them; and it is not hid from them, nor their nature is made known: the children of the evil one are
separated off. Do thou then grant me, Lord, that I may pass by in quietness and joy and peace,
and pass over and stand before the judge, and let not the devil (or slanderer) look upon me; let
his eyes be blinded by thy light which thou hast made to dwell in me, close thou up (muzzle) his
mouth: for he hath found nought against me.
[We revert to U.]
149 And he said again unto them that were about him: [BELIEVE, the of God and my his Syr. in
giver I servants, helper life believe preach; whom Christ Jesus proclaim, children.] believe in the
Saviour of them that have laboured in his service: for my soul already flourisheth because my
time is near to receive him; for he being beautiful draweth me on always to speak concerning his
beauty, what it is though I be not able and suffice not to speak it worthily: thou that art the light
(feeder, Syr.) of my poverty and the supplier of my defects and nurturer of my need: be thou with
me until I come and receive thee for evermore.
The Thirteenth Act: Wherein Iuzanes receiveth baptism with the rest.
150 And Iuzanes the youth besought the apostle, saying: I pray thee, O man, apostle of God,
suffer me to go, and I will persuade the gaoler to permit thee to come home with me, that by thee
I may receive the seal, and become thy minister and a keeper of the commandments of the God
whom thou preachest. For indeed, formerly I walked in those things which thou teachest, until
my father compelled me and joined me unto a wife by name Mnesara; for I am in my one-and-
twentieth year, and have now been seven years married, and before I was joined in marriage I
knew no other woman, wherefore also I was accounted useless of my father, nor have I ever had
son or daughter of this wife and also my wife herself hath lived with me in chastity all this time,
and to-day, if she had been in health, and had listened to thee, I know well that both I should
have been at rest and she would have received eternal life; but she is in peril and afflicted with
much illness; I will therefore persuade the keeper that he promise to come with me, for I live by
myself: and thou shalt also heal that unhappy one. And Judas the apostle of the Most High,
hearing this, said to Iuzanes: If thou believest, thou shalt see the marvels of God, and how he
sayeth his servants.
151 And as they spake thus together, Tertia and Mvgdonia and Narcia stood at the door of the
prison, and they gave the gaoler 363 staters of silver and entered in to Judas; and found Iuzanes
and Siphor and his wife and daughter, and all the prisoners sitting and hearing the word. And
when they stood by him he said to them: Who hath suffered you to come unto us? and who
opened unto you the sealed door that ye came forth? Tertia saith unto him: Didst not thou open
the door for us and tell us to come into the prison that we might take our brethren that were there,
and then should the Lord show forth his glory in us? And when we came near the door, I know
not how, thou wast parted from us and hid thyself and camest hither before us where also we
heard the noise of the door, when thou didst shut us out. We gave money therefore to the keepers
and came in and lo, we are here praying thee that we may persuade thee and let thee escape until
the king's wrath against thee shall cease. Unto whom Judas said: Tell us first of all how ye were
shut up.
152 And she saith to him: Thou wast with us, and didst never leave us for one hour, and askest
thou how we were shut up? but if thou desirest to hear, hear. The king Misdaeus sent for me and
said unto me: Not yet hath that sorcercr prevailed over thee, for, as I hear, he bewitcheth men
with oil and water and bread, and hath not yet bewitched thee; but obey thou me, for if not, I will
ron
(Ron)
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