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they were throwing their tresses to the air, they exposed the breasts that ought to be hidden, they struck their chests with stones, they tore their cheeks like executioners, they called heaven to witness as a silent judge, they made supplication to the judge and Master of all, saying: What is this great cruelty of the king, O Master?

He works among your creatures; you created, he does not cease slaughtering; you bestowed grace, he inflicts loss. Why did we bear males, if the death of males is so bitter? If the command is yours, command us also to die with them; but if it is the undertaking and command of the lawless king, why do you not pursue him sooner? But it is likely that the mothers, bitten by their grief, cried these things, not knowing what was advantageous for their own young. For what is more blessed than those who are conspired against for the sake of the Lord Christ? what is more blessed than these children, since they were slaughtered not for their own sakes alone, but even as Christ himself was killed?

Truly it is timely to say to the mothers the saying of the Lord: Do not weep, mothers, do not weep; for a little while they have inflicted loss upon your bosoms, but they have inherited the bosoms of Abraham. Do not weep, mothers, do not weep; nor hinder the infants from coming to me; For of such is the kingdom of heaven; in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom is the glory and the power, unto the ages of ages.

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πλοκάμους τῷ ἀέρι διέῤῥιπτον, τοὺς ὀφειλομένους κρύπτεσθαι μαστοὺς ἐδημοσίευον, τὸ στῆθος λίθοις κατήρασσον, τὰς παρειὰς ὡς δήμιοι κατέξεον, τὸν οὐρανὸν ὡς σιωπῶντα κριτὴν ἐμαρτύροντο, ἐντυχίαν ἐποιοῦντο πρὸς τὸν τῶν ὅλων κριτὴν καὶ ∆εσπότην, λέγοντες· Τίς ἡ τοσαύτη τοῦ βασιλέως ὠμότης, ∆έσποτα;

Ἐν τοῖς σοῖς ἐκεῖνος πλάσμασι διαπράττεται· σὺ ἐδημιούργησας, ἐκεῖνος κατασφάττων οὐ παύεται· σὺ εὐχαρίσω, ἐκεῖνος ζημιοῖ. ∆ιὰ τί δὲ καὶ ἄῤῥενας ἐτέκομεν, εἰ οὕτω τῶν ἀῤῥένων πικρὸς ὁ θάνατος; Εἰ σὸν τὸ πρόσταγμα, καὶ ἡμᾶς αὐτὰς συναποθανεῖν κέλευσον· εἰ δὲ τοῦ παρανόμου βασιλέως τὸ ἐγχείρημα καὶ πρόσταγμα, τί θᾶττον αὐτὸν οὐ μετέρχῃ; Ἀλλ' εἰκὸς μὲν τὰς μητέρας ὑπὸ τοῦ πάθους δακνομένας ταῦτα βοᾷν, μὴ εἰδυίας τὸ συμφέρον τοῖς αὐτῶν νεοττοῖς. Τί δὲ μακαριώτερον τῶν διὰ τὸν ∆εσπότην Χριστὸν ἐπιβουλευομένων; τί μακαριώτερον τούτων τῶν παίδων, ὅτι οὐ δι' ἑαυτῶν ἐσφάζοντο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς αὐτὸς ὁ Χριστὸς ἐφονεύετο;

Ὄντως εὔκαιρον εἰπεῖν πρὸς τὰς μητέρας τὸ τοῦ Κυρίου ῥητόν· Μὴ κλαίετε, μητέρες, μὴ κλαίετε· πρὸς ὀλίγον τοὺς ὑμετέρους κόλπους ἐζημίωσαν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς Ἀβραμιαίους κόλπους ἐκληρονόμησαν. Μὴ κλαίετε, μητέρες, μὴ κλαίετε· μηδὲ κωλύετε τὰ νήπια ἔρχεσθαι πρός με· Τῶν γὰρ τοιούτων ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν· ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.