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الرسالة: [QUOTE="karas karas, post: 3863420, member: 135263"] [LEFT]the text part three: But the blessed one saw an angel who was standing before her. And he held a rod of iron and struck it on the earth saying thus : “ The engulfing of the enemies of righteousness to-day.” And when the blessed one came and arrived at the place where she had seen the angel standing, the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the servants of sin, and many pagans. And the nails were taken away from her feet, and the sack of sand that she carried; and the muzzle was taken from her mouth, and they were swallowed up with the infidels. And when the king saw this sign of a wonder, he was amazed and astonished. And he turned round and said to the crowd of the infidels, “ They had sinned some sin before the gods, therefore hath the earth swallowed them up.” And in all these things the heart of the king was hardened, and that of his magnates, and they believed not in God. And the angel of God turned hastily towards the assembly of the wicked, and he slew many of them. But the number of those who were engulfed with those who died was ten thousand ; and those who were left cried to the Lord God, saying, “ Have mercy upon us. oh God ! and forgive us our sins by Thy grace, and be reconciled to us, according to Thy mercies; for Thou art the merciful God, who hast done many wonders by the hand of Irene.” And three thousand souls believed in God at that moment. And as the king did not wish to believe, the Lord smote him and slew him. But the blessed lamb of the Christ went into the city, and taught many, and baptized them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit And they brought near to her those who were sick with various and hateful diseases, and she cured them by the power of God. For the grace of God accompanied the holy Irene. And moreover they brought near to her those in whom there were evil spirits, and she cured them by the power of God. And she chased away the demons. And they brought to her a certain six years old boy, in whom was an evil spirit, which withered him up. And when she saw it she was grieved on account of his youth. And she asked the mother of the boy : “ How old is this child ? “ And the boy’s mother said : “ Six years old, lady.” And the blessed one, the handmaid of the Christ, took pity on the boy. And she lifted him up in her arms, and sealed him in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost And she prayed and said : “God who has created man in His image, the merciful, the pitiful, He who has said : I do not wish the death or destruction of men, Lord God ! whose are the heaven and the earth, rebuke Satan and all his temptations, and look on the tender age of this boy, and send him help from Thy sanctuary, and let all men know that Thou hast answered them who call upon Thee in truth; and shew the sign of Thy miracle in him who has wronged this boy, and may this demon speak and make [himself] known to me.” And when the blessed one had prayed and finished her prayer, the angel of God bound the demon and set him before her. And when she saw the demon, she said to him, “Tell me, thou unclean demon, why hast thou subjugated this boy and spoilt his youth?” Said the demon: “I implore thee, my lady, I have surely been sent” Irene said : “ God doth not tempt, and willeth not the death of man. Tell me, therefore, who hath sent thee.” The demon answered : “ Wicked men who treat each other badly.” Irene said: “Shew me who it is that sent thee.” Said the demon : “ I have told thee, my lady, that they are wizards, the enemies of the justice of God, and our friends. Therefore we are sent by them for vengeance. And we go wheresoever we are sent. And some men we corrupt, and some we paralyse ; and some of them we put to death in ways that are bad and varied.” Irene said : “ Bring them to me, those who have sent thee.” The demon said : “My lady, whilst I am standing here I will tell thee their names.” Irene said: “Who are they?” The demon said: “I implore of thee, my lady, Amos and Euteles, they who have a bazaar near the great portico of the Temple of Fortune of the city, and who have also a bank.” Then she sent and had them both brought, and she said to them, “ Hear ye what this demon saith? Look if he be speaking the truth. And I will not loose the demon; because a demon has never spoken the truth, and see if ye have sent him ; and so far as I think, he speaks the truth from fear, for no demon is able to stand up before the servants of God and lie, for he fears lest they should destroy him.” And the holy Irene turned towards all the people, and said : “Brethren, do not believe the demon, because he is a liar, and does not desire the quiet of men, but wars and contentions; because he is the enemy of justice. But I ask you to tell me the truth. Has it ever been heard by you about these men that they are malefactors ? “ They said, “ Yes, lady, they are bad, and their parents also followed these bad courses, and they have corrupted and destroyed many people of the city.” And she said to these two bad men, “ Verily ye have sinned