Then did the Prince, the Lord of hosts, depart
  With all His thanes from out the council-hall,
  Strong in His might, to seek an unknown land. 
  By wonders manifold and mighty deeds
  In deserts wild He showed that He was King 700
  By right throughout the world, made strong with power,
  Ruler and Author of bright majesty,
  Eternal God of all created things. 
  Likewise He showed before the sight of men
  Unnumbered other works miraculous.

    Upon another journey then He went
  With a vast throng, and in the temple stood,
  The glorious Prince.  The sound of words arose
  Within the lofty building; sinful men
  Would not receive the holy Savior’s words,
  Though He had shown so many tokens true 710
  While they looked on.  Upon the temple wall
  On either side the Lord victorious saw
  An image of His angels wondrous carved,
  Brightly adorned and beautifully wrought;
  Then to the multitude he spake in words:—­
  ’This is the likeness of the angel-race
  Most widely known to dwellers in this town. 
  In Paradise their names are Cherubim 720
  And Seraphim; before the face of God
  They stand, strong-souled, and with their voices praise
  In holy song the might of Heaven’s King,
  And God’s protecting hand.  Here is carved out
  The holy angels’ form; the thanes of glory
  Are chiseled on the wall by handicraft.’

    The Lord of hosts, the Holy Spirit of heaven,
  Spake yet again unto the multitude:—­
  ’Now I command a sign to be disclosed,
  A miracle before the throng of men, 730
  That from the wall this image shall descend
  All beautiful to earth, and speak a word,
  Shall tell them truly of My parentage,
  That men throughout the land may then believe!’

    The ancient image durst not disobey
  The Savior’s words, but leapt from off the wall,
  Stone cleft from stone; upon the earth it stood,
  A wonder in the sight of all the throng;
  Then came a voice loud sounding from the stone, 740
  Rebuking them in words; and wondrous seemed
  The statue’s speech to those proud-hearted men. 
  With tokens manifest it taught the priests,
  Warned them with wisdom; thus it spake in words:—­
  ’Accursed are ye and wretched in your thoughts,
  Deceived with tricks, or else with clouded mind
  No better do ye know.  Ye call God’s Son
  Eternal but a man—­Him who marked out
  With His own hands the sea and solid ground,
  Both heaven and earth, the stormy ocean-waves,
  The salt sea-streams, and the high firmament. 750
  He is that self-same God all-powerful
  Whom in the early days your fathers knew;
  To Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob
  He gave His grace, and honored them with wealth;
  To Abraham He first declared in words
  The covenant of his race, that of his seed
  The God of glory should be born; this fate
  Is now fulfilled among you, manifest;
  And lo! your eyes can now behold the God
  Of victory, who rules the heavens on high.’ 760