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which You commanded us to keep, all-merciful One. And this is the imitation of Your humility, so that just as You yourself suffered, being sinless, so we, having sinned, might endure all things, both temptations and persecutions and scourges and afflictions and finally death from the lawless. For You heard that You were possessed by a demon and were considered a deceiver by the godless and an opponent of God and a transgressor of the law. You, seized as a malefactor and bound, were led away alone, when all, both disciples and friends, had abandoned You. You also stood before the judge as one condemned, O Word, (284) and the judgment which he brought against You, You accepted. You both, having spoken, endured a blow from a servant, and, having been silent, were immediately condemned to death. For Your words were a sword to the lawless, but Your silence, O King, a cause for condemnation; wherefore the unjust, not bearing to see You who alone are just, delivered You to a most shameful death. Whence You were struck on the head and crowned with thorns, and You were clothed in a scarlet cloak. Your face was spat upon, woe is me, and You were mocked, hearing mockingly, 'Hail, O King!' from the Hebrews. You carried the cross, O Savior, upon Your shoulders, and were nailed to it, being lifted up, my God. Your hands and feet were nailed, and You were given vinegar to drink, and Your side was pierced with the lance, O all-merciful One. The earth, not bearing these things, was shaken with fear, and quickly gave up the dead who were in it; and the sun was turned to blood seeing You, and the moon was then clothed in darkness. The veil of the temple was then torn in two from top to bottom, and the lawless understood none of these things at all, but also set guards over You lying in the tomb and seal the stone, thinking to hold You fast. You, therefore, arose, O Master, by Your own authority, and left the seals intact for the transgressors; and the presence of angels rolled away the stone (285) and struck the guards there with fear, and he was in no way willing to understand at all, but they remained, being blinded in their mind and having their own heart hardened to the end. What great thing, then, is it for me, if I too suffer these things, which You Yourself suffered, being sinless, for the sake of the world, O Master, so that you might save the world, I who have sinned very much from a young age and provoked You, O Christ, in both deeds and words? It is truly a great thing for me, or rather, even beyond all glory, that it makes me a partaker of Your ineffable glory

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ἥνπερ προσέταξας ἡμᾶς φυλάσσειν, πανοικτίρμον. Αὕτη δ᾿ ἐστίν ἡ μίμησις τῆς ταπεινώσεώς σου, ἵν᾿ ὥσπερ ἔπαθες αὐτός ἀναμάρτητος πέλων, οὕτως ἡμεῖς ὑποίσωμεν ἁμαρτήσαντες πάντα, καί πειρασμούς καί διωγμούς καί μάστιγας καί θλίψεις καί τελευταῖον θάνατον παρά τῶν παρανόμων. Σύ δαιμονᾶν γάρ ἤκουσας καί πλάνος ἐνομίσθης ἀθέοις καί ἀντίθεος καί παραβάτης νόμου. Σύ ὡς κακοῦργος συλληφθείς καί δεθείς μόνος ἤχθης, πάντων καταλιπόντων σε μαθητῶν τε καί φίλων. Σύ καί παρέστης τῷ κριτῇ ὡς κατάκριτος, Λόγε, (284) καί κρίσιν, ἥν ἐξήνεγκε κατά σου, κατεδέξω. Σύ καί λαλήσας ῥάπισμα παρά δούλου ὑπέστης καί σιωπήσας θάνατος εὐθύς κατεδικάσθης. Οἱ λόγοις σου γάρ μάχαιρα τοῖς ἀνόμοις ὑπῆρχον, ἡ σιωπή δέ, βασιλεῦ, καταδίκης αἰτία˙ διό μή φέροντες ὁρᾶν σέ τόν δίκαιον μόνον οἱ ἄδικοι θανάτῳ σε παρέδωκαν αἰσχίστῳ. Ὅθεν ἐτύφθης κεφαλήν καί ἀκάνθαις ἐστεφανώθης, χλαῖνάν τε κοκκίνην ἐνεδύσω. Ἐνεπτύσθης τό πρόσωπον, οἴμοι, καί ἐνεπαίχθης, Χαῖρε! ἀκούσας παικτικῶς, βασιλεῦ, ὑπ᾿ Ἑβραίων. Σύ τόν σταυρόν ἐβάστασας, Σῶτερ, ἐπί τῶν ὤμων καί προσεπάγης ἐν αὐτῷ ἀνυψωθείς, Θεέ μου. Χεῖρας ἡλώθης πόδας τε, καί ὄξος ἐποτίσθης καί τήν πλευράν ἐνύγης σου τῇ λόγχῃ, πανοικτίρμον. Ταῦτα ἡ γῆ μή φέρουσα ἐκλονεῖτο τῷ φόβῳ καί τούς νεκρούς τούς ἐν αὐτῇ ἀπεδίδου ἐν τάχει˙ ὁ ἥλιος εἰς αἷμα δέ μετεστράφη ὁρῶν σε καί ἡ σελήνη ζόφωσιν ἐνεδύσατο τότε. Τό καταπέτασμα τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ τότε διεσχίσθη ἀπό τῶν ἄνω γεγονός δύο ἕως τῶν κάτω, καί οὐδέν οἱ παράνομοι τούτων συνῆκαν ὅλως, ἀλλά καί τάφῳ κείμενον φύλακας ἐφιστᾶσι καί τόν λίθον σφραγίζουσι σέ κατασχεῖν δοκοῦντες. Σύ οὖν ἀνέστης, ∆έσποτα, ἰδίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ καί τάς σφραγίδας ἔλιπες σώας τοῖς παραβάταις˙ ἀγγέλων παρουσία δέ ἐκύλισε τόν λίθον (285) καί τούς ἐκεῖ φυλάσσοντας κατέπληξε τῷ φόβῳ, καί οὐκ ἠθέλησεν ποσῶς τοῦ συνιέναι ὅλως, ἀλλ᾿ ἔμειναν τυφλώττοντες τόν νοῦν καί τήν καρδίαν πεπωρωμένην τήν αὑτῶν ἔχοντες μέχρι τέλους. Τί οὖν ὑπάρχει μέγα μοι, εἰ ταῦτα κἀγώ πάθω, ἅπερ αὐτός σύ πέπονθας ἀναμάρτητος πέλων ὑπέρ τοῦ κόσμου, ∆έσποτα, ἵνα τόν κόσμον σώσῃς, ὁ ἁμαρτήσας πάμπολλα ἐκ νέας ἡλικίας καί παροργίσας σε, Χριστέ, ἐν ἔργοις τε καί λόγοις; Μέγα μοι ὄντως, μᾶλλον δέ καί ὑπέρ πᾶσαν δόξαν, ὅτι με μέτοχον ποιεῖ δόξης σου τῆς ἀρρήτου