like men and have made God angry, but now repent towards Him ; and your sins shall be forgiven ; and your debts shall be blotted out.” And they returned her an answer : “ But as for us, lady, we do not know what thou hast said, and we cannot approach to that business.” And when Irene saw that they denied about their deeds and that they did not want to confess and repent towards God, she said to them : “ Ye yourselves know; I am freed from your blood.” And she looked to heaven and said: “Lord Jesus the Christ, Son of the Living God, if it be true what they say about these men, and if they do not want to confess and repent, shew concerning them a sign of miracle in the sight of every one ; and let those who are standing here see and know that Thou only art the God of truth.” And immediately a fire was kindled in their hearts, and it took hold of their bodies, and they were burnt. For the burning came from themselves and amongst them, and they were like a flaming furnace. And they burned and became like burnt firebrands. And when they saw them a great fear fell amongst them. And after these things she lifted the boy in her arms, and looked to heaven and prayed. And she sealed him in the name of the Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit And he was healed and she gave him quite whole to his mother. But when the great crowd who were standing there saw the death and destruction of the wicked people, and the healing of the boy, they gave praise to God and shouted, saying, “Great is the God of Irene.” And after two days some people were carrying a certain young man and were going out to bury him. And the blessed Irene saw that his parents were weeping, and were lamenting bitterly over him, because he was their only son And she was grieved. And the father of the young man who had died, when he saw the holy Irene, came and fell on his face before her feet, saying to her, while prostrate, “ I beseech thee, lady, have pity on the humiliation of my grey hairs. This was the only son I had. And if thou wilt, pray to God that he may live. For we also are Christians, lady, and disciples of the Word of thy holiness, and by means of thee we have known the Living God.” And she took pity on his old age, and went with him to those who were carrying the bier. And she spake to the bearers and they laid the bier down on the earth. And she turned to the whole crowd and said, “ My fellow believers, offer prayer to God with me.” And she stretched out her hands and looked towards heaven, and prayed, saying, “ O Lord God, King of the ages, He who sitteth on the cherubim and the seraphim stand before Him : and the angels and the archangels and all the hosts of heaven serve Him with fear. O God who didst shew wonders by the hands of the prophets and of the holy fathers ; Lord of the righteous, and Lover of the penitent ; He whom the prophets sought for and whose faith the Apostles preached : in the created [world] by Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God ; He who said, ‘ He that believeth (John xiv) on me, greater works than these which I do, shall he do/ He who gave life to the only son of the widow, and snatched the daughter of Jairus from death by His hand, He who called Lazarus out of the grave, and brought him up out of Sheol, the voracious pit. And now, Lord, Thou art and Thou dost exist forever. Shew, Lord, the power of Thy might in this dead man, and let him live, and stand up; because he also is the only son of his parents. And let these multitudes see [it] and praise Thy holy name. And let all the erring ones turn towards Thee’ And when she had finished her prayer, the dead man lived and arose and ran and came before her and adored her. But when these crowds saw it they were astonished and they praised God. And many believed in God on that day. And on that day, by the will of God, Timothy the holy priest came to the holy woman. And she saw him and rejoiced with great joy. And she ran and did obeisance to him as to the apostle of Jesus. And she led him and went to the castle where her father and her mother dwelt And she said to the great crowd of the believers, “My brethren, be active, and come with me as far as the castle.” And as they were on their way, it was told to Licinius her father, “ Thy daughter and a priest of God are coming towards thee.” And when he heard [it], he rejoiced with great joy. And when he saw the great crowd that was coming, he commanded that all the gates of the wall should be opened, and the gates of the castle itself. And the king and queen ran and went joyfully out to meet the holy priest, and Irene their daughter. For their mind exulted when they heard that their daughter was alive, and was coming towards them. And when they saw their daughter with the holy priest, they ran and did obeisance to him. And they wept and kissed and embraced their daughter lovingly, and praised God. For they had imagined that their daughter was dead. And when they saw her in life, they rejoiced and praised God. And the blessed one turned to her father and her mother, and said to them, “ Peace be to you, my beloved parents. Be not troubled and weep not, for behold God hath