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faith in Christ, and showing the ways of repentance. And now, behold, I am going the way which I have long desired; and you all will no longer see my face. Therefore I testify to you this day, according to the divine Apostle, that I am innocent of the blood of you all. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Hearing these things, and knowing the firmness of his mind, that nothing could hinder his purpose, they lamented their orphanhood, but he remained entirely unpersuaded. Then the king, taking hold of that Barachias, whom the account has previously mentioned, said, 'This man, brethren, I appoint for you as king.' But as he was strongly refusing the matter, he installs him in the royal office, unwilling and not wishing it, 552 and places the diadem on his head, and gives the royal ring into his hand. And standing towards the east, he prayed a prayer for King Barachias: that his faith in God might be kept unchangeable and that he might find an unwavering path according to the commandments of Christ. With this he also prayed for the clergy and the entire flock, asking for them help from the Lord and salvation, and that whatever they might ask would be ordered for their benefit. Having prayed thus, he turned and said to Barachias: Behold, brother, I charge you as the Apostle once testified: 'Take heed to yourself and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you king, to shepherd the people of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood.' And as you knew God and served him with a pure conscience before, so now also show greater diligence to please him. For as you have been deemed worthy of a great office by God, so you are a debtor for a greater reward. Therefore, pay to the benefactor the debt of thanksgiving, keeping his holy commandments and turning aside from every path leading to destruction. For just as among those who are sailing, when a sailor makes a mistake, he brings a small harm to the sailors; but when the helmsman does, he works the destruction of the whole ship; so also in kingdoms, if one of the subjects sins, he wrongs not so much the community as himself, but if the king himself does, he works harm to the whole state. As you will therefore undergo great accountings, 554 if you should overlook any of what is necessary, guard yourself in what is good with much precision. Hate every pleasure that draws towards sin; for the Apostle says: 'Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.' Pay attention to the cycle which runs through human affairs, at different times bearing them and carrying them about in different ways; and in their sudden change, keep your pious reasoning unchanged. For to change along with the changes of affairs is a proof of an unsteady mind. But you, be steadfast, wholly fixed in what is good. Do not be lifted up by temporary glory to a vain conceit; but with a purified reasoning, understand the nothingness of your own nature, the short and fleeting quality of this life here, and the death yoked to the flesh. And considering these things, you will not be cast into the pit of arrogance, but you will fear God, the true and heavenly king, and you will be truly blessed. For, he says, 'Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways;' and: 'Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in his commandments.' But what commandments ought you to keep above all? 'Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy;' and: 'Be merciful, just as your Father in heaven is merciful.' For this commandment is required above all from those who are in the greatest authority. And truly, one who has taken hold of great authority ought to imitate the giver of authority according to his ability; and in this 556 he will imitate God most of all,

