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a place called Gelasois, and he builds for himself there a small place of dry stones, and he stood in the open for four years, snowed on, rained on, scorched by the sun, and many would go to him; and his food was soaked lentils and his drink was water. And after this he made for himself a pillar of four cubits and he stood on it for seven years, and his fame was spreading everywhere; and after this the crowds build for him two enclosures of dry stone, and they place a door on the inner enclosure and they make for him a pillar of thirty cubits, and he stood on it for fifteen years, performing many cures; for many possessed by demons went there and were healed.

13 And saint Symeon was imitating his teacher Christ, by calling upon whom he made the lame to walk, cleansing lepers, making the mute to speak, the paralyzed to run, providing healing to the chronically ill, admonishing and encouraging each one: If someone says to you, 'Who healed you?', you say, 'God healed me.' Do not dare to say, 'Symeon healed me,' lest you find yourself again in the same pains. And this I say to you: never lie and swear by God; but if it becomes necessary for you to swear, swear by me, the humble one, whether truthfully or falsely; for it is a great sin and a fearsome thing to swear by God.

14 Hear a fearsome and strange wonder. After twenty years his mother learns where saint Symeon is and having come running, she wished to see him after so many years and weeping much to see him, she was not permitted to see him. And since she much desired to be sanctified by his holy hands, she was forced to climb upon the wall. But while climbing on the wall of the enclosure, she fell to the ground, not having been able to see him. And saint Symeon tells her: Forgive me, mother, for now, and if we are worthy, in that age we shall see one another. And when she heard these things, she burned even more to see him. And saint Symeon tells her: Cease, my lady mother, since you have come from afar and have toiled because of me, the humble one, but lay yourself down for a little while and, resting, be strong, and after a little I will see you. And she, having heard, lays herself down at his entrance and immediately gave up her spirit to God. And the caretakers came to wake her; and they found her dead and reported it to the saint concerning her. And he, having heard, orders her to be brought in and places her before his pillar, and having looked upon her with tears, he began to say: 'Lord, the God of hosts, the guide of the light and charioteer of the Cherubim, who guided Joseph, who empowered your prophet David against Goliath, who raised Lazarus, four days dead, from the dead, raise up your right hand and receive in peace the soul of your servant.' And as he was praying, her holy relic moved and smiled in its appearance, and all who were watching were amazed and glorified God; and having prepared her for burial, they buried her in front of his pillar, so that, as he prays, he might remember her.

15 Hear another strange and wondrous mystery. Some were coming to pray from a great distance, and a grazing doe, which was pregnant, meets them, and one of them says to the doe: 'I adjure you by the power of the holy Symeon, stand still, that I may catch you.' And immediately the doe stood still, and having caught her, he slaughtered her and they ate her meat; but the skin remained. And immediately their speech was hindered, and they began to bleat like irrational beasts, and they come running and fall down before his pillar, begging to receive healing, and they filled the skin of the doe with chaff and for the recognition of many people, the skin was set up for a time

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ρίον ἐπιλεγόμενον Γελασοῖς, καὶ οἰκοδομεῖ ἐκεῖ αὐτῷ τόπον μικρὸν ἀπὸ ξηρολίθων, καὶ στήκει μέσον χρόνους τέσσαρας νιφόμενος, βρεχόμενος, καυματούμενος, καὶ πολλοὶ ἀπήρχοντο πρὸς αὐτόν· ἡ δὲ τροφὴ αὐτοῦ ἦν φακὴ βρεκτὴ καὶ τὸ πόμα αὐτοῦ ὕδωρ. Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐποίησεν ἑαυτῷ στῦλον πηχῶν τεσσάρων καὶ στήκει ἐν αὐτῷ ἔτη ἑπτά, καὶ ἦν ἡ φήμη αὐτοῦ πανταχοῦ διατρέχουσα· καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα οἰκοδομοῦσιν αὐτῷ οἱ ὄχλοι μάνδρας δύο ἀπὸ ξηρολίθου, καὶ ἐπιτιθοῦσιν θύραν τῇ ἔσωθεν μάνδρᾳ καὶ ποιοῦσιν αὐτῷ στῦλον πηχῶν τριάκοντα, καὶ στήκει ἐν αὐτῷ ἔτη δεκαπέντε πολλὰς ἰάσεις ἐπιτελῶν· πολλοὶ γὰρ δαιμονιῶντες ἀπῄεσαν ἐκεῖ καὶ ἐθεραπεύοντο.

13 Ὁ δὲ ἅγιος Συμεὼν ἐμιμεῖτο τὸν καθηγητὴν αὐτοῦ Χριστόν, ὃν καὶ ἐπικαλούμενος χωλοὺς ἐποίει περιπατεῖν, λεπροὺς καθαρίζων, μογγιλάλους ποιῶν λαλεῖν, παραλυτικοὺς τρέχειν, μακρονοσοῦσιν παρέχων ἴασιν, νουθετῶν καὶ παρα καλῶν ἕκαστον· Ἐάν σοι εἴπῃ τις, ὅτι τίς σε ἐθεράπευσεν, λέγε σύ, ὅτι Ὁ θεός με ἐθεράπευσεν· μή σοι δόξῃ εἰπεῖν ὅτι Συμεών με ἐθεράπευσεν, ἐπεὶ πάλιν ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς πόνοις εὑρίσκῃ. καὶ τοῦτό σοι λέγω· μηδέποτε ψεύσῃς καὶ ὀμόσῃς τὸν θεόν· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀνάγκη σοι γίνεται τοῦ ὀμόσαι, κατ' ἐμοῦ τοῦ ταπεινοῦ ὄμνυε, εἴτε μετ' ἀληθείας εἴτε μετὰ ψεύδους· μεγάλη γὰρ ἁμαρτία ἐστὶν καὶ φοβερὸν τὸ ὀμνύειν εἰς τὸν θεόν.