given you His grace, and by means of the fruit of your blood ye have known God.” And she turned to the holy priest and said to him, “ I beseech of thee, my lord, priest of the living God, complete thy blessing and thy favour to my weakness ; and baptize my father and my mother, and the many young men who are hoping to receive the symbol of the Christ”: and she said to her father and to her mother, “ Dear parents, behold [, this is] the day when your debts shall be wiped out, and ye shall be washed from the filth of your sins. Behold, our Lord Jesus hath sent the holy priest. Take the baptism and receive the symbol of the Christ; and partake of the marriage feast of the heavenly king.” And they said, “And what may prevent it, O beloved daughter?” And the priest took the oil, and blessed and anointed them, and he blessed upon and sanctified the water, and baptized the king and the queen and also the soldiers: and [of] the troops of the king four hundred persons who were with them, and fifty thousand persons of the many people who had come there. And after the holy priest had baptized them, the holy Irene greeted her father and her mother, and all the rest of the household. And the blessed one commanded them and said to them, “Be confirmed in what ye have received. Be valiant in Jesus, and be strong in the faith. Lo ! ye have received baptism. Your bodies are cleansed, and ye are mingled with the sheep of Jesus. Your hearts are sanctified to be a dwelling place of Jesus.” And she said to them, “ Abide in peace, and if it please the Lord Jesus, I will see you again.” And she went out of the castle with the priest, and many people. But the king and the queen remained in the castle, and the four hundred persons who were with them, who had been baptized, praising God, and there was great joy in that city. And afterwards two lepers drew near to her, who came from a far country. And she saw the dust that was upon their faces, and that their shoes were split, and she knew that they had come from afar. And she said to them, “Why have ye come to me? Behold, I am a weak woman, commonplace and feeble, and I possess nothing in this world, and I am a sinner.” But they said to her, “ O lady ! thou doest well to humble thyself in [relation to] thine own will. But towards God thou art elect and great. And thou dost fulfil the word of Jesus thy Bridegroom; for thou hast heard that He said, ‘Whosoever humbleth himself shall be exalted “ And those people threw themselves down on the ground before her feet, and they wept and said, “ If thou wilt, lady, pray for us to God, and we shall be cleansed from our leprosy.” Then the holy one threw herself down before the Lord and shed tears with sobs, and prayed, saying, “O Lord God, to whom belongs the heaven and the earth, hearken unto the voice of Thy handmaid. And in Thy compassion grant my request : and may Thy power come from on high on the bodies of these people, and may they be cleansed, and let many see [it] and praise Thy great and fearful name.” And whilst she was praying, the angel of God came and stood before her. And he said to her, “ Peace be unto thee, Irene, virgin of the Christ.” And when she saw the angel, she said, “ Blessed be Thou, O God, to whom belongs the heaven and the earth, for Thou hast heard the voice of Thy humble servant, and hast not turned away Thy face from me. But Thou hast sent Thine angel from on high from before Thy holy throne ; and he has come to heal and to cleanse the bodies of these people.” And immediately a fountain of water sprang up there. And when the blessed one saw it, she praised God and said, “ This spring is from the holy water of Jordan, of that which Elisha the prophet blessed; and the Lord of Elisha blessed [it] by His baptism.” And she said to these men, “ Go in and wash in that water, confessing the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit ; and your bodies shall be cleansed, and shall become tender as infants.” Then these men went with great fear into the fountain of water, saying, “ We confess the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost.” And they came out of the fountain with their bodies cleansed, and fear and astonishment took hold of the great crowd that was there, and they praised God that the blessed Irene, the virgin of the Christ, had done these miracles and cures. And she was three years in that city. And when Zedekiah and Severon his son were dead, Numerianus reigned after them, the son of Septinus. And he inquired about the blessed Irene. And he said, “Where is she?” And they said to him, “ She is here in the city.” And he sent soldiers, and commanded them, and said that they should “ bring her to the city of Callinicus ; and let her be kept there until I come “ And the soldiers found her, those who went out after her ; and they brought her to the city of Callinicus ; and there she was carefully kept in the prison-house until the king should come there. And when he came, they informed him [saying], “ Irene is there, she whom thy; Majesty asked for.” And he commanded, “ Bring her to me.” And she came and stood before him. And when the king saw her, he was astonished. And he said