Anglo-Saxon Gospels (ca. 1000)
Audio (lines
11-21)
12 Þa cwæð se gingra to his fæder, "Fæder, sele me mine dæl minre æhte þe me to gebyreþ." Þa dælde he him his æhta.
13 Ða æfter feawum dagum eall his þing gegaderode se gingra sunu ond ferde wræclice on feorlen rice ond forspilde þær his æhta, libbende on his gælsan.
14 Ða he hie hæfde ealle amierrede, þa wearð micel hungor on þam rice and he wearð wædla.
15 Þa ferde he and folgode anum burhsittendum men þæs rices; ða sende he hine to his tune þæt he heolde his swin.
16 Ða gewilnode he his wambe gefyllan of þam beancoddum þe ða swin æton, and him mon ne sealde.
17 Þa beþohte he hine ond cwæð, "Eala, hu fela hyrlinga on mines fæder huse hlaf genohne habbað, ond ic her on hunger forweorðe!"
18 Ic arise ond ic fare to minum fæder and ic secge him, "Eala fæder, ic syngode on heofonas and beforan þe;
19 Nu ic ne eom wierðe þæt ic beo þin sunu nemned; do me swa anne of þinum hyrlingum."
20 Ond he aras þa and com to his fæder. And þa giet þa he wæs feorr his fæder, he hine geseah ond wearð mid mildheortnesse astyred and ongean hine arn ond hine beclypte ond cyste hine.
21 Ða cwæð his sunu, "Fæder, ic syngode on heofon ond beforan ðe; nu ic ne eom wierþe þæt ic þin sunu beo genemned."
22 Ða
cwæð se fæder to his þeowum, ‘Bringað hræðe
þone selestan gegierelan and scrydað hine, ond sellað him
hring on his hand and gescy to his fotum;
23
Ond bringað an fætt stierc and ofsleað ond uton etan and
gewistfullian;
24 For þam þes min sunu wæs dead, ond he geedcwicode;
he forwearð ond he is gemett.’ Ða ongunnon hie gewistlæcan.
25 Soðlice his ieldra sunu wæs on æcere; ond he com, and
þa he þam huse genealæhte, he gehierde þone sweg
ond þæt werod.
26 Þa clipode he anne þeow ond ascode hine hwæt þæt
wære.
27 Ða cwæð he, ‘Þin broðor com; and þin
fæder ofsloh an fætt cealf, for þam þe he hine
halne onfeng.’
28 Ða bealg he hine ond nolde in gan. Þa eode his fæder
ut ond ongann hine biddan.
29 Ða cwæð he his fæder answariende, ‘Efne swa
fela geara ic þe þeowode, ond ic næfre þin bebod
ne forgiemde; and ne sealdest þu me næfre an ticcen þæt
ic mid minum freondum gewistfullode;
30 Ac siððan þes þin sunu com þe his spede mid
miltestrum amierde, þu ofsloge him fætt cealf.’
31 Ða cwæð he, ‘Sunu, þu eart simle mid me, ond
ealle mine þing sint þine;
32 Þe gebyrede gewistfullian ond geblissian, for þam þes
þin broðor wæs dead, ond he geedcwicode; he forwearð,
and he is gemett.’
