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her appearance and her madness, having overcome them with great ease, like some eagle stretching its wing high, and taking off his very garments and leaving them in her licentious hands, he went out naked of garments, but having the splendid cloak of chastity, more brilliant than purple itself. 10.33 From this, a sword was sharpened for him again, and death was planned, and the waves rose higher, and the madness of the woman was kindled more fiercely than a Babylonian furnace. For her desire was then stirred up even more, and her anger, another most difficult passion, was added with great savagery, and she looked for murder and ran for a sword and longed for a most lawless slaughter and hurried to destroy the athlete of chastity and the champion of fortitude and endurance. 10.34 And rushing in to her own husband, reporting to him what had happened, not as the truth of the matter was, but as she herself had constructed the drama of slander, she persuaded the judge of what she wished, accusing him in his absence, and as one who had been wronged she sought vengeance, carrying around in those unclean hands the garments of the innocent youth as proof of what she said. 10.35 And the corrupt judge did not bring the accused into court, nor did he give him a hearing, but he condemned the one who had not even seen a courtroom as if he were caught, as if convicted and a perfected adulterer, and cast him into prison and handed him over to chains. And so he who had bound on so many crowns of virtue was in prison with sorcerers, with grave-robbers, with murderers, with those who had dared the worst things. 10.36 But nevertheless, none of these things troubled him. And while another who had offended the king was released, he himself remained inside for a long time, suffering the ultimate punishment for things for which he ought to have been crowned and proclaimed. And not even so was he disturbed, nor was he scandalized, nor did he say: "What is this? To what end is this? I who was destined to rule over my brothers, not only have I fallen from this honor, but also from my country and home and parents, and I have been destroyed by the very ones who were destined to bow down to me. 10.37 Then after the slaughter I was sold, I became a slave of barbarians and changed masters continually; and not even there did my troubles cease, but everywhere there were chasms and reefs. For after the plot of my brothers and the slaughter and the first and the second slavery, again death was planned for me, and a slander more grievous than the former one, and a plot and an attack and a corrupt court and an accusation holding much shame and bringing forth slaughter for me. 10.38 And without receiving a hearing, simply and randomly I was carried off to prison and I am bound in chains with adulterers and murderers and those who have dared the worst things. And the chief cupbearer was released from both his chains and the prison; but I have not been able to enjoy any freedom even after him; and for him the dream came to pass according to my interpretation; but I am in incurable evils. 10.39 Did those visions signify these things? Did the number of the stars? Did the sheaves? Where are the promises? Where are the pledges? Have I been deceived? Have I been deluded? For how will my brothers now bow down to me, the slave, the captive, the prisoner, the one thought to be an adulterer, the one in danger of the ultimate penalty, the one settled so far away from them? All those things are gone and have perished. 10.40 He said none of these things, nor did he think them, but he awaited the end, knowing himself God's resourcefulness and abundant wisdom; and not only was he not scandalized, but he even gloried and took pride in what was happening. 10.41 And what of David, tell me? After being anointed as king and receiving the scepters of the Hebrew people by the vote of God and setting up that brilliant trophy against the barbarian, did he not suffer the most grievous things of all, being warred against, plotted against by Saul, being in danger for his very life, being sent out into perilous wars, continually toward the