to his great men, “ Hallo ! this maiden is very like her father.” And he said, “This girl is [the daughter] of Licinius; he forsook his kingdom, and renounced it; and now this city is without a king. On her account Zedekiah my brother was stoned and died. And because of her the angel of the Lord smote Severon his son and slew him. And I seek to requite their blood at her hands. And I fear lest a fate worse than that of my colleagues should befall me. Truly, as I see, this woman is a destroyer of the kingdom and also an over- turner of kings. And I know not what I shall do to her.” And he turned and said to the advocates who were standing in his presence, “ Advise me in your wisdom by what torment I shall destroy her from the world. She has killed my father, and Zedekiah my brother ; and she caused Severon his son to perish from the world. And what will she do to me ? She is the extirpator of royalty.” The magnates said to him, “ Truly thou hast spoken well, lord the king.” Then the king commanded that they should bring her before him, and they brought her, and she stood before him. The king said, “ Irene, what dost thou say? Wilt thou sacrifice to the gods or wilt thou be obstinate? and dost thou persist in the folly of the Christians ? “ Irene said, “Because thou hast repeatedly said that I am the overturner of royalty, I say to thee, that thou also, if thou dost not believe in God, in a very little while the judgment of God shall overtake thee also ; and thou shalt die a frightful and uncommon death. And then thou shalt know that there is a God who rules in the heaven and in the earth.” And when the king had heard [it] he was filled with great rage ; and he commanded, “ Bring me men who are artificers in copper.” And they came and stood before him. The king said to them, “Make me three very large cows.” And they made them and brought them to him. And he commanded that they should be greatly heated. And these cows were heated for three days and three nights, until the copper was nearly melted. And when the cows were heated, he commanded, and they brought Irene before him. The king said, “ Irene, what sayest thou? I have commanded that there should be three cows of copper on thy account And [here] they are. And I have commanded that they should be heated. And they are also heated frightfully. Now if thou wilt sacrifice to the gods, thou shalt be delivered from a frightful and terrible death. But if thou wilt not sacrifice, thou shalt be cast into the cows and shalt be burnt, and shalt die a very hard death. And if thou shouldst conquer the one by thy witchcraft, thou shalt be cast into the other ; and if again thou shouldst conquer the second one by thy skill, thou shalt be cast into the third, and shalt perish. And very grievously shalt thou depart. And we shall see if Jesus will come, He in whom thou believest, and will save thee from my hands. Approach, therefore, and sacrifice to the gods.” Irene said, “ Be not troubled, O son of Satan ; for however much thy father Satan hath excited thee against me, I am not afraid of thee, neither now do thy threats move me. See therefore that thou explain to me in the skill of thy deceitful teaching, the stripes and the torments of thy contrivances.” Then the king was greatly enraged, and said to her, “ Cursed child ! slayer of its parents, extirpator of royalty, thou hast called me senseless, I will shew thee what sense there is in me, by means of the torments that my mind shall devise against thee.” And he commanded them to carry her out, and to heat these copper cows. And he commanded the heralds to go out into the city and proclaim that all men should come and see the punishment and procession of the infidel despiser of the gods. And when all the city was assembled, the king came and sat on his judgment-seat, and he commanded them : “ Bring before me the audacious one, the parricide” And she came and stood before him. The king said, “ Irene, choose between two things, either sacrifice to the gods, or go into the copper cow” Irene said, “ O senseless fool, and ignorant sinner ! son of Satan the coiling serpent! i have said to thee once [for all] that I am a Christian ; and I will not sacrifice to the infidel demons nor to the foul fiends ; and I will not forsake Jesus the Christ, my Lord ; and I shall not be forsaken by Him. And these cows which flame by means of thine evil skill, are to me fountains of cold water by the help of Jesus, and they are of no account to me. For thou shalt see quickly the power of the Lord Jesus to help that is with me. And as for thee, His wrath is ready to come upon thee by means of a terrible angel. And thou shalt die a fearful and uncommon death; not like thy predecessors, but thou shalt die the fearful death of terror. And thine [own] liver shall be thy food, and thy lung thy sustenance. And thy punishment shall be from thyself and in thyself. And thou shalt know that there is a God in heaven.” Then the king waxed exceeding wroth, and was like a lion eager to rend. And he commanded them to throw her into the copper cow. And when she heard [it,] before the servants of sin had laid hold of her and led her out, she made