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6.5.3 Therefore now also murder, the fruit of adultery, is sprouting up, and a council sits in haste as if over a great crime of the woman, and a crowd is stirred up, having the one being judged as a spectacle. And the accusers and judges were the same; and slandering old age was trustworthy, and slandered youth was condemned by the prevailing suspicion. 6.5.4 And the people, being stirred up and suffering what indeed a people is accustomed to suffer from a rash impulse, was indignant, being deceived, and was carried away by the impulse of the elders. The parents of the one being judged were lamenting, her husband was bewailing the misfortune, children were wailing, clinging on this side and that to their endangered mother, the family was covered with shame. 6.5.5 But the fine judges, the allies of chastity—for not even in the confusion of evils did she forget herself, having the habit of modesty—ordered her, who was modestly covered with a cloak, to be stripped of her decent covering, so that in the court of adultery they might commit adultery by resting their shameful desire upon the sight of the one being judged; 6.5.6 And they also laid their hands on her head, which was indeed a symbol of condemnation, defiling a pure body, those licentious men, with their touch, and they spoke the falsehood against her to the people, those fine protectors of the truth. 6.6.1 But when the people were led on and the vote was cast and the punishment was near, then the slandered woman looked up to the judge of judges; she brought the case on appeal from men to God, she called upon the court that cannot be deceived, and the truth did not delay. 6.6.2 Arise for me then, O blessed Daniel, now in this discourse as you were also aroused then by the Spirit; say you too, 'I am innocent of the blood of this woman,' as Pilate also did later against the raging Hebrews. Bring the people back to the tribunal; give a new beginning to the trial that was badly concluded; set up the falsely-named judges to be judged; let the order of the protagonists be reversed, and let the woman behold the elders, as she herself a little while ago was a spectacle for the city. 6.6.3 Judge, you captive, the citizens; you foreigner, the natives; you youth, the old men. Lend your holy mouth to the Spirit; for you do not have unclean lips, as Isaiah says, humbling himself; nor do you need one of the Seraphim and the cleansing coal. Separate wisely the falsely-named judges, so that they may not conspire in agreement to your questions as they did against the woman in the garden. 