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ὄψεως καὶ τῆς μανίας, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς εὐκολίας ὑπερβάς, ὥσπερ τις ἀετὸς ὑψηλὸν τείνας τὸ πτερὸν καὶ αὐτὰ ἀποδυσάμενος τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ καταλιπὼν ταῖς ἀκολάστοις χερσίν, ἐξῆλθεν ἱματίων μὲν γυμνός, λαμπρὰν δὲ τῆς σωφροσύνης ἕχων τὴν περιβολὴν καὶ τῆς ἁλουργίδος αὐτῆς περιφανεστέραν. 10.33 Ἐντεῦθεν αὐτῷ ξίφος ἠκονᾶτο πάλιν καὶ θάνατος ἐμελετᾶτο καὶ τὰ κύματα ἐπὶ τὸ μεῖζον ᾔρετο καὶ ἡ μανία τῆς γυναικὸς τῆς Βαβυλωνίας καμίνου σφοδρότερον ἀνήπτετο. Ἥ τε γὰρ ἐπιθυμία λοιπὸν ἐπὶ μεῖζον ἠγείρετο, ὅ τε θυμός, ἕτερον χαλεπώτατον πάθος, μετὰ πολλῆς προσετίθετο τῆς ἀγριότητος καὶ φόνον ἔβλεπε καὶ ἐπὶ ξίφος ἔτρεχε καὶ σφαγῆς ἤρα παρανομωτάτης καὶ τὸν τῆς σωφροσύνης ἀθλητὴν καὶ τὴν τῆς καρτερίας καὶ ὑπομονῆς ἀγωνιστὴν ἀνελεῖν ἔσπευδε. 10.34 Καὶ εἰσπηδήσασα πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα τὸν ἑαυτῆς, ἀπαγγείλασα αὐτῷ τὰ γεγενημένα, οὐχ ὡς ἡ τοῦ πράγματος εἶχεν ἀλήθεια, ἀλλ' ὡς αὐτὴ τὸ δρᾶμα τῆς συκοφαντίας κατεσκεύασεν, ἔπεισεν ἅπερ ἤθελε τὸν δικαστήν, ἐρημίαν κατηγοροῦσα καὶ ὡς ἠδικημένη τὴν ἐκδικίαν ἐπεζήτει εἰς ἀπόδειξιν ὧν ἔλεγε τὰ ἱμάτια τοῦ ἀθώου νεανίσκου περιφέρουσα ταῖς ἀκαθάρτοις χερσὶν ἐκείναις. 10.35 Καὶ ὁ διεφθαρμένος δικαστὴς οὐκ εἰς δικαστήριον εἰσήγαγε τὸν κατηγορούμενον, οὐ λόγου μετέδωκεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν οὐδὲ ἑωρακότα δικαστήριον, ὡς ἑαλωκότα, ὡς ἐληλεγμένον καὶ μοιχὸν ἀπηρτισμένον κατεδίκασε καὶ εἰς δεσμωτήριον ἐνέβαλε καὶ ἁλύσει παρέδωκε. Καὶ ἦν λοιπὸν ὁ τοσούτους στεφάνους ἀναδησάμενος ἀρετῆς, μετὰ γοήτων, μετὰ τυμβωρύχων, μετὰ ἀνδροφόνων, μετὰ τῶν τὰ ἔσχατα τετολμηκότων, ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ. 10.36 Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲν αὐτὸν τούτων ἐθορύβει. Καὶ ἕτερος μὲν τῷ βασιλεῖ προσκεκρουκὼς ἠφίετο, αὐτὸς δὲ μακρὸν ἔνδον ἔμενε χρόνον, ὑπὲρ ὧν αὐτὸν στεφανοῦσθαι καὶ ἀνακηρύττεσθαι ἔδει, τὴν ἐσχάτην τίνων τιμωρίαν. Καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐταράττετο, οὐδὲ ἐσκανδαλίζετο, οὐδὲ εἶπε· «Τί τοῦτο; εἰς τί τοῦτο; ὁ μέλλων ἐγὼ τῶν ἀδελφῶν βασιλεύειν, οὐ μόνον ταύτης ἐξέπεσον τῆς τιμῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ πατρίδος καὶ οἰκίας καὶ γονέων καὶ παρ' αὐτῶν τῶν μελλόντων με προσκυνεῖν ἀνῃρέθην. 10.37 Εἶτα μετὰ τὴν σφαγὴν ἐπράθην, δοῦλος ἐγενόμην βαρβάρων καὶ συνεχεῖς ἤμειψα δεσπότας· καὶ οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα ἔστη μοι τὰ δεινά, ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ βάραθρα καὶ σκόπελοι. Μετὰ γὰρ τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν τῶν ἀδελφῶν καὶ τὴν σφαγὴν καὶ τὴν δουλείαν καὶ τὴν προτέραν καὶ τὴν δευτέραν, πάλιν μοι θάνατος ἐμελετήθη καὶ συκοφαντία τῆς προτέρας χαλεπωτέρα καὶ ἐπιβουλὴ καὶ ἔφοδος καὶ δικαστήριον διεφθαρμένον καὶ κατηγορία αἰσχύνην ἔχουσα πολλὴν καὶ σφαγὴν ἡμῖν ὠδίνουσα. 10.38 Καὶ οὔτε λόγου μεταλαβών, ἁπλῶς καὶ ὡς ἔτυχεν εἰς δεσμωτήριον ἀπηνέχθην καὶ ἁλύσεσι περίκειμαι μετὰ μοιχῶν καὶ ἀνδροφόνων καὶ τῶν τὰ ἔσχατα τετολμηκότων. Καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀρχιοινοχόος ἀπηλλάγη καὶ ἁλύσεως καὶ δεσμωτηρίου· ἐγὼ δὲ οὐδὲ μετ' ἐκεῖνον ἀδείας τινὸς ἀπολαῦσαι δεδύνημαι· κἀκείνῳ μὲν εἰς ἔργον ἐξέβη τὸ ὄναρ κατὰ τὴν ἑρμηνείαν τὴν ἐμήν· ἐγὼ δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἀνηκέστοις εἰμὶ κακοῖς. 10.39 Ταῦτα αἱ ὄψεις προεδήλουν ἐκεῖναι; ταῦτα τῶν ἀστέρων ὁ ἀριθμός; ταῦτα τὰ δράγματα; Ποῦ τὰ τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν; ποῦ τὰ τῶν ὑποσχέσεων; Ἆρα ἠπατήμαι; ἆρα παρελογίσθην; πῶς γάρ με λοιπὸν προσκυνήσουσιν οἱ ἀδελφοί, τὸν δοῦλον, τὸν αἰχμάλωτον, τὸν δεσμώτην, τὸν μοιχὸν εἶναι νομιζόμενον, τὸν περὶ τῶν ἐσχάτων κινδυνεύοντα, τὸν τοσοῦτον αὐτῶν ἀπῳκισμένον; Οἴχεται πάντα ἐκεῖνα καὶ ἀπόλωλεν. 10.40 Οὐδὲν τούτων οὐκ εἶπεν, οὐκ ἐνενόησεν, ἀλλ' ἀνέμενε τὸ τέλος, εἰδὼς καὶ αὐτὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ εὐμήχανον καὶ τὴν σοφίαν τὴν εὔπορον· καὶ οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐσκανδαλίζετο, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνηβρύνετο καὶ ἐκαλλωπίζετο τοῖς γινομένοις. 10.41 Τί δὲ ὁ ∆αυΐδ, εἰπέ μοι; Οὐ μετὰ τὸ χρισθῆναι εἰς βασιλέα καὶ λαβεῖν τοῦ δήμου τῶν Ἑβραίων τὰ σκῆπτρα τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ ψήφῳ καὶ τὸ λαμπρὸν ἐκεῖνο στῆσαι τρόπαιον κατὰ τοῦ βαρβάρου, τὰ χαλεπώτατα πάντων ἔπαθε, πολεμούμενος, ἐπιβουλευόμενος παρὰ τοῦ Σαούλ, περὶ αὐτὸ τὸ ζῆν κινδυνεύων, εἰς πολέμους ἐπισφαλεῖς ἐκπεμπόμενος, συνεχῶς πρὸς τὴν