to
eft ne gecyrre
þeah he ne fæste nawiht
þonne þreora dagas,
þeah wile drihten hine
fæderlice onfon
æt his forð-siðe.
Swa mon ma synna
and maran forlæt
drihtnes þancas
on his dæg-rime
swa maran þær mide
mede geearnað
and geofona ma
Godes ealmihtiges.
þæt her monnum þince
mæst earfeðu
þæt him bið on ende
ealra leofest,
ac hit þonne ne mæg
þegna eanig
onwendan to wille
gif he ne wolde ær.
þær ðær aht ne bið
ærfoðlices
on þam earnungum,
ne bið þær æfre þonne ma
on eadleanum
eht deor-wurðes.
Ne doð þa ærran yfel
ænegum monna
laðes nawiht,
gif him ne licað
þinga gehwilce
ða he þonne doð,
gif he his ælmyssan
alning dæleð.
Nis þæt þearfan hand
þæt ðe þince her,
ac hit is madm-ceoste
Godes ælmihtges.
Se bið soðlice
sylfe cristen
þe ðe æfre wile
eallum gelice
mild-heortnesse
monnum gekyðan.
þas worda cwæð
weroda drihten,
ælmihtig Godd,
to Ysaie;
weroda wuldor-kyning
to þam witegan spreac,
þeah ic sylfe cweðe
þæt swyltan scyle
unrihtwise% man,
mid ælle forwurðon,
ac gif he æfter ðan
mid alle mægne
synna geswicað,
ne þearf he swiltan for þam.
Nis þæs weorkes þearf
witena ænegum
þæt þæt he geond ealla
eorðen rices
secan sigora God,
ac he symle mæg
wunian on þem wicum
ðe he wunode ær,
gif þæt he wolde
þæt he wolde þær,
forþon geond eall is
eorðan rices,
heofon-rices gast
hafað þe ðe God wile.
Hwæt wilt þu gesecan
geond sidne grund
feor oððe furðor
þonne ðu geforþian miht?
Ac hafa ðu geleafa
to lifes frumon;
gewuna þar ðu wunodest,
þæt is wislic ræd,
forþan nis mid fota stepum
frea ealmihtig
to gesecanne
sinum% þegne,
þeoda wealdend,
ac mid þeawum stepum.
Ne bið þæt fula sloh
fira eanegum
to ondrædanne,
gif hit forbugan mæg
and þurh eanig þing
æfre forceorran
and his synna swa some,
þeah he symle ne mage
bewacan and beweardian
and bewitan geornan;
ac þonne diað ne mæg
ofer drihtnes gesceaft
ænig eorð-bugend
æfre forbugan.
þu ful gearo þe na wast
wege þines gastes,
hu heo ðe on com
oððe hwær heo æror was,
oððe on hwylce sealo
heo sceal heonon siðian;
ne miht þu æfre þonne% ma
eall aspyrian
ures wealdendes
weorc and angin,
forþon ðe he is heah-cræftig
heofonas and eorðan,
weoruldes waldend,
wæteres and lyfte,
and eac ælra þæra
þe ðær on wuniað.
Wisdom is leoht
wera% æghwilcum
to habbanne
her on weoruldæ.
Hit sceal beon onæled
mid ead-modnesse;
ne mæg hit eanig mon
æfre mid oðer
tapore ontendan
þæt hit tale leohte,
for þam ofer-mettum
ðe hit ær dwæsca%.
Næfre ic ne gehyrde
þæt wurde laford god
eft on ylde,
se ðe ær ne was
Gode oððe monnum
on iugoð þeowa,
ne huru on ylde
æfre gewurðan
wel geþeignod,
þonne wolde ær
on his tale mette
tale wel þeignan.
Ne scealt þu dysilice sprecan
ne dwollice geþencan
ymbe% nænigne%
eorð-buendra,
ne nið habban
wið ænigum monnum,
ac þu scealt æighwylcum%
gearwurðian,
and na ymb þe sylfum
na to wel lætan,
naðer ne for cræfta,
ne for weoruld-æhta.
Ac þu scealt æfre þin mod
geornlicę healden
on æighwylce timan
fram ælcan unþeawa,
þæt þu mage clænlice
Criste geþenian,
kyning cwycra gehweas,
swa him gecweme sy,
wið þon ðu mote habbe
ęce to medes
heofon-rices dæl;
þæt is hihta mæst,
þear is hope heagost
and sibbe ealra selost,
lif ealra leofest,
and meda ealra mærost
þem ðe hit se mild-heort Crist
geunnan wille.
Undergyte ðu þis
geornlice æfre
þæt sige-fæste weogas
syndon ealle þreo
heonan to heofonum,
swa us se halga wer
and se apostol
Paulus gekydde.
An is geleafa,
and lufu oðer;
þridde is tohope
þam ðe eallunga
to þam uplican hame
efestlice geþencað.
Gefylste us,
[filius dei],
þæt we to þam earde
becumon moton.
Amen.