the sign of Jesus on her breasts and between her eyes, and she ran boldly to the copper cow and went in. And immediately the fire was quenched; and the handmaid of the Christ was set free like a ship on a peaceful sea ; and waters flowed from the cow itself. But when the judge saw it, he said to the people, “ Did I not tell you that she would conquer by her witchcraft?” But all the people wept bitterly, when they saw the beauty of her youth, and what torments she suffered. Then she prayed in God’s presence and said, “ O Lord God, who dwellest in the highest heavens ! hearken to my voice, and let Thy mercy come hither. See, because of Thy name I suffer these things. This I know, that Thou hast helped me and wilt help me. But because of these crowds, that they may see the sign of a miracle and may praise Thy name.” And when she had said these things and had prayed, she saw the angel of God standing beside her. And he said to her, “ Peace be to thee, Irene ; fear not, for the Lord is with thee, and I have been sent for thy comfort.” And she rejoiced and exulted at the sight of the angel. And then the king commanded them to throw her into the second cow. Irene said, “ O Satan, and son of Satan, and enemy of justice, if thou hast not been confounded by the first cow, thou shalt be confounded by this second one; and thou shalt despise thyself. And if again thou art not moved by the second, thou shalt be confounded by the end of the third, and shalt blush, when the wrath of the Lord shall come suddenly upon thee.” And he commanded them to throw her into the second cow. But when she heard it, she sealed herself in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost And she went into the cow rejoicing and exulting in the power of Jesus to help. And immediately the fire was quenched, and the flame was cooled, and the cow was melted like wax ; and the blessed one was not hurt. And when the king again saw [it] he said to his magnates, “Did I not tell you that she would conquer the fire by her witchcraft?” And the king commanded them to throw her into the third cow. But when she had heard it, she blessed God and said to the judge, “ Thy torments are very insipid and thy fire is very cool. Thou art a serpent with many heads, and with thee are thy servants. For as for these cows, water instead of fire has come to them.” And she went joyfully into the third cow in the strength of Jesus, laughing at them, for the pagans imagined that there her destruction would be. But when the blessed one entered the third cow, it walked as if it were animated in the flesh; that it might proclaim to the unbelievers about the grace of God. And that brazen cow walked for four stadia here and there. And all the people who were standing there for the spectacle were seized with astonishment, saying to one another, “Who has ever seen brass that walked like flesh ?” And while they were saying these things, they looked and watched whence they should see the blessed one. But as for the cow its brass was melted like water ; and it fell to the earth, and the blessed one appeared in the sight of all men. And they were amazed at this wonder. Even the king was greatly astonished that the fire had no power over her. And they all cried to the Lord and said, “There is none like unto Thee, Lord God, and there are none like unto Thy servants. Be merciful to us as in the abundance of Thy grace. Thou art He who hast done the miracle by the hand of Irene ; and Thou hast shewn Thy might and Thy valour amongst the nations .” And a hundred thousand souls believed in God that day. And the few people who were left who were unbaptized, believed nevertheless in God. And when the king saw that all the people believed in God, he was exceedingly wroth and bitter ; and he opened his mouth and blasphemed against God. And he said to Irene, “ I swear by all the gods, that I will not spare thee, but I will cut thee up limb by limb ; and I will make thee food for dogs.” Then Irene laughed and said, “Thou and thine imaginations shall be confounded, and all thy contrivances against me, thou son of Satan.” And when the king had heard [it] he gnashed his tusks like a wild boar against her, and blasphemed God. But suddenly the angel of the Lord struck him with a pain in his heart, and with an internal wound. And he went to his house screaming. And a fire was kindled within him, and he tasted no food, and his liver overflowed and swelled up, and his lung was nourishment for him, and worms came out of his mouth : and his kinsmen were afraid to come near him. And he yelled and burst asunder and died. And his body was decomposed and his bones were scattered. And then the earth did not receive his bones. And when he died, he commanded Bura the Eparch to try the virgin of the Christ After the death of the tyrant and of those [who were] with him, the word of God had free course by means of the Blessed One; and God was glorified, and the faith became mighty, and many were baptized. And she was in the city of Callinicus for thirty days doing signs and wonders; and she cured many in the name of Jesus. She made the deaf hear; she opened [the eyes of] the blind; she cleansed