6.6.4 For let us wisely observe what kind of a beginning the words of the thrice-blessed youth had: 'You who have grown old in evil days, now your sins have come upon you which you formerly committed, condemning the innocent, but acquitting the guilty.' O the wonder and the great freedom of the Spirit! For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 6.6.5 For you see how he does not shrink back even in the preliminaries; but having gazed into the depth of their conscience and seeing the souls of the elders as storehouses of sins, he seeks neither witnesses nor proofs, but summons them with grievous insult, since the prophet has the verdict written upon his breast. 6.6.6 And as far as it depended on him, he would not have even said anything, but would have handed them over to punishment without delay; but so that he might persuade a foolish people and fickle judges, who judged by the gray hair of the accusers and not by the truth, he also applies the test of questioning to them separately and refutes the falsehood from their discordant answer. And having delivered the judgment, he does not give the guilty over to executioners, but calls punishing angels against them. For to such an extent has the dignity of the saints increased, as to have invisible powers ministering to them. 6.7.1 What followed for the defiled elders? The judgment was turned against them; and they departed, paying the penalty through death for both their old iniquities and their new sin. And all of Babylon had the wonder of what had happened on their lips and with hymns they acclaimed God who made public the knowledge of hidden deeds. 6.7.2 And Hilkiah, rejoicing for his child, was renewed; Joakim celebrated in song the victory festival on behalf of his wife;

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6.5.3 ∆ιὸ καὶ νῦν φόνος ὁ καρπὸς τῆς μοιχείας ὑποβλαστάνει καὶ συνέδριον κατὰ σπούδην κάθηται ὡς ἐπὶ μεγάλῳ τῆς γυναικὸς ἀδικήματι, καὶ δημαγωγεῖται πλῆθος θέαν ἔχον τὴν κρινομένην. Κατήγοροι δὲ καὶ δικασταὶ οἱ αὐτοί· καὶ πολιὰ συκοφαντοῦσα ἀξιόπιστος ἦν καὶ νεότης συκοφαντουμένη ἐκ τῆς κρατούσης ὑπονοίας κατεδικάζετο. 6.5.4 ∆ῆμος δὲ ἀναρριπισθεὶς καὶ παθὼν ὃ δὴ πάσχειν ἀπὸ ὁρμῆς ἐμπλήκτου εἴωθε δῆμος, ἠγανάκτει πεπλανήμενος καὶ τῇ ὁρμῇ τῶν γερόντων συνεξεφέρετο· γονεῖς τῆς κρινουμένης ἐθρήνουν, ἀνὴρ τὴν συμφορὰν ὠδύρετο, παῖδες ὠλόλυζον ἔνθεν καὶ ἔνθεν τῆς μητρὸς κινδυνευούσης ἀπηρτήμενοι, τὸ γένος τῇ αἰσχύνῃ κεκάλυπτο. 6.5.5 Οἱ δὲ καλοὶ δικασταί, οἱ τῆς σωφροσύνης σύμ μαχοι, σεμνῶς κεκαλυμμένην ἱματίῳοὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς συγχύσεως τῶν κακῶν ἑαυτῆς ἐπελάθετο ἕξιν τῆς κοσμιότητος ἔχουσαγυμνοῦσθαι τῆς εὐπρεποῦς σκέπης ἐκέλευσαν, ἵν' ἐν τῷ δικαστηρίῳ τῆς μοιχείας μοιχείαν ἐργάσωνται τῇ θέᾳ τῆς κρινομένης τὴν αἰσχρὰν ἐπιθυμίαν προσαναπαύσαντες· 6.5.6 ἐπετίθεσαν δὲ καὶ τὰς χεῖρας τῇ κεφαλῇ ὃ δὴ σύμβολον τῆς κατακρίσεως ἦν, χραίνοντες σῶμα καθαρόν, οἱ ἀκόλαστοι, τῇ ἁφῇ καὶ κατ' αὐτῆς ἐδημηγόρουν τὸ ψεῦδος, οἱ καλοὶ τῆς ἀληθείας προστάται. 