1. Formáli.
Preamble

Atburðir margir, þeir er verða, falla mönnum oft ór minni, en sumir eru annan veg sagðir en verit hafa, ok trúa því margir, er logit er, en tortryggja þat satt er.
Many events, they that come to pass, often fall out of memory, and some are told another way than they have been, and many believe it, who has lied, but distrust what is true.

En fyrir því, at aftr hverfr lygi, þá er sönnu mætir, þá ætlum vér at rita nökkura atburði, þá er gerzt hafa á várum dögum á meðal vár kunnra manna, sem vér vitum sannleik til.
And/but before that, that a lie recoils before the truth, then we intend to write (about) some events, those which have arisen (?) in the days between man's calamities, which we know of truth. (Z. hverfa 3: aptr hverfr lygi, þá er sönnu mœtir, a lie recoils before the truth)

Í þeim atburðum mun sýnast mikil þolinmæði guðs almáttigs, sú er hann hefir hvern dag við oss, ok sjálfræði þat, er hann gefr hverjum manni, at hverr má gera þat, sem vill, gott eða illt.
In those events will appear God Almighty's long-suffering, such as he has each day with us, and that free will, which he gives each man, that each one can do that, as (he/she) wants, good or ill.