the lepers ; and she healed all who were in pain ; and she baptized many in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And at the end of thirty days the Eparch went to Tela of Mauzalat (“ Mesembria “ in the Sunaxaristes.) And he sent soldiers after her to Callinicus to bring her. And these soldiers found her. And they had heard from many of the citizens the signs and wonders and miracles which she had done. And they were greatly astonished. And they approached and said to her, “ Hail to thee, handmaiden of the Christ ! the Eparch sends for thee.” Irene said, “And where is the Eparch?” The soldiers said, “In Tela of Mauzalat, my lady; and he awaits thee there,” And the blessed virgin of Jesus arose, and went with them, and entered the city of Tela. And it was said to the Eparch: “Behold, Irene has come.” The Eparch said, “Bring her before me.” And she came and stood before him. And when the Eparch saw her, he said, “Peace be to thee, Irene.” Irene said, “ Dost thou greet me with peace ? but there shall be no peace upon thee. Because God has said, (Is. xiviii) that there is no peace to the wicked. “ The Eparch said, “ Thou impudent and godless woman ! Thou dost surely insult me. Approach now and sacrifice to the gods, or dost thou not know that I have received a commandment concerning thee from Numerianus the king to judge thee?” Irene said, “See, and give heed to thyself, lest thou shouldst follow after him who hast commanded thee.” The Eparch said, “Approach and sacrifice to the gods, lest I destroy thee from off the world by varied tortures “ Irene said, “ Hearken, Eparch, and I will tell thee. We are a spectacle to men and also to the angels. To men for derision, and to the angels for praise. And we are considered as dross by men. Now therefore I say unto thee, Bura the Eparch ! prepare for thyself instruments of torture as thou wilt, and thou shalt see the power of God in the fortitude with which I shall endure the agony. But thou wouldst force me to sacrifice to the lifeless gods, who neither see nor hear, nor smell, nor walk, whose makers shall become similar to them, and all those who, like thee, trust in them. And I would persuade and advise thee, to turn and to know the living God, who never dies ; He who made thee out of nothing ; lest thou shouldest die a bad death like thy predecessors.” Bura said, “ unmannerly child ! O parricide ! dost thou really threaten me?” Irene said, “have not insulted thee, but I give thee this advice, that thou shouldst know Him who kills and who makes alive, who brings down to Sheol, and who raises up, and who loves those who return to Him. And I confide in Jesus, that the grace of the Christ will speedily draw thee, that thou mayest know God.” The Eparch said, “ Shall I also then become a Christian, O cursed child ?” Irene said, “ I have said the word, which I know shall become a deed.” The Eparch said, “ I swear by all the gods, that I will not spare thee, nor thy impudence; but I decree for thee these tortures that have not yet been seen in the world, nor have they entered into the heart of the judges; and they will terrify by their severity all who see them.” The Eparch said, “ Bring me the smiths.” And they came and stood before him. And he said to them, “ Make me an arm-chair of iron, and let it be one cubit high in elevation; and make me two thin chains.” And they made [them] and brought [them]. And he commanded them to make Irene sit down. And she came and stood before him. The Eparch said, “Irene, what sayest thou? wilt thou sacrifice to the gods or no?” Irene said, “ Satan incarnate ! son of the deceiver ! how far wilt thou persist in thine audacity ? Have I not said to thee that I will not sacrifice to unclean demons, nor will I worship foul fiends ; and I will not forsake my Lord and my God, Jesus the Christ; and I shall not be forsaken by Him : for He will deliver me from all thine inventions, senseless fool ! “ Said the Eparch to his servants, “ Make her sit down in this iron chair, and bind her with these chains, and heap wood above it. And throw fat and wax and naphtha and sulphur and pitch and resin upon the wood, and kindle the fire.” And the servants of sin did thus. And when the fire had mastered the wood, and had risen above the chair twelve cubits, the Eparch said, “Let us see if Jesus will deliver her from my hands.” And immediately, by the commandment of God, an angel descended from heaven, and seized Irene by her hand, and set her out of the chair. And the chair and the iron chains were melted like wax. And he took her out of the flame, and placed her on one side out of the fire, when the fire had not reached to her dress. And when the Eparch saw that she was standing outside of the flame he was greatly astonished; and he feared and trembled greatly. And he ran and fell on his face before her feet, weeping, and sought to persuade her, saying, “ I implore thee, O lady, handmaiden of the Christ, have mercy upon me. Lo ! I also believe in thy God, and henceforth I am a Christian. And henceforth I renounce all the gods of paganism, and let me not die a fearful death, lady.” But she said to him, “Did I not tell thee that thou