imprison thee and wear thee out, and him I will destroy; for I know that if he hath not yet given
thee oil and water and bread, he hath not prevailed to get power over thee. And I said unto him:
Over my body thou hast authority, and do thou all that thou wilt; but my soul I will not let perish
with thee. And hearing that he shut me up in a chamber (beneath his dining-hall, Syr.): and
Charisius brought Mygdonia and shut her up with me: and thou broughtest us out and didst bring
us even hither; but give thou us the seal quickly, that the hope of Misdacus who counselleth thus
may be cut off.
153 And when the apostle heard this, he said: Glory be to thee, O Jesu of many forms, glory to
thee that appearest in the guise of our poor manhood: glory to thee that encouragest us and
makest us strong and givest grace and consolest and standest by us in all perils, and strengthenest
our weakness. And as he thus spake, the gaoler came and said: Put out the lamps, lest any accuse
you unto the king. And then they extinguished the lamps, and turned to sleep; but the apostle
spake unto the Lord: It is the time now, O Jesu, for thee to make haste; for, lo the children of
darkness sit (make us to sit, Syr.) in their own darkness, do thou therefore enlighten us with the
light of thy nature. And on a sudden the whole prison was light as the day: and while all they that
were in the prison slept a deep sleep, they only that had believed in the Lord continued waking.
154 Judas therefore saith to Iuzanes: Go thou before and make ready the things for our need.
Iuzanes therefore saith: And who will open me the doors of the prison? for the gaolers shut them
and are gone to sleep. And Judas saith: Believe in Jesus, and thou shalt find the doors open. And
when he went forth and departed from them, all the rest followed after him. And as Iuzanes was
gone on before, Mnesara his wife met him coming unto the prison. And she knew him and said:
My brother Iuzanes, is it thou? and he saith, Yea, and art thou Mnesara? and she saith Yea.
Iuzanes said unto her; Whither walkest thou, especially at so untimely an hour? and how wast
thou able to rise up? And she said: This youth laid his hand on me and raised me up, and in a
dream I say that I should go where the stranger sitteth, and become perfectly whole. Iuzanes saith
to her: What youth is with thee? And she said: Seest thou not him that is on my right hand,
leading me by the hand?
155 And while they spake together thus, Judas, with Siphor and his wife and daughter and Tertia
and Mygdonia and Narcia came unto Iuzanes' house. And Mnesara the wife of Iuzanes seeing
him did reverence and said: Art thou come that sayedst us from the sore disease? thou art he
whom I saw in the night delivering unto me this youth to bring me to the prison. But thy
goodness suffered me not to grow weary, but thou thyself art come unto me. And so saying she
turned about and saw the youth no more; and finding him not, she saith to the apostle: I am not
able to walk alone: for the youth whom thou gavest me is not here. And Judas said: Jesus will
henceforth lead thee. And thereafter she came running unto him. And when they entered into the
house of Iuzanes the son of Misdaeus the king though it was yet night, a great light shined and
was shed about them.
156 And then Judas began to pray and to speak thus: O companion and defender (ally) and hope
of the weak and confidence of the poor: refuge and lodging of the weary: voice that came forth
of the height (sleep, Gr.): comforter dwelling in the midst: port and harbour of them that pass
through the regions of the rulers: physician that healest without payment: who among men wast
crucified for many: who didst go down into hell with great might: the sight of whom the princes
of death endured not; and thou camest up with great glory, and gathering all them that fled unto
thee didst prepare a way, and in thy footsteps all they journeyed whom thou didst redeem; and
ron
(Ron)
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