Lines 1–123

Gefrægn ic Hebreos eadge lifgean
in Hierusalem, goldhord dælan,
cyningdom habban, swa him gecynde wæs,
siððan þurh metodes mægen on Moyses hand
wearð wig gifen, wigena mænieo,
and hie of Egyptum ut aforon,
mægene micle. þæt wæs modig cyn!
þenden hie þy rice rædan moston,
burgum wealdan, wæs him beorht wela.
þenden þæt folc mid him hiera fæder wære
healdan woldon, wæs him hyrde god,
heofonrices weard, halig drihten,
wuldres waldend. Se ðam werude geaf
mod and mihte, metod alwihta,
þæt hie oft fela folca feore gesceodon,
heriges helmum, þara þe him hold ne wæs,
oðþæt hie wlenco anwod æt winþege
deofoldædum, druncne geðohtas.
þa hie æcræftas ane forleton,
metodes mægenscipe, swa no man scyle
his gastes lufan wið gode dælan.
þa geseah ic þa gedriht in gedwolan hweorfan,
Israhela cyn unriht don,
wommas wyrcean. þæt wæs weorc gode!
Oft he þam leodum to lare sende,
heofonrices weard, halige gastas,
þa þam werude wisdom budon.
Hie þære snytro soð gelyfdon
lytle hwile, oðþæt hie langung beswac
eorðan dreamas eces rædes,
þæt hie æt siðestan sylfe forleton
drihtnes domas, curon deofles cræft.
þa wearð reðemod rices ðeoden,
unhold þeodum þam þe æhte geaf.
Wisde him æt frymðe, ða ðe on fruman ær ðon
wæron mancynnes metode dyrust,
dugoða dyrust, drihtne leofost;
herepað tæhte to þære hean byrig,
eorlum elðeodigum, on eðelland
þær Salem stod searwum afæstnod,
weallum geweorðod. To þæs witgan foron,
Caldea cyn, to ceastre forð,
þær Israela æhta wæron,
bewrigene mid weorcum; to þam þæt werod gefor,
mægenþreat mære, manbealwes georn.
Awehte þone wælnið wera aldorfrea,
Babilones brego, on his burhstede,
Nabochodonossor, þurh niðhete,
þæt he secan ongan sefan gehygdum
hu he Israelum eaðost meahte
þurh gromra gang guman oðþringan.
Gesamnode þa suðan and norðan
wælhreow werod, and west foran
herige hæðencyninga to þære hean byrig.
Israela eðelweardas
hæfdon lufan, lifwelan, þenden hie let metod.
þa ic eðan gefrægn ealdfeonda cyn
winburh wera. þa wigan ne gelyfdon,
bereafodon þa receda wuldor readan golde,
since and seolfre, Salomones templ.
Gestrudan gestreona under stanhliðum,
swilc eall swa þa eorlas agan sceoldon,
oðþæt hie burga gehwone abrocen hæfdon,
þara þe þam folce to friðe stodon.
Gehlodon him to huðe hordwearda gestreon,
feoh and frætwa, swilc þær funden wæs,
and þa mid þam æhtum eft siðedon,
and gelæddon eac on langne sið
Israela cyn, on eastwegas
to Babilonia, beorna unrim,
under hand hæleð hæðenum deman.
Nabochodonossor him on nyd dyde
Israela bearn ofer ealle lufen,
wæpna lafe to weorcþeowum.
Onsende þa sinra þegna
worn þæs werudes west toferan,
þæt him þara leoda land geheolde,
eðne eðel, æfter Ebreum.
Het þa secan sine gerefan
geond Israela earme lafe,
hwilc þære geogoðe gleawost wære
boca bebodes, þe þær brungen wæs.
Wolde þæt þa cnihtas cræft leornedon,
þæt him snytro on sefan secgan mihte,
nales ðy þe he þæt moste oððe gemunan wolde
þæt he þara gifena gode þancode
þe him þær to duguðe drihten scyrede.
þa hie þær fundon þry freagleawe
æðele cnihtas and æfæste,
ginge and gode in godsæde;
an wæs Annanias, oðer Azarias,
þridda Misael, metode gecorene.
þa þry comon to þeodne foran,
hearde and higeþancle, þær se hæðena sæt,
cyning corðres georn, in Caldea byrig.
þa hie þam wlancan wisdom sceoldon,
weras Ebrea, wordum cyðan,
higecræft heane, þurh halig mod,
þa se beorn bebead, Babilone weard,
swiðmod cyning, sinum þegnum,
þæt þa frumgaras be feore dæde,
þæt þam gengum þrym gad ne wære
wiste ne wæde in woruldlife.
þa wæs breme Babilone weard,
mære and modig ofer middangeard,
egesful ylda bearnum. No he æ fremede,
ac in oferhygde æghwæs lifde.
þa þam folctogan on frumslæpe,
siððan to reste gehwearf rice þeoden,
com on sefan hwurfan swefnes woma,
hu woruld wære wundrum geteod,
ungelic yldum oð edsceafte.
Wearð him on slæpe soð gecyðed,
þætte rices gehwæs reðe sceolde gelimpan,
eorðan dreamas, ende wurðan.
þa onwoc wulfheort, se ær wingal swæf,
Babilone weard. Næs him bliðe hige,
ac him sorh astah, swefnes woma.
No he gemunde þæt him meted wæs.
Het þa tosomne sinra leoda
þa wiccungdom widost bæron,
frægn þa ða mænigeo hwæt hine gemætte,
þenden reordberend reste wunode.