wouldst speedily turn towards Jesus?” And he said to her, “ I implore of thee, lady, pray for me, that I may be accepted and not rejected ; and that what I have plotted against thee may not come into judgment against me.” And Irene said, “ Peace be to thee, fear not, let no anxiety come to thee.” But when the crowds who surrounded the Eparch saw that he believed in God, many also believed with him, and confessed God. And she was there, in that city, for fifty days. And in it she won many to Jesus, and the Lord God sent the holy priest to her in the city of Tela, and he baptized the Eparch and many who were with him who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ But Shabur the Persian king had come to Nisibis; and he had heard about the blessed Irene, that she was in Tela. And at the end of fifty days, he sent seven horsemen after her, and they brought her to Nisibis. And when she had entered the city of Nisibis, it was told to Shabur the king : “ Irene is come.” And he commanded them to bring her. And she came speedily and stood before him. But when Shabur the king saw her, he did not wish to interrogate her, for he said, “ This is the destroyer of royalty.” And he struck her with the sword which he held in his hand and killed her. The king said, “Is not this the famous one? Why has she not killed me? Where is Jesus her helper? Let him come now and succour her, if he can.” Then the Christian brethren came and carried away her holy body, and buried it. Said the king : “ Lest Jesus should come and raise her up? After these things the king was silent ; and found nothing further to say about her. And she was for four days in the grave. And at the end of four days, an angel came down from heaven and raised her up. And he said to her: “Irene, thy struggle is finished, and the crown of thy victory is adorned. From henceforth nothing bad shall come near to thy body ; and thou shalt see nothing hateful in the world ; because the course of thy labour is finished Rise therefore and enter the city, and fear not ; and make disciples of many, according to thy custom. And king Shabur, who killed thee, will do obeisance to thee, and will try to persuade thee to remain in his city. And many will believe in God along with him on account of thee. Blessed and happy art thou among women, and great is thy reward in heaven, and glittering is the crown of thy victory at the marriage supper of the heavenly bridegroom, Jesus the Christ.” And the angel went from her up to heaven. And the blessed Irene took in her hand an olive branch, and she sang praises and psalms. And she went into the city and spake thus : “ Let God arise, and let all His enemies be scattered ; and let those who hate Him flee from before Him,” and “ There is none like unto Thee, Lord God ! and there are nothing like unto Thy works. For lo! Thou doest wonders to the dead, and men shall arise and praise Thee. Lord, who is like unto Thee ? “ And when the citizens saw her, they knew that she had risen from the dead, and they ran and did obeisance before her. And they shouted, saying, “Great is the God of Irene. And there is no other, but He alone.” And when there was a shout and a great uproar, the king heard it and was afraid. And he inquired what was the noise of the uproar in the city. The dwellers in his palace say to him, “Because of Irene, who is risen from the tomb, they are thanking and praising God who has raised her.” And when the king heard [it], he commanded them to bring her into his presence. And Irene came and stood before him, carrying the sprig of olive, and looking like the dove of Noah, which carried the tidings of peace to the world. Thus Irene also carried the olive leaf, the tidings of her resurrection. And when the king saw her, he knelt and did obeisance before her. And he said to her, “ Irene, great is thy God. And now I know that God dwells with thee. And whosoever opposes thee opposes himself. And now, lady, I implore and seek to persuade thee, stay in our city, and do what thou wilt with authority and do not fear. Because God is with thee, and man is unable to hurt thee.” And she was a long time in that city, teaching the word of God, and making many disciples. And great was the praise of God because of her. And the number of all those who believed in God and were baptized by her hand was a hundred and thirty thousand souls. After these things she bade farewell to the king and to all the citizens; and went to the castle to see her father and her mother. Ten days before she went thither Licinius her father died ; and she went to the castle and found him dead . And she was grieved and remained there for three days. And after three days she bade farewell to her mother; and arose, and went to the city. And she left her mother in peace, and was in the city for three days. And after three days, by the commandment of God, a cloud took up the virgin of the Christ, and carried her to the city of Ephesus, and she was there; and she did many cures and miracles in the name of Jesus ; and she made disciples of many, for the citizens held her as one of the Apostles of Jesus. And she was in that city and in its district for seven