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But I am without excuse, Master, for not having called upon you then for my help; but I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned, having abandoned you, and having been enslaved to a passion of shame and dishonor. Then he himself will say to you: It would have been good for you to consider, lest those who demand your soul from you be sent quickly; and where then is the confession and the repentance? For this reason I say, 'Watch, for you know not the day nor the hour.' But from now on, sin no more, nor having left me, be named an adulteress. And so we too beseech, Be reconciled to God, and say thus, O virgin: I will wash my hands in innocence, and I will go around your altar, O Lord, because you have raised the one who was lying down, you have made alive the one who was put to death, you have made bright the one who was defiled, you have pulled up with the hook of piety the one sunk in sin, you have made your own the one who had gone astray, you have purchased the captive, you did not take vengeance on the one who committed outrage, you have recalled the one who ran away, you have washed clean the one stained with blood, you have snatched away the one hunted by pleasure, you have made a citizen of heaven the one worthy of Tartarus, you have freed from Gehenna, you have delivered from the sword, you have loosed from bonds, you have deemed worthy of eternal life, you have snatched away from danger, you have put the devil to shame, you have torn up the handwriting.

O cultivator of good tears, what is more brilliant than these wonders? Come together, therefore, all you who have fallen into such a danger of shipwreck, know, be taught, be instructed, that the fruit of sin is death, but the fruit of the Spirit is life and peace and sanctification. As many as now and always wish to flee this death, take all that is said as a foundation for salvation; and meditate always on this, all of you, but especially those who live as monks, and you virgins who have dedicated your bodies to the Lord: Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desire of the flesh has brought forth death, the fruit of sin; but the spiritual fruit, eternal life and incorruption and sanctification and peace, both spiritually and bodily. Therefore let this be known to all of you, that no virtue is more honorable than virginity in the whole garden of virtue, nor is any found equal to it, if that monk, or that virgin, does not commit fornication in thought; for the consent of the thoughts has completed the entire deed. For he who said is true: Everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. And there is nothing separate between the male and the female; for we are all of the same lump, as the Gospel says; it speaks of the will of man, and the will of the flesh, having said the whole is one and the same. Therefore, the virgin of Christ must also keep her whole self blameless and incorrupt, and her heart toward her own bridegroom and creator, Christ, and with the eyes of the mind as if seeing the one who is beautiful in comeliness beyond the sons of men, to turn away from every idle word that is not for edification, not to associate fearlessly with any male, and especially with those who walk in a disorderly manner.

But if there is some certainty concerning the benefit of the soul, one must not refuse men who walk in a becoming manner. One must not be too bold, nor linger, nor jest with immodest women; and an oath should not come out of the mouth at all; for the Lord's command is that he does not permit you to swear even by your own head, saying, that 'Everything more than 'Yes' and 'No' is from the evil one'; and to drive out filthy and immodest thoughts, and all the temptations of the flesh with the fear and the longing for Christ and with the sign of his cross.

Behold, fathers and mothers and brothers and sisters and all children, I have set before you what is profitable, I mean to the monks and to the virgins. Keep these things, and you shall not stumble, but you also will be deemed worthy to be shown as heirs of Christ, of all which prepared good things, worthy ones and heirs

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Πλὴν ἀναπολόγητός εἰμι, ∆έσποτα, μὴ ἐπικαλεσαμένη σε τότε εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν βοήθειαν· ἀλλ' ἡμάρτηκα, Κύριε, ἡμάρτηκα, σὲ ἐγκαταλείψασα, καὶ δουλεύσασα πάθει αἰσχύνης καὶ ἀτιμίας. Τότε καὶ αὐτὸς ἐρεῖ σοι· Καλόν σε ἦν ἐνθυμηθῆναι, μὴ τὸ τάχος ἀποσταλῶσιν οἱ τὴν ψυχήν σου ἀπαιτοῦντες ἀπὸ σοῦ· καὶ ποῦ τότε ἡ ἐξομολόγησις καὶ ἡ μετάνοια; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ λέγω, ὅτι Γρηγορεῖτε, ὅτι οὐκ οἴδατε τὴν ἡμέραν οὐδὲ τὴν ὥραν. Πλὴν ἀπάρτι μηκέτι ἁμαρτήσῃς, μηδὲ ἐμὲ καταλιποῦσα, μοιχαλὶς χρηματίσῃς. Καὶ ἡμεῖς οὖν δεόμεθα, Καταλλάγητε τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ εἰπὲ οὕτως, ὦ παρθένε· Νίψομαι ἐν ἀθώοις τὰς χεῖράς μου, καὶ κυκλώσω τὸ θυσιαστήριόν σου, Κύριε, ὅτι τὴν κειμένην ἤγειρας, τὴν τεθανατωμένην ἐζωοποίησας, τὴν ἐῤῥυπωμένην ἐλάμπρυνας, τὴν βεβυθισμένην τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ τῷ ἀγκίστρῳ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀν60.744 έσπασας, τὴν πλανηθεῖσαν ᾠκειώσω, τὴν αἰχμάλωτον ἠγόρασας, τὴν ὑβρίσασαν οὐκ ἠμύνου, τὴν δραπετεύσασαν ἀνεκαλέσω, τὴν αἱμαχθεῖσαν ἀπέπλυνας, τὴν ὑπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς θηρευθεῖσαν ἀπέσπασας, τὴν ταρτάρων ἀξίαν οὐρανοπολίτιδα ἀπειργάσω, τῆς γεέννης ἠλευθέρωσας, τῆς ῥομφαίας ἐλυτρώσω, τῶν δεσμῶν ἔλυσας, τῆς ἀϊδίου ζωῆς ἠξίωσας, τοῦ κινδύνου ἀφήρπασας, τὸν διάβολον ᾔσχυνας, τὸ χειρόγραφον διέῤῥηξας.

