1 And Joseph got up, took Mary, and leaving the town, they both marched forward. And they looked for Jesus with their eyes. And he appeared to them suddenly, and he followed them to the country of Galilee, to a town called Arimathea, where they took shelter in a house. And Jesus was ten years old then, and he was circulating through the town, to go to the place where the children gathered. And when they saw Jesus, they questioned him, saying, Where have you come from? And Jesus answered: From an unknown country. The children asked: Where is your father’s house located? And Jesus answered: You could not understand it. The children added: Tell us something, so we can know it about you. And Jesus replied: Why do you ask me, if you would not understand what I told you? The children insisted: Talk to us, because we are ignorant, and you seem educated in all things. Jesus said: I know all things, but I am a stranger, and you would not accept any of my words. And the children said: We welcome you with friendship, as a brother, and we will submit to your orders, according to your will.
2 And Jesus said: Get up, let’s go. And the children obeyed, and they all arrived together at a certain place, where there was a very high rock. And, standing in front, he ordered the rock to tilt its top and sat on it, and the rock recovered its position. And the children cried out in surprise and, forming a circle around the rock, looked at Jesus. And, after having ordered the rock to tilt its top again, Jesus descended from it.
3 And the children went to the town to tell of the miracle done by Jesus, who fled. And one of the children, who saw him, stopped him by surprise and seized him. And Jesus, turning, breathed in his face and, at the same instant, the child lost his sight. And he cried with a loud voice: Jesus, have mercy on me. And Jesus put his hand on his eyes, and they opened again to the light.
4 And one day the children had gathered near a well, and Jesus went to join them. And when they saw it, they rejoiced. And Jesus asked them: What are you doing at the edge of this well? And the children answered: Come join us. And Jesus said: Here I am. What do you want? And, at the same moment that he spoke thus, two children were playing on the edge of the well. And it came to pass, that while they were arguing, one of them struck the other and threw him into the well. And the rest fled from there, and Jesus got up and went to his house.
5 And, as some people came to draw water, as they put their jugs in, they saw a child in the middle of the well. dead, and they went to announce it to the town. And the parents came and saw his son drowned above the water. And they wept bitterly, and beat their breasts. And he was a very beautiful child, and five years old. And the parents, dissolved in tears, asked: Who has caused this terrible misfortune? But, not finding the killer, they went to the judge to report the disastrous event.
6 And the judge ordered that the children be brought to him, to whom he asked: My children, which of you killed to that child, throwing him into the water? The children responded: We ignore it. And the judge said: If you know, do not count on deceiving me with pretexts and subterfuges. Do not do such, because you will die, and you will pay the innocent for the guilty. The princes and great men said to them: Do not lie, but speak truthfully. And the children cried out together: If you believe our words, understand that we have no part in his death. He fell into the water by accident, and we couldn’t get him out of the well. And the judge objected: When he fell into the water, why didn’t you immediately shout, raising your voice, so that the inhabitants of the town would go and save the child, who was still breathing? The children said: Because none of us were left there. They had all abandoned him, and fled. And the judge added: If he fell inadvertently and carelessly, you would have shouted and warned everyone. But, being the authors of the act, you have fled from there out of fear, and you think of escaping death through vain excuses. The children said: If you want to condemn us unjustly, your will be done. Because each one is convinced of his own innocence and the one who deserves death is the one who knows the reality of the fact. And the judge replied: If I knew the guilty, I would not condemn the innocent.
7 The children said: It is not our fault. We were distracted by the game, and we found out nothing until some children ran away, screaming. We know nothing more. And the judge replied: If you want, I will tell you the truth. Look closely, pay attention, and feel sorry for yourself. And the children replied: We have revealed everything, and you have not heard us. And the judge exclaimed: I distrust the artifice of your words! The children repeated: If you condemn us unjustly, that will be your responsibility. And the judge answered, furious: If you do not tell me the truth, I will take you to the well, and I will make you perish by drowning in the water. And the boy who was the killer replied: No matter how much you torment us, we will not be able to confess a falsehood.
8 Then the judge marched with them to the edge of the well. And he ordered that the children be stripped naked and chained in his presence. And the killer said: O judge, present a witness, and then only condemn us. Why would he condemn us to death, without being convinced by a witness? And the judge said: What witness am I going to present, if all the witnesses are here? You will not leave my hands, neither by dint of lamentations, nor by dint of gifts. And the parents of the children, seeing them naked before the judge, in the middle of that place, complained bitterly. And the judge said: Your tears do not move me. And he ordered the children to be thrown into the well. But the one who was the killer, he expressed himself in these terms: Do not throw me into the well, and I will show you who is guilty. Where is Jesus, the old man’s son? He is the author of the act. And the judge exclaimed: That being so, why did you allow yourself to be killed, despite your innocence? And the children replied: It is up to you to know, since you wanted it.
9 Then the judge summoned Jesus before him. But, as those whom he sent in search of the child could not find him, they seized Joseph, and brought him before the magistrate, who questioned him, saying: Old man, where have you come from to this town? And Joseph answered: I am from a far country. The judge asked: Where is your son, who has committed this crime of homicide? José replied: I don’t know. The judge said: And don’t you know that he has committed that crime? Joseph said: By the life of the Lord, I don’t know! The judge asserted: Yes, you know that. And you think you’re going to escape death? Joseph exclaimed: O judge, do not unjustly condemn an innocent creature! The judge re-argued: If he is innocent, why has he fled? José replied: I can’t explain it to you. And the judge said: They will not leave the prison unless you hurry to see that your son appears here.
10 And when the judge had finished speaking these words, Jesus appeared at the court suddenly and asked: Who are you looking for? They answered: To Jesus, the son of Joseph. Jesus said: I am. The judge questioned: When did you arrive at this town? Jesus answered: I have lived there for many years. The judge ordered: Tell me, then, what was the cause of the violent death of that child. And Jesus said: I do not know. But the boy’s parents cried out: Do you pretend not to know, having drowned our son in the well? And Jesus replied: If it is someone else who must be asked to give an account of his life, why do you slander me so perfidiously? The judge replied: Do not tell falsehood, because you are guilty of death. But Jesus assured: Their testimony is false and mine is true. And the judge said to him: Swear by the law of the Lord. Jesus answered: Why do you lie before God, and do not fear him? But the judge, answering, said: And what harm is there in taking an oath, when one is innocent, and there is no other recourse to escape death? Jesus answered him: So you think it legitimate to pronounce an unjust judgment? The judge answered: Tell me what I should do. And Jesus replied: You know too much, since you are constituted as a judge. But the judge repeated: What should I do? Answer to me. And Jesus warned him: If you acted in good faith, you would observe justice. But we shouldn’t expect that from you. And the judge insisted: I act according to what is achieved. Jesus said: In this you speak truth, but you do not accept the testimony that I give of myself. The judge said: I do not condemn you unjustly. And Jesus added: If you listened to the voice of your conscience, you would not lightly condemn anyone.
11 However, the children interrupted, crying out in chorus: Oh judge, you don’t know what to answer! Listen to us, and we will inform you of what concerns you. Or can we not answer him a word? Jesus answered them: What do you have to say about me? The children replied: Since you came to this city, you have caused us many annoyances and many humiliations, which we have forgiven, because you are