years. And Apellianus her secretary heard it, and he arose and came to her to Ephesus. And when he saw her, he did obeisance to her. And they both rejoiced at the sight of each other. And Apellianus related to the citizens everything that she had endured from the kings, and they were very much astonished. And on the following day she said to all the citizens, “ O brethren and fathers, abide in peace. And be strong and firm in the Christ. And persevere and be established in your faith in the Christ For tommorrow I shall depart. And ye have received me well, and your recompence is preserved in heaven. For ye have heard that our Lord (Matt. x. 41) said: ‘He who receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet’s reward ; and he who receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man’s reward and he who receiveth a stranger for the sake of the Christ, the Christ will recompense him in heaven ten thousandfold And when she had said these things, she finished her speech. But some of the citizens said, “ She has said that she will depart, but where then is she going?” And they said further, “ Perhaps she is going to die.” Others said, “ Nay, but she will ascend to heaven.” Others said, “Perhaps Jesus the Christ, her Bridegroom will send and guide her : for we do not know it because we are sinners. God knows what He will do to His handmaiden.” But the blessed Irene said to Apellianus her secretary, “ Bring with thee six Christian men, believers, and come with me to a certain well-known place.” And Apellianus brought six Christian men of the patricians of the city, and they went with her outside the city. And they found a certain coffin of marble that had been laid there in that place years before; in which man had never before been laid. And Irene said to Apellianus and to those with him, “Beloved and faithful brethren, abide in peace. Behold ! I shall go into this coffin today. And do ye take its cover and lay it above it. And for four days let no man come near to the coffin. And she went into that coffin, saying, Brethren, be at peace; and the grace of our Lord Jesus the Christ be with you all, amen.” And she said, “Let an artificer come and bring iron clasps, and solder the coffin and also the lid with lead. And mark ye [it] with your signet rings ; and seal it, and go ye into the city.” And she commanded them, saying to them, “When four days are finished, come ye out and open the coffin ; and look, if ye find my body in it, well, good; but if ye do not find my body in it, do not doubt, but know ye that my Lord Jesus, my Bridegroom, hath hidden away the body of His handmaiden where He willed. For I know not whither He will carry it; for I have heard that He said, ‘ In my Father’s house are many mansions?’ (Johnxiv). And they did as she had said. And an artificer came and put clasps on the lid of the coffin, and soldered them with lead; and they all sealed them with their signet rings, and went into the city. And after four days, Apellianus drew near at the time of dawn, he and six Christian men, they with whose signet rings the coffin was sealed. And many of the citizens went out with them to the coffin; and they bent the knee and prayed there. And they opened the coffin, and they found the clothes of the virgin of the Christ folded up and lying in the coffin. And they did not find her body. And they saw the angel of God who was standing there beside the coffin. And he said unto them, Whom seek ye?” They say unto him, “Irene, my lord, perhaps thou knowest who has taken her away from here.” But he said to them, “Lo! she is enjoying herself in the Paradise of Eden, at the marriage feast of the heavenly Bridegroom, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God” And fear took hold of them, and perturbation remained in their minds; and they went into the city praising and blessing God, about the wonder which they had seen. And many who heard it believed, and confessed the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit This is the martyrdom of Irene ; this is the conflict of the virgin of the Christ And she was made the messenger of peace on behalf of all believers. And the cities in which she triumphed are: firstly, Magedo, the city in which she was born; secondly, Callinicus; thirdly, Tela of Mauzalet; fourthly, Nisibis; fifthly, Ephesus, in which was her good end. And the kings who judged her : Licinius her father ; secondly, Zedekia; thirdly, Severon his son; fourthly, Numerianus; fifthly, Bura the Eparch; sixthly, Shabur the Persian king, he in whose presence she finished the course of her conflict. Praise be to the Christ who gave power to His virgin; and she overcame all the wiles of the devil. May God the Christ give us a portion and an inheritance along with her in the kingdom of heaven ! And may her prayer be for the sinner who composed and wrote her martyrology for (ever and even (Here endeth the story of the blessed Irene. [URL='https://www.mediafire.com/file/cnmksp5w6n35i51/Irene-martyr-of-the-fourth-century+1.pdf/file'][SIZE=5]for download pdf version of this text click here[/SIZE][/URL][/LEFT] [/QUOTE]

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