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on the ground; for I understood that the oracle is so. {THEOLOGIAN} Your deed is well-approved, pious old man; but the people related to you will pay the penalty, a very worthy one, yet painful nonetheless; and let each one blame himself for the penalty. For he will say nothing as an excuse, that perhaps he did not come, did not help, nor did he turn back, doing good both of old and now readily. For what heralds did he not send long ago? And with what wondrous gifts did he not fill him, whom he led out of bitter tyranny, and made a great and all-powerful king of nations, when around Bashan and the land of the Amorites falling upon the best of nations face to face he shattered the shield, and having enslaved their army delivered it to him; whose great favor he spurned and betrayed him to slaughter by the blood-stained; who came later, yet at the right time; for prophets and the law for many years toiling, fighting, found no end. But for Christ one light of the sun will suffice having sacked the halls of Hades, on the next day again to come to the earth, cutting short the pains of mortals; for on their behalf, having taken the garment of a beggar, he will enter Hades; and many spoils from there having taken, he will appear as overseer of those below, having slain the guards and keepers of the gates, he will come from there and will be known to all as a helper, being a benefactor from his own root, whom his own people killed in envy. But those who are in no way related to him, having been acquired by him, some in earthen tombs, and others in mountain and cave and the depth of the earth the cold blast and the thirsty fire of God they will endure patiently, not in beds, nor lying in delicate tunics, nor sleeping in golden-rich houses; but others falling by knives and blade and sword will show forth a steadfast faith, not that of the betrayer and murderers of the benefactor, whom it is just to pay the penalty. But you he will easily rescue upon rising, you who have fittingly laid him in a new tomb, and he will establish you in the land of the blessed, showing you raised from the dead at the trumpet's sound. For you must leave the murderous city, and you, blessed one, must dwell on the plain of the meek, God having appeared, having changed you from a mortal and you having cast off the mortal thickness of corruption, which you had from deceit, having been born a mortal. I knew none of these things from the words of prophets, but I learned them reclining on the Teacher's breast; that thus it will be for those beloved by God I understood, having fallen on the Master's breast, so that from the abyss I have drawn up much wisdom. {JOSEPH} From a wise man one must learn something wise. But do you trust to see him again on the earth? {THEOLOGIAN} I trust; the