Genesis A, lines 1863–2017

Ongæt hwæðere gumena aldor
hwæt him waldend wræc witeswingum;
heht him Abraham to egesum geðreadne
brego Egipto, and his bryd ageaf,
wif to gewealde; heht him wine ceosan,
ellor æðelingas, oðre dugeðe.
Abead þa þeodcyning þegnum sinum,
ombihtscealcum, þæt hie hine arlice
ealles onsundne eft gebrohten
of þære folcsceare, þæt he on friðe wære.
ða Abraham æhte lædde
of Egypta eðelmearce;
hie ellenrofe idese feredon,
bryd and begas, þæt hie to Bethlem
on cuðe wic ceapas læddon,
eadge eorðwelan oðre siðe,
wif on willan and heora woruldgestreon.
Ongunnon him þa bytlian and heora burh ræran,
and sele settan, salo niwian.
Weras on wonge wibed setton
neah þam þe Abraham æror rærde
his waldende þa westan com.
þær se eadga eft ecan drihtnes
niwan stefne noman weorðade;
tilmodig eorl tiber onsægde
þeodne engla, þancode swiðe
lifes leohtfruman lisse and ara.
Wunedon on þam wicum, hæfdon wilna geniht
Abraham and Loth. Ead bryttedon,
oðþæt hie on þam lande ne meahton leng somed
blædes brucan and heora begra þær
æhte habban, ac sceoldon arfæste,
þa rincas þy rumor secan
ellor eðelseld. Oft wæron teonan
wærfæstra wera weredum gemæne,
heardum hearmplega. þa se halga ongan
ara gemyndig Abraham sprecan
fægre to Lothe: "Ic eom fædera þin
sibgebyrdum, þu min suhterga.
Ne sceolon unc betweonan teonan weaxan,
wroht wriðian-- ne þæt wille god!
Ac wit synt gemagas; unc gemæne ne sceal
elles awiht, nymþe eall tela
lufu langsumu. Nu þu, Loth, geþenc,
þæt unc modige ymb mearce sittað,
þeoda þrymfæste þegnum and gesiððum,
folc Cananea and Feretia,
rofum rincum. Ne willað rumor unc
landriht heora; forðon wit lædan sculon,
teon of þisse stowe, and unc staðolwangas
rumor secan. Ic ræd sprece,
bearn Arones, begra uncer,
soðne secge. Ic þe selfes dom
life, leofa. Leorna þe seolfa
and geþancmeta þine mode
on hwilce healfe þu wille hwyrft don,
cyrran mid ceape, nu ic þe cyst abead."
Him þa Loth gewat land sceawigan
be Iordane, grene eorðan.
Seo wæs wætrum weaht and wæstmum þeaht,
lagostreamum leoht, and gelic godes
neorxnawange, oðþæt nergend god
for wera synnum wylme gesealde
Sodoman and Gomorran, sweartan lige.
Him þa eard geceas and eðelsetl
sunu Arones on Sodoma byrig;
æhte sine ealle lædde,
beagas from Bethlem and botlgestreon,
welan, wunden gold. Wunode siððan
be Iordane geara mænego.
þær folcstede fægre wæron,
men arlease, metode laðe.
Wæron Sodomisc cynn synnum þriste,
dædum gedwolene; drugon heora selfra
ecne unræd. æfre ne wolde
þam leodþeawum Loth onfon,
ac he þære mægðe monwisan fleah,
þeah þe he on þam lande lifian sceolde,
facen and fyrene, and hine fægre heold,
þeawfæst and geþyldig on þam þeodscipe,
emne þon gelicost, lara gemyndig,
þe he ne cuðe hwæt þa cynn dydon.
Abraham wunode eðeleardum
Cananea forð. Hine cyning engla,
metod moncynnes mundbyrde heold,
wilna wæstmum and worulddugeðum,
lufum and lissum; forþon his lof secgað
wide under wolcnum wera cneorisse,
foldwonga bearn. He frean hyrde
estum on eðle, ðenden he eardes breac,
halig and higefrod; næfre hleowlora
æt edwihtan æfre weorðeð
feorhberendra forht and acol,
mon for metode, þe him æfter a
þurh gemynda sped mode and dædum,
worde and gewitte, wise þance,
oð his ealdorgedal oleccan wile.
ða ic aldor gefrægn Elamitarna
fromne folctogan, fyrd gebeodan,
Orlahomar; him Ambrafel
of Sennar side worulde
for on fultum. Gewiton hie feower þa
þeodcyningas þrymme micle
secan suð ðanon Sodoman and Gomorran.
þa wæs guðhergum be Iordane
wera eðelland wide geondsended,
folde feondum. Sceolde forht monig
blachleor ides bifiende gan
on fremdes fæðm; feollon wergend
bryda and beaga, bennum seoce.
Him þa togeanes mid guðþræce
fife foran folccyningas
sweotum suðon, woldon Sodome burh
wraðum werian; þa wintra XII
norðmonnum ær niede sceoldon
gombon gieldan and gafol sellan,
oðþæt þa leode leng ne woldon
Elamitarna aldor swiðan
folcgestreonum, ac him from swicon.
Foron þa tosomne (francan wæron hlude),
wraðe wælherigas. Sang se wanna fugel
under deoreðsceaftum, deawigfeðera,
hræs on wenan. Hæleð onetton
on mægencorðrum, modum þryðge,
oðþæt folcgetrume gefaren hæfdon
sid tosomne suðan and norðan,
helmum þeahte. þær wæs heard plega,
wælgara wrixl, wigcyrm micel,
hlud hildesweg. Handum brugdon
hæleð of scæðum hringmæled sweord,
ecgum dihtig. þær wæs eaðfynde
eorle orlegceap, se ðe ær ne wæs
niðes genihtsum. Norðmen wæron
suðfolcum swice; wurdon Sodomware
and Gomorre, goldes bryttan,
æt þæm lindcrodan leofum bedrorene,
fyrdgesteallum. Gewiton feorh heora
fram þam folcstyde fleame nergan,
secgum ofslegene; him on swaðe feollon
æðelinga bearn, ecgum ofþegde,
willgesiððas. Hæfde wigsigor
Elamitarna ordes wisa,
weold wælstowe. Gewat seo wæpna laf
fæsten secan. Fynd gold strudon,
ahyðdan þa mid herge hordburh wera,
Sodoman and Gomorran, þa sæl ageald,
mære ceastra. Mægð siðedon,
fæmnan and wuduwan, freondum beslægene,
from hleowstole. Hettend læddon
ut mid æhtum Abrahames mæg
of Sodoma byrig. We þæt soð magon
secgan furður, hwelc siððan wearð
æfter þæm gehnæste herewulfa sið,
þara þe læddon Loth and leoda god,
suðmonna sinc, sigore gulpon.