Ὢ δακρύων ἀγαθῶν γεωργὲ, τί τούτων λαμπρότερον τῶν θαυμάτων; Συνέλθητε οὖν, ὅσαι τῷ τοιούτῳ κινδύνῳ τοῦ ναυαγίου περιεπέσετε, γνῶτε, διδάχθητε, παιδεύθητε, ὅτι ὁ μὲν τῆς ἁμαρτίας καρπός ἐστι θάνατος, ὁ δὲ καρπὸς τοῦ Πνεύματός ἐστι ζωὴ καὶ εἰρήνη καὶ ἁγιασμός. Ὅσοι νῦν τε καὶ πάντοτε βούλεσθε ἐκφυγεῖν τὸν θάνατον τοῦτον, τὰ λεγόμενα ἅπαντα ὑπόθεσιν σωτηρίας λάβετε· καὶ τοῦτο ἀεὶ μελετᾶτε πάντες, ἐξαιρέτως δὲ οἱ μονάζοντες, καὶ παρθένοι αἱ τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν ἀφιερώσασαι τῷ Κυρίῳ· Πνεύματι περιπατεῖτε, καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν σαρκὸς οὐ μὴ τελέσητε. Ἡ γὰρ ἐπιθυμία τῆς σαρκὸς τὸν καρπὸν τῆς ἁμαρτίας θάνατον ἐβλάστησεν· ὁ δὲ καρπὸς ὁ πνευματικὸς ζωὴν αἰώνιον καὶ ἀφθαρσίαν καὶ ἁγιασμὸν καὶ εἰρήνην ψυχικῶς τε καὶ σωματικῶς. ∆ιὸ πᾶσιν ὑμῖν τοῦτο γνωστὸν ἔστω, ὡς οὐδεμία ἀρετὴ τιμιωτέρα παρθενίας πέφυκεν εἰς πᾶν φυτὸν ἀρετῆς, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ὁμοία ταύτης εὑρίσκεται, ἐὰν ὁ μονάζων ἐκεῖνος, ἢ ἡ παρθένος κατὰ διάνοιαν μὴ ἐκπορνεύσῃ· ἡ γὰρ συγκατάθεσις τῶν λογισμῶν πᾶσαν τὴν πρᾶξιν ἀπετέλεσεν. Ἀψευδὴς γὰρ ὁ εἰπών· Πᾶς ὁ βλέπων γυναῖκα πρὸς τὸ ἐπιθυμῆσαι αὐτῆς, ἤδη ἐμοίχευσεν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ. Οὐδὲν δὲ κεχωρισμένον ἐκ τοῦ ἄῤῥενος καὶ τῆς θηλείας· πάντες γὰρ τοῦ αὐτοῦ φυράματος τυγχάνομεν, καθὼς τὸ Εὐαγγέλιόν φησι· τὸ μὲν θέλημα ἀνδρὸς λέγει. τὸ δὲ θέλημα σαρκὸς, ἓν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πᾶν εἰρηκώς. ∆ιὸ δεῖ καὶ τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρθένον ὅλην ἑαυτὴν ἄμωμον τηρεῖν καὶ ἄφθαρτον, καὶ τὴν καρδίαν πρὸς τὸν αὐτῆς νυμφίον καὶ δημιουργὸν Χριστὸν, τοῖς δὲ ὀφθαλμοῖς τῆς διανοίας ὡς βλέπουσαν τὸν ὡραῖον κάλλει παρὰ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, πάντα λόγον ἀργὸν καὶ μὴ ὄντα πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν ἀποστρέφεσθαι, παντὶ ἄῤῥενι ἀδεῶς μὴ συνδιάζειν, καὶ μάλιστα τῶν ἀτάκτως περιπατούντων.

Εἰ δὲ πληροφορία τίς ἐστι περὶ ὠφελείας ψυχῆς, οὐ δεῖ παραιτεῖσθαι ἄνδρας εὐσχημόνως περιπατοῦντας. Μὴ παῤῥησιάζεσθαι δεῖ, μηδὲ χρονίζειν, γυναιξὶν ἀσέμνοις μὴ συγγελοιάζειν· ὅρκος δὲ ὅλως ἐκ στόματος μὴ ἐξερχέσθω· ∆εσποτικὸν γὰρ τὸ παράγγελμα, ὅτι οὐδὲ κατὰ τῆς ἰδίας σου κεφαλῆς ἀνέχεταί σε ὀμόσαι λέγων, ὅτι Πᾶν τὸ πλεῖον τοῦ Ναί καὶ τοῦ Οὔ, ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ ἐστι· τοὺς δὲ ῥυπαροὺς καὶ ἀσέμνους λογισμοὺς, καὶ πάντα τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς πειρατήρια τῷ φόβῳ καὶ τῷ πόθῳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τῷ τύπῳ τοῦ σταυροῦ αὐτοῦ ἀπελαύνειν.

Ἰδοὺ, πατέρες καὶ μητέρες καὶ ἀδελφοὶ καὶ ἀδελφαὶ καὶ τέκνα πάντα, τὰ συμφέροντα παρέθηκα ὑμῖν, λέγω δὴ τοῖς μονάζουσι καὶ ταῖς παρθένοις. Ταῦτα φυλάξατε, καὶ οὐ μὴ πταίσητε, ἀλλὰ ἀξιωθήσεσθε καὶ ὑμεῖς κληρονόμοι Χριστοῦ ἀναδειχθῆναι, ὧν πάντων τῶν ἡτοιμασμένων ἀγαθῶν ἀξίους καὶ κληρονόμους