6.6.1 Ὡς δὲ ὁ λαὸς ὑπήχθη καὶ ἡ ψῆφος ἠνέχθη καὶ ἡ τιμωρία πλησίον ἦν, ἀνέβλεψε τότε ἡ συκοφαντουμένη πρὸς τὸν δικαστὴν τῶν κριτῶν· ἐφέσιμον τὴν δίκην ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἤγαγε πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, ἐπεκαλέσατο τὸ ἀπαραλόγιστον δικαστήριον καὶ οὐκ ἐβράδυνεν ἡ ἀλήθεια. 6.6.2 Ἀνάστηθί μοι λοιπόν, ὦ μακάριε ∆ανιήλ, καὶ νῦν ἐπὶ τοῦ λόγου ὡς διηγέρθης καὶ τότε παρὰ τοῦ πνεύματος· εἰπὲ καὶ σὺ Ἀθῷός εἰμι ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος ταύτης, ὡς καὶ Πιλᾶτος ὕστερον κατὰ τῶν μαινομένων Ἑβραίων. Ἀνάλυσον τὸν λαὸν ἐπὶ τὸ κριτήριον· δὸς ἀρχὴν τῇ δίκῃ κακῶς τελεσθείσῃ· στῆσον κρινομένους τοὺς ψευδωνύμους κριτάς· ἐναλλαγήτω τῶν προστατῶν ἡ τάξις καὶ θεωρείτω ἡ γυνὴ τοὺς γέροντας, ὡς αὐτὴ πρὸ ὀλίγου θέαμα τῆς πόλεως ἦν. 6.6.3 Κρῖνον, ὁ αἰχμάλωτος, τοὺς πολίτας· ὁ ξένος τοὺς ἐγχωρίους· ὁ νέος τοὺς παλαιούς. Χρῆσον ἅγιον στόμα τῷ πνεύματι· οὐ γὰρ ἀκάθαρτα χείλη ἔχεις, ὡς Ἡσαΐας αὑτὸν ἐξευτελίζων φησίν· οὐδὲ ἑνὸς τῶν Σεραφεὶμ καὶ τοῦ καθαρσίου ἄνθρακος χρῄζεις. Χώρησον σοφῶς τοὺς ψευδωνύμους κριτάς, ἵνα μὴ καὶ ταῖς σαῖς ἐρωτήσεσι συμφώνως ἐπιπηδήσωσιν ὡς ἐν παραδείσῳ τῇ γυναικί. 6.6.4 Οἵα γὰρ καὶ ἡ ἀρχὴ τῶν λόγων τοῦ τρισμακαρίου παιδὸς συνετῶς καταμάθωμεν· Πεπαλαιωμένε ἡμερῶν κακῶν· νῦν ἥκασί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ἃς ἐποίεις τὸ πρότερον, τοὺς μὲν ἀθῴους κατακρίνων, ἀπολύων δὲ τοὺς αἰτίους. Ὢ τοῦ θαύματος καὶ τῆς μεγάλης ἐλευθερίας τοῦ πνεύματος! Οὗ γὰρ τὸ πνεῦμα Κυρίου, ἐλευθερία. 6.6.5 Ὁρᾶτε γάρ, ὡς οὐδὲ ἐν προοιμίοις ὑποστέλλεται· ἀλλ' εἰς τὸ βάθος τοῦ συνειδότος ἐνατενίσας καὶ βλέπων τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν γερόντων ἀποθήκας ἁμαρτιῶν μάρτυρας μὲν καὶ ἀποδείξεις οὐ ζητεῖ· ὑβρίζων δὲ ἐπαχθῶς προσκαλεῖται, ἐπειδὴ τὴν ἀπόφασιν ἔχει γεγραμ μένην ἐπὶ τοῦ στήθους ὁ προφήτης. 6.6.6 Καὶ ὅσον γε εἰς αὐτὸν ἧκεν, οὐκ ἂν οὐδὲ εἶπέ τι, ἀλλ' ἀνυπερθέτως τῇ τιμωρίᾳ παρέπεμψεν· ἵνα δὲ πείσῃ λαὸν ἄφρονα καὶ κριτὰς κούφους τῇ πολίᾳ κατηγόρων οὐ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ δικάσαντας, καὶ τὴν πεῖραν τῆς ἐρωτήσεως κεχωρισμένοις προσάγει καὶ τὸ ψεῦδος ἐκ τῆς διαφωνούσης ἀποκρίσεως διελέγχει· καὶ τὴν κρίσιν ἐξενεγκὼν οὐ δημίοις δίδωσιν ὑπευθύνους, ἀλλ' ἀγγέλους κατ' αὐτῶν κολαστηρίους καλεῖ. Εἰς τοσοῦτον γὰρ ηὐξήθη τὸ τῶν ἁγίων ἀξίωμα, ὡς δυνάμεις ἀοράτους ἔχειν τὰς ὑπηρετουμένας αὐτοῖς. 6.7.1 Τίνα τὰ ἑξῆς τοῖς μιαροῖς γέρουσι; Προετράπη ἡ κρίσις· ἀπῆλθον δὲ καὶ τῶν παλαιῶν ἀνομιῶν καὶ τῆς νέας ἁμαρτίας δίδοντες διὰ θανάτου τὴν δίκην· Βαβυλὼν δὲ πᾶσα τὸ παράδοξον τῶν γενομένων διὰ στόματος εἶχον καὶ ὕμνοις τὸν Θεὸν ἀνευφήμουν τὸν τῶν λανθανόντων δραμάτων τὴν γνῶσιν δημοσιεύσαντα. 6.7.2 Καὶ Χελκίας ὑπὲρ τῆς παιδὸς χαίρων ἀνενεώθη· Ἰωακεὶμ τὴν ἐπινίκιον ᾖσεν ὑπὲρ τῆς γυναικὸς ἑορτήν·