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But that 20Herod20 murders the infants because of Christ the incomprehensible, this was not passed over in silence, but it is written thus: «A voice was heard in 20Ramah,20 much wailing and lamentation; 20Rachel20 weeping for her children, and she would not be comforted, because they are not.» These things, therefore, you learned beforehand, O 20Jew,20 through prophets, that you might be prepared for his coming, not that you might prepare a cross. But leaving them for the present, let us bring our discourse to its former impetus.

5 And for 20Elizabeth20 the time was fulfilled for her to give birth; and she bore a son. And her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy with her; and they rejoiced with her. And it came to pass on the eighth day, when they came to circumcise the child, that they called his name after the name of his father, 20Zacharias.20 His mother answered and said, «He shall be called 20John.20» And they made signs to his father, what he would have him called. And having asked for a tablet, he wrote on it, saying, «His name is 20John.20» And they all marveled. For his mouth was opened immediately and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke clearly, blessing God. Indeed; the infant is born and the voice of the father returns; for thus the voice of 20John20 is shown to be crying out, because even the name itself has revealed the power of a voice; «For I,» he says, «am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.» For 20John,20 having received the illumination of the Holy Spirit, showed the maker to his works and pointed out the creator to all, crying with a loud voice: «Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.» For no longer according to the old type and law is there one temple that receives the sacrifices and is revered in them; but throughout the whole world churches and altars sincerely send up glory to the God who loves mankind.

For we have received the high priest of our souls, Jesus Christ our Lord, who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth. For we have, says 20Paul,20 a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom is due all glory, honor, and worship, with the unoriginate Father and the all-holy and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages, amen.

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Ἀλλ' ὅτι 20Ἡρῴδης20 φονεύει τὰ νήπια διὰ Χριστὸν τὸν ἀκατάληπτον, οὐδὲ τοῦτο παρεσιωπήθη, ἀλλὰ γέγραπται οὕτως· «Φωνὴ ἐν 20Ῥαμὰ20 ἠκούσθη, θρῆνος πολὺς καὶ ὀδυρμός· 20Ῥαχιὴλ20 κλαίουσα τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς καὶ οὐκ ἤθελεν παρακληθῆναι ὅτι οὐκ εἰσίν.» Ταῦτα τοίνυν προεμάνθανες, ὦ 20Ἰουδαῖε,20 διὰ προφητῶν ἵνα εὐτρεπισθῇς πρὸς ἀπαντὴν αὐτοῦ, οὐχ ἵνα σταυρὸν ἑτοιμάσῃς. Ἀλλ' ἐκείνους μὲν πρὸς τὸ παρὸν καταλείψαντες ἐπὶ τὴν προτέραν ὁρμὴν τὸν λόγον ἀγάγωμεν.

5 Τῇ δὲ 20Ἐλισάβετ20 ἐπλήσθη ὁ χρόνος τοῦ τεκεῖν αὐτήν· καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱόν· καὶ ἤκουσαν οἱ περίοικοι καὶ οἱ συγγενεῖς αὐτῆς ὅτι ἐμεγάλυνεν κύριος τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ μετ' αὐτῆς· καὶ συνέχαιρον αὐτῇ. Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῇ ὀγδόῃ ἡμέρᾳ, ὡς ἦλθον περιτεμεῖν τὸ παιδίον καὶ ἐκάλουν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ 20Ζαχαρίαν,20 ἀποκριθεῖσα ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ εἶπεν· «20Ἰωάννης20 κληθήσεται.» Ἔνευον δὲ καὶ τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ τὸ τί ἂν θέλοι καλεῖσθαι αὐτόν· καὶ αἰτήσας πινακίδιον ἔγραψεν ἐν αὐτῷ λέγων· «20Ἰωάννης20 ἐστὶ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ.» Καὶ ἐθαύμασαν πάντες· ἀνεῴχθη γὰρ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ παραχρῆμα καὶ ἐλύθη ὁ δεσμὸς τῆς γλώσσης αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐλάλει τρανῶς εὐλογῶν τὸν θεόν. Ἀμέλει· τὸ βρέφος τίκτεται καὶ ἡ φωνὴ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐπανέρχεται· οὕτως γὰρ δείκνυται βοῶσα ἡ 20Ἰωάννου20 φωνή, ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ ὄνομα φωνῆς ἐνέργεια πέφηνεν· «Ἐγὼ γάρ, φησίν, φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ· ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ.» ∆εξάμενος γὰρ ὁ 20Ἰωάννης20 τὴν ἔλλαμψιν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ὑπεδείκνυε τὸν ποιητὴν τοῖς ποιήμασι καὶ τὸν πλάστην ἐδακτυλοδείκτει τοῖς πᾶσι μεγαλοφώνως βοῶν· «Ἴδε ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου.» Οὐκέτι γὰρ κατὰ τὸν παλαιὸν τύπον καὶ νόμον εἷς ναός ἐστιν ὁ δεχόμενος τὰς θυσίας καὶ σεμνυνόμενος ἐν αὐταῖς· ἀλλὰ κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐκκλησίαι καὶ θυσιαστήρια εἰλικρινῶς τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ θεῷ δόξαν ἀναπέμπουσιν.

Ἐλάβομεν γὰρ τῶν ἡμετέρων ψυχῶν ἀρχιερέα Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν, ὃς ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἐποίησεν οὔτε δόλος εὑρέθη ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ. Ἔχομεν γάρ, φησὶν ὁ 20Παῦλος,20 ἀρχιερέα μέγαν διεληλυθότα τοὺς οὐρανούς, Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν· ᾧ πρέπει πᾶσα δόξα, τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις σὺν τῷ ἀνάρχῳ πατρὶ καὶ τῷ παναγίῳ καὶ ζωοποιῷ πνεύματι νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, ἀμήν.