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Χριστὸν πίστιν, καὶ μετανοίας ὁδοὺς ὑποδεικνύων. καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ πορεύομαι τὴν ὁδὸν ἣν ἔκπαλαι ἐπόθουν· καὶ οὐκ ἔτι ὄψεσθε τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ὑμεῖς πάντες. διὸ μαρτύρομαι ὑμῖν τῇ σήμερον ἡμέρᾳ, κατὰ τὸν θεῖον Ἀπόστολον, ὅτι καθαρὸς ἐγώ εἰμι ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος πάντων ὑμῶν. οὐ γὰρ ὑπεστειλάμην τοῦ μὴ ἀναγγεῖλαι ὑμῖν πᾶσαν τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ταῦτα ἀκούσαντες, καὶ τὸ τῆς γνώμης αὐτοῦ στερρὸν ἐπιστάμενοι, ὡς οὐδὲν τῆς προθέσεως κωλῦσαι δύναται, ὠδύροντο μὲν τὴν ὀρφανίαν, οὐκ εἶχον δὲ ὅλως αὐτὸν πειθόμενον. τότε ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν Βαραχίαν ἐκεῖνον, ὃν καὶ φθάσας ὁ λόγος ἐδήλωσε, κατασχών, Τοῦτον, εἶπεν ἀδελφοί, ὑμῖν προχειρίζομαι βασιλέα. τοῦ δὲ ἰσχυρῶς πρὸς τὸ πρᾶγμα ἀπειθοῦντος, ἄκοντα καὶ μὴ βουλόμενον τῇ βασιλικῇ ἀρχῇ ἐγκαθ 552 ίστησι, καὶ τῇ κεφαλῇ αὐτοῦ τὸ διάδημα περιτίθησι, τὸν βασιλικόν τε δακτύλιον δίδωσιν εἰς τὴν χεῖρα. καὶ στὰς κατὰ ἀνατολὰς ηὔξατο εὐχὴν τῷ βασιλεῖ Βαραχίᾳ· ἀπερίτρεπτον αὐτῷ τὴν εἰς Θεὸν φυλαχθῆναι πίστιν καὶ ἀκλινῆ τὴν κατὰ τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Χριστοῦ εὑρεῖν πορείαν. σὺν τούτῳ δὲ ὑπερηύχετο τοῦ κλήρου καὶ τοῦ ποιμνίου παντός, αἰτούμενος ἀντίληψιν αὐτοῖς παρὰ Κυρίου καὶ σωτηρίαν, καὶ πᾶν ὅτιπερ ἂν αὐτοῖς εἰς αἴτησιν ᾖ πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον οἰκονομούμενον. Οὕτως εὐξάμενος ἐπιστραφεὶς λέγει τῷ Βαραχίᾳ· Ἰδού σοι, ἀδελφέ, ἐντέλλομαι καθώς ποτε ὁ Ἀπόστολος διεμαρτύρατο· Πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ καὶ παντὶ τῷ ποιμνίῳ, ἐν ᾧ σε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον ἔθετο βασιλέα, ποιμαίνειν τὸν λαὸν τοῦ Κυρίου ὃν περιεποιήσατο διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἰδίου. καὶ καθὼς πρὸ ἐμοῦ ἔγνως τὸν Θεὸν καὶ ἐλάτρευσας αὐτῷ ἐν καθαρῷ συνειδότι, οὕτω καὶ νῦν πλείονα σπουδὴν ἐνδείκνυσο εὐαρεστῆσαι αὐτῷ. ὡς γὰρ καὶ μεγάλης ἠξιώθης παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀρχῆς, τοσούτῳ μείζονος ἀμοιβῆς ὀφειλέτης ὑπάρχεις. οὐκοῦν ἀπόδος τῷ εὐεργέτῃ τὸ χρέος τῆς εὐχαριστίας, τὰς ἁγίας αὐτοῦ φυλάσσων ἐντολὰς καὶ πάσης ἐκκλίνων ὁδοῦ εἰς ἀπώλειαν φερούσης. ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν πλεόντων, ὅταν μὲν ναύτης σφαλῇ, μικρὰν φέρει τοῖς πλέουσι βλάβην· ὅταν δὲ ὁ κυβερνήτης, παντὸς ἐργάζεται τοῦ πλοίου ἀπώλειαν· οὕτω καὶ ἐν βασιλείοις, ἂν μέν τις τῶν ἀρχομένων ἁμάρτῃ, οὐ τοσοῦτον τὸ κοινὸν ὅσον ἑαυτὸν ἀδικεῖ, ἂν δὲ αὐτὸς ὁ βασιλεύς, πάσης ἐργάζεται τῆς πολιτείας βλάβην. ὡς μεγάλας οὖν ὑφέξων εὐθύνας, 554 εἴ τι παρίδοις τῶν δεόντων, μετὰ πολλῆς ἀκριβείας φύλαττε σεαυτὸν ἐν τῷ ἀγαθῷ. μίσησον πᾶσαν ἡδονὴν πρὸς ἁμαρτίαν ἕλκουσαν· φησὶ γὰρ ὁ Ἀπόστολος· Εἰρήνην διώκετε μετὰ πάντων, καὶ τὸν ἁγιασμὸν οὗ χωρὶς οὐδεὶς ὄψεται τὸν Κύριον. τὸν κύκλον πρόσεχε ὅστις περιτρέχει τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων πραγμάτων, ἄλλοτε ἄλλως φέρων αὐτὰ καὶ περιφέρων· καὶ ἐν τῇ τούτων ἀγχιστρόφῳ μεταβολῇ ἀμετάβλητον ἔχε τὸν εὐσεβῆ λογισμόν. τὸ γὰρ συμμεταβάλλεσθαι ταῖς τῶν πραγμάτων μεταβολαῖς διανοίας ἀβεβαίου τεκμήριον. σὺ δὲ πάγιος ἔσο, ἐν τῷ ἀγαθῷ ὅλως ἐρηρεισμένος. μὴ ἐπαίρου διὰ τῆς προσκαίρου δόξης πρὸς μάταιον φύσημα· ἀλλὰ κεκαθαρμένῳ λογισμῷ τὸ οὐτιδανὸν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ νόει φύσεως, τὸ βραχύ τε καὶ ὠκύμορον τῆς ἐνταῦθα ζωῆς καὶ τὸν συνεζευγμένον τῇ σαρκὶ θάνατον. καὶ ταῦτα λογιζόμενος εἰς τὸν τῆς ὑπεροψίας οὐ βληθήσῃ βόθρον, ἀλλὰ φοβηθήσῃ τὸν Θεόν, τὸν ἀληθινὸν καὶ ἐπουράνιον βασιλέα, καὶ ὄντως μακάριος ἔσῃ. Μακάριοι γάρ, φησί, πάντες οἱ φοβούμενοι τὸν Κύριον, οἱ πορευόμενοι ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτοῦ· καί· Μακάριος ἀνὴρ ὁ φοβούμενος τὸν Κύριον· ἐν ταῖς ἐντολαῖς αὐτοῦ θελήσει σφόδρα. ποίας δὲ πρὸ πάντων ὀφείλεις τηρεῖν ἐντολάς; Μακάριοι οἱ ἐλεήμονες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐλεηθήσονται· καί· Γίνεσθε οἰκτίρμονες, ὡς ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος οἰκτίρμων ἐστί. ταύτην γὰρ τὴν ἐντολὴν πρὸ πάντων ἀπαιτοῦνται οἱ ἐν μεγίστῃ ὄντες ἀρχῇ. καὶ ἀληθῶς ὁ μεγάλης ἐξουσίας ἐπιλαβόμενος τὸν δοτῆρα τῆς ἐξουσίας ὀφείλει μιμεῖσθαι κατὰ δύναμιν· ἐν τούτῳ δὲ 556 μάλιστα τὸν Θεὸν μιμήσεται,