coming day will show the light of God; I must wait for only one day, the morrow. {JOSEPH} To us, as some great one coming from God, and having simply died, he is entombed as a mortal, in linen cloths and with myrrh, having appeared from a mortal mother; for it was necessary for the one from her to die. But if as God he now will rule even over death, he will be hereafter, as the Son of God and alone, revered by all who know God; but let the little grief for him being from a mortal mother be set aside; for it was necessary for the one from her to die. Thus has our friend now been honored by us; but if, as God, he has the power and will to do anything, the time is at hand; for the light of the third day is not far, and all will be revealed. {THEOLOGIAN} I trust that for all a day of freedom the third day's ray of the sun will bring. {JOSEPH} May I see, may I see this sweet day; oh if only, friend, I might see this wonder. But now let us go away, Nicodemus, benefactor; let us go, friend, and let us ask for the people, although they are savage, and for our country, that God do nothing new, even while we both are present in this life. And you too, dear virgin, with the virgin help us, your friends, in these things; yes, you too help, even while you lament, Lady, Mother of the one of two natures, as the word of the virgin mystic of your Child persuades me. {THEOTOKOS} Go and announce his power to mortals, with Nicodemus the night-initiate of before, but now with you, a most illustrious friend. {THEOLOGIAN} Go rejoicing, do not be afraid anywhere. For the life of good tranquility and of pure love and friendship, and to think well and be prudent in life preserves all things, so that they remain unshaken; for God knows all things and judges wisely. {JOSEPH} You indeed persuade me, and I trust your words, and keeping my place, I go a free man

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πέδῳ· συνῆκα γάρ, θέσφατον ὡς οὕτως ἔχει. {ΘΕΟΛΟΓΟΣ} Τὸ μὲν σὸν εὐδόκιμον, εὐσεβὲς γέρον· ὁ δ' ἐγγενής σοι λαὸς ἐκτίσει δίκην, ὡς ἀξίαν μὲν λίαν, ἀλγεινὴν δ' ὅμως· αὐτὸς δ' ἑαυτὸν αἰτιάσθω τῆς δίκης. Οὐ γάρ τι λέξει πρὸς πρόφασιν, ὡς τάχα οὐκ ἦλθεν, οὐκ ἤμυνεν, οὐδ' ἐπεστράφη, εὐεργετῶν πάλαι τε καὶ νῦν εὐτρόπως. Τίνας γὰρ οὐκ ἔστειλε κήρυκας πάλαι; οἵων δὲ δώρων οὐκ ἔπλησέ νιν ξένων, ὃν ἐξαγαγὼν καὶ πικρᾶς τυραννίδος, ἐθνῶν ἄνακτ' ἔθηκε πανσθενῶς μέγαν, ὅτ' ἀμφὶ Βασὰν τήν τ' Ἀμορραίων χθόνα ἐθνῶν ἀρίστοις ἐμπεσὼν κατὰ στόμα ἔρρηξε πέλτην, τῷ δὲ δουλώσας στρατὸν παρέσχεν· ὧνπερ λακτίσας πολλὴν χάριν προὔδωκεν αὐτὸν εἰς φόνον μιαιφόνοις· ὃς ὕστερον μὲν ἦλθεν, εἰς καιρὸν δ' ὅμως· θεοπρόποι γὰρ καὶ νόμος πολλοῖς χρόνοις ἱδροῦντες, αἰχμάζοντες οὐχ εὗρον πέρας. Χριστῷ δὲ φῶς ἓν ἡλίου καταρκέσει ᾅδου δόμους πέρσαντι θἠτέρᾳ πάλιν πρὸς γαῖαν ἐλθεῖν, συντεμόντ' ἄλγη βροτῶν· τῶν γὰρ ἕκητι πτωχικὴν λαβὼν στολὴν εἴσεισιν