14 Ἀκούσατε φοβερὸν καὶ παράδοξον θαῦμα· ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ διὰ εἴκοσι ἐτῶν μανθάνει, ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ ἅγιος Συμεὼν καὶ δρομαίως ἐλθοῦσα ἠθέλησεν αὐτὸν θεάσασθαι διὰ τοσού των ἐτῶν καὶ πολλὰ κλαίουσα ἐπὶ τὸ ἰδέσθαι αὐτὸν καὶ οὐ συνεχωρήθη θεάσασθαι αὐτόν· ἐπὶ πολὺ δὲ αὐτῆς θελούσης ἁγιασθῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν ἁγίων αὐτοῦ χειρῶν, ἠναγκάσθη ἐπὶ τὸν τοῖχον σκαλαβατᾶν· σκαλαβατοῦσα δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν τοῖχον τῆς μάνδρας ἐρράγη χαμαί, μὴ δυνηθεῖσα θεάσασθαι αὐτόν. καὶ δηλοῖ αὐτῇ ὁ ἅγιος Συμεών· Συγχώρησόν μοι, μήτηρ τὰ νῦν, καὶ εἴ ἐσμεν ἄξιοι ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ αἰῶνι θεωροῦμεν ἀλλήλους. καὶ ὡς ἤκουσεν ταῦτα, πλεῖον ἐκαίετο τοῦ θεάσασθαι αὐτόν. καὶ δηλοῖ αὐτῇ ὁ ἅγιος Συμεών· Παῦσαι, κυρία μου μήτηρ, ἐπειδὴ ἐκ μήκου ἐλήλυθας καὶ ἐκοπίασας δι' ἐμὲ τὸν ταπεινόν, ἀλλὰ θὲς σεαυτὴν μικρὸν καὶ ἀναπαύουσα ἴσχυσον καὶ μετ' ὀλίγον σε ὁρῶ. ἡ δὲ ἀκούσασα τίθησιν ἑαυτὴν εἰς τὰ πρό θυρα αὐτοῦ καὶ εὐθέως ἀπέδωκεν τὸ πνεῦμα τῷ θεῷ. ἦλθον δὲ οἱ προσμονάριοι ἐπὶ τὸ ἐξυπνῆσαι αὐτήν· καὶ εὗρον αὐτὴν νεκρὰν καὶ ἀνήγγειλαν τῷ ἁγίῳ περὶ αὐτῆς. ὁ δὲ ἀκούσας κελεύει αὐτὴν εἰσενεχθῆναι καὶ τίθησιν αὐτὴν ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ στύλου αὐτοῦ, καὶ θεασάμενος αὐτὴν μετὰ δακρύων ἤρξατο λέγειν· Κύριε, ὁ θεὸς τῶν δυνάμεων, ὁ ὁδηγὸς τοῦ φωτὸς καὶ ἡνίοχος τῶν Χερουβίμ, ὁ ὁδηγήσας τὸν Ἰωσήφ, ὁ δυναστεύσας τὸν προφήτην σου ∆αβὶδ κατὰ τοῦ Γολιάδ, ὁ τὸν Λάζαρον ἐγείρας τετραήμερον ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἐξέγειρον τὴν δεξιάν σου καὶ δέξαι ἐν εἰρήνῃ τὴν ψυχὴν τῆς δούλης σου. καὶ εὐχο μένου αὐτοῦ τὸ ἅγιον αὐτῆς λείψανον ἐκινεῖτο καὶ ἐμειδίασεν τῇ ὄψει, πάντες δὲ οἱ θεωροῦντες ἐξεπλήττοντο καὶ ἐδόξαζον τὸν θεόν· καὶ κηδεύσαντες αὐτὴν ἔθαψαν ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ στύλου αὐτοῦ, ἵνα, καθὼς εὔχεται, μνημονεύει αὐτήν.

15 Ἄλλο ξένον καὶ παράδοξον ἀκούσατε μυστήριον· τινὲς ἤρχοντο εἰς εὐχὴν ἀπὸ μήκου πολλοῦ, καὶ ἀπαντᾷ αὐτοῖς ἔλαφος βοσκομένη, ἔχουσα ἐν γαστρί, καὶ λέγει εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν τῇ ἐλάφῳ· Ὁρκίζω σε κατὰ τῆς δυνάμεως τοῦ ὁσίου Συμεών, στῆθι, ἵνα σε κρατήσω. καὶ εὐθέως ἔστη ἡ ἔλαφος, καὶ κρατήσας αὐτὴν ἔσφαξεν καὶ ἔφαγον τὰ κρέη αὐτῆς· τὸ δὲ δέρμα ἔμενεν· καὶ εὐθέως ἐκωλύθη ἡ ὁμιλία αὐτῶν, καὶ ἤρξαντο βληχᾶσθαι ὡς τὰ ἄλογα, καὶ δρομαῖοι ἔρχονται καὶ προσπίπτουσιν ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ στύλου αὐτοῦ δεόμενοι τυχεῖν θεραπείας, τὸ δὲ δέρμα τῆς ἐλάφου ἐπλήρωσαν ἀχύρῳ καὶ πρὸς ἐπίγνωσιν πολλῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐτέθη τὸ δέρμα χρόνον