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.
Great events, those which happened, often befall men out from less, and some are told otherwise than they have happened, and many believe it when it has been untrue, and doubted when it 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.
But for it, that turns lies back, then is truth mighty, then we expect to write of some events, those which have happened in our times between our familiar men, who we know of truthfully.
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 show the great patience of God Almighty, that which he has every day with us, and that free will, which he gave to each man, that each might do that which (he) will (for) good or ill.