ᾅδην· πολλὰ δ' ἐκεῖθεν σκύλα ἄρας, φανεῖται νερτέρων ἐπίσκοπος, κτανών τε φρουροὺς καὶ παραστάτας πυλῶν, ἐκεῖθεν ἔλθῃ πᾶσί τε γνωσθήσεται ἀρωγός, αὐτόριζος ὢν εὐεργέτης, ὃν ἐγγενὴς ἔκτεινε λαὸς ἐν φθόνῳ. Οἱ δ' οὐδὲν αὐτῷ συγγενεῖς πεφυκότες, κτηθέντες αὐτῷ, τοὶ μὲν ἐν χωστοῖς τάφοις, οἳ δ' ἔν τ' ὄρει τε καὶ σπέει καὶ γῆς βάθει ψυχρὰν ἄησιν δίψιόν τε πῦρ θεοῦ μενοῦσι καρτεροῦντες, οὐκ ἐν δεμνίοις, οὐδ' ἐν χιτῶσι τρυφεροῖς ἐγκείμενοι, οὐδ' ἐν ζαχρύσοις δώμασιν κοιμώμενοι· τοὶ δ' ἐν μαχαίραις καὶ σπάθῃ τε καὶ ξίφει πίπτοντες, ἐμφανοῦσι πίστιν ἀσφαλῆ, οὐχ ἣν ὁ πράτης καὶ σφαγεῖς εὐεργέτου, οὓς ἐκτίσαι δίκαιόν ἐστι τὴν δίκην. Σὲ δ' ἐξαναστὰς εὐχερῶς ἐκρύσεται, ὃν εὐπρεπῶς τέθεικας ἐν καινῷ τάφῳ, καὶ μακάρων ἐς αἶαν ἐγκαθιδρύσει, σάλπιγγος ἠχῇ νεκρέγερτον δεικνύων. ∆εῖ γάρ σε τὴν φονῶσαν ἐκλιπεῖν πόλιν, καὶ πραέων οἰκεῖν σε δάπεδον, μάκαρ, θεὸν φανέντα, φθιτὸν ἀμείψαντά σε πάχος βρότειόν τ' ἀποβαλόντα φθορᾶς, ἣν ἐξ ἀπάτης ἔσχες, ὡς θνητὸς γεγώς. Τῶνδ' οὐδὲν ᾔδειν ἐκ λόγων θεοπρόπων, ∆ιδασκάλου δ' ἔγνωκα τοῖς στέρνοις κλιθείς· οὕτως ἔσεσθαι τοὺς Θεῷ φιλουμένους ἐγὼ συνῆκα ∆εσπότου στέρνοις πεσών, ὥστ' ἐξ ἀβύσσου πόλλ' ἀπαντλήσας σοφά. {ΙΩΣΗΦ} Σοφοῦ παρ' ἀνδρὸς χρὴ σοφόν τι μανθάνειν. Πέποιθας αὐτὸν δ' αὖθις ἰδεῖν ἐν χθονί; {ΘΕΟΛΟΓΟΣ} Πέποιθα· δείξει τοὐπιὸν σέλας Θεοῦ· μίαν μόνην μεῖναί με δεῖ τὴν αὔριον. {ΙΩΣΗΦ} Ἡμῖν μὲν ὡς μέγας τις ἥκων ἐκ Θεοῦ, ἁπλῶς τε θανών, ὡς βροτὸς τυμβεύεται, ἐν σινδόσιν μύροις τε, μητρὸς ἐκ θνατᾶς φανείς· τὸν ἐκ κείνης γὰρ ἦν θανεῖν χρεών. Εἰ δ' ὡς Θεὸς νῦν κυριεύσει καὶ μόρου, ἔσται τὸ λοιπόν, ὡς Θεοῦ Παῖς καὶ μόνος, ἅπασι σεπτὸς τοῖσιν εἰδόσιν Θεός· πένθος δὲ βαιὸν ὄντι μητρὸς ἐκ θνατᾶς κείσθω· τὸν ἐκ κείνης γὰρ ἦν θανεῖν χρεών. Ἡμῖν μὲν οὕτως νῦν τετίμηται φίλος· ὃς δ' εἴ τι πράσσειν, ὡς Θεός, θέλων σθένει, καιρὸς πάρεστι· φῶς γὰρ ἡμέρας τρίτης οὐ μακράν ἐστι, καὶ τὸ πᾶν φανήσεται. {ΘΕΟΛΟΓΟΣ} Πέποιθα πᾶσιν ἡμέραν ἐλευθέραν ἀκτῖνα τὴν τριταίαν ἡλίου φέρειν. {ΙΩΣΗΦ} Ἴδοιμ' ἴδοιμι γλυκερόν τ' ἦμαρ τόδε· εἴθ' εἴθε, φίλος, θαῦμα τοῦτ' ἴδοιμ' ἐγώ. Νῦν δ' ἀπίωμεν, Νικόδημ' εὐεργάτα· στείχωμεν ἡμεῖς, φίλε, κἀξαιτώμεθα ὑπέρ τε λαοῦ, καίπερ ὄντος ἀγρίου, ὑπέρ τε πάτρης, τὸν Θεὸν μηδὲν νέον δρᾶν, κἂν ἕως πάρεσμεν ἄμφω τῷ βίῳ. Καὶ σὺ δέ, φίλε παρθένε, ξὺν παρθένῳ πρὸς ταῦτα συνάρηξον ἡμῖν τοῖς φίλοις· ναὶ καὶ σὺ συνάρηγε καὶ θρηνοῦσά περ, δέσποινα, μῆτερ τοῦ διφυοῦς, ὡς λόγος τοῦ παρθένου πείθει με μύστου σοῦ Τέκνου. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Ἄπιθι καὶ δύναμιν ἄγγελλε βροτοῖς, σὺν Νικοδήμῳ νυκτέρῳ μύστῃ πάρος, τανῦν δὲ σὺν σοὶ παμφανεστάτῳ φίλῳ. {ΘΕΟΛΟΓΟΣ} Χαίροντες ἴτε, μήτι που πτοούμενοι. Ὁ βίοτος γὰρ τῆς καλῆς ἡσυχίας καὶ τῆς ἀκραιφνοῦς ἀγάπης καὶ φιλίας, τό τε φρονεῖν εὖ σωφρονεῖν τ' ἐν τῷ βίῳ τηρεῖ τὰ πάνθ', ὡς ἀσάλευτα προσμένειν· Θεὸς γὰρ οἶδε πάντα καὶ σοφῶς κρίνει. {ΙΩΣΗΦ} Σύ τοί με πείθεις, σοῖς τε πιστεύω λόγοις, τάξιν τε τηρῶν, εἶμ' ἐλεύθερος