Acta Thomae

And as Judas was led away to the prison they all followed him, and Iuzanes the king’s son walked at his right hand, and Siphor at the left. And he entered into the prison and sat down, and Iuzanes and Siphor, and he persuaded his wife and his daughter to sit down, for they also were come in to hear the word of life. For they knew that Misdaeus would slay him because of the excess of his anger. And Judas began to say: O liberator of my soul from the bondage of the many, because I gave myself to be sold [*](‹unto one, Syr.›); behold, I rejoice and exult, knowing that the times are fulfilled for me to enter in and receive [*](‹thee my giver of rest, Syr.›). Lo, I am to be set free from the cares that are on the earth; lo, I fulfil mine hope and receive truth; lo, I am set free from sorrow and put on joy alone; lo, I become careless and griefless and dwell in rest; lo, I am set free from bondage and am called unto liberty; lo, I have served times and seasons, and I am lifted up above times and seasons; lo, I receive my wages from my recompenser, who giveth without reckoning (number) because his wealth sufficeth for the gift; ‹lo, I put off

And as the apostle spake thus, all that were there hearkened, supposing that in that hour he would depart out of life. And again he said: Believe on the physician of all (diseases), both seen and unseen, and on the saviour of the souls that need help from him. This is the free-born ‹son› of kings, this the physician of his creatures; this is he that was reproached of his own slaves; this is the Father of the height and the Lord of nature and the Judge [*]((? Father of nature and Lord of the height and supreme Judge, Syr.)); he came of the greatest, the only-begotten son of the deep; and he was called the son of [*]((became visible through, Syr.)) Mary the virgin, and was termed the son of Joseph the carpenter: he whose littleness (we beheld) with the eyes of our body, but his greatness we received by faith, and saw it in his works; whose human body we felt also with our hands, and his aspect we saw transfigured (changed) with our eyes, but his heavenly semblance on the mount we were not able to see: he that made the rulers stumble and did violence unto death: he, the truth that lieth not, that at the last paid the tribute for himself and his disciples: whom the prince beholding feared and the powers that were with him were troubled; and the prince bare witness [*]((asked him, Syr.)) who he was and from whence, and knew not the truth, because he is alien from truth: he that having authority over the world, and the pleasures therein, and the possessions and the comfort, ‹rejected› all these things, and turneth away his subjects, that they should not use them.

And having fulfilled these sayings, he arose and prayed thus: Our Father, which art in heaven: hallowed be thy name: Thy kingdom come: Thy will be done, as in heaven so upon earth: [*](‹Give us the constant bread of the day, Syr.›) and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from the evil one.

My Lord and God, hope and confidence and teacher, thou hast taught me to pray thus; behold, I pray this prayer and fulfil thy commandment: be thou with me unto the end; thou art he that from childhood hast sown life in me and kept me from corruption; thou art he that hast brought me unto the poverty of this world, and exhorted me unto the true riches; thou art he that hast made me known unto myself and showed me that I am thine; and I have kept myself pure from woman, that that which thou requirest be not found ín defilement.