And Joseph wente vp fro Galilee, fro the citee Nazareth, in to Judee, in to a citee of Dauid, that is clepid Bethleem, for that he was of the hous and of the meyne of Dauid,
And thou, Bethleem Effrata, art litil in the thousyndis of Juda; he that is the lordli gouernour in Israel, schal go out of thee to me; and the goyng out of hym is fro bigynnyng, fro daies of euerlastyngnesse.
And the Lord seide to Samuel, Hou long biweilist thou Saul, sithen Y castide hym awey, that he regne not on Israel; fille thin horn with oile, and come, that Y sende thee to Ysay of Bethleem; for among hise sones Y haue purueide a king to me.
If thi fadir biholdith, and axith me, thou schalt answere to hym, Dauid preiede me, that he schulde go swiftli into Bethleem, his citee, for solempne sacrifices ben there to alle the men of his lynage.
Al the puple, that was in the yate, answeride, and the grettere men in birthe answeriden, We ben witnessis; the Lord make this womman, that entrith in to thin hows, as Rachel and Lia, that bildiden the hows of Israel, that sche be ensaumple of vertu in Effrata, and haue a solempne name in Bethleem;
Forsothe Dauid was `the sone of a man of Effrata, of whom it is `biforseid, of Bethleem of Juda, to `which man the name was Isay, which hadde eiyte sones; and `the man was eld in the daies of Saul, and of greet age among men.
Therfor Samuel dide, as the Lord spak to hym; and he cam in to Bethleem, and the eldere men of the citee wondriden, and camen to hym, and seiden, Whether thin entryng is pesible?
And thei yeden forth togidere, and camen in to Bethleem; and whanne thei entriden in to the citee, swift fame roos anentis alle men, and wymmen seiden, This is thilke Noemy.
Forsothe whanne Y cam fro Mesopotamye, Rachel was deed to me in the lond of Canaan, in thilke weie; and it was the bigynnyng of somer; and Y entride in to Effrata, and beriede hir bisidis the weie of Effrata, which bi anothir name is clepid Bethleem.
But while he thouyte thes thingis, lo! the aungel of the Lord apperide `in sleep to hym, and seide, Joseph, the sone of Dauid, nyle thou drede to take Marie, thi wijf; for that thing that is borun in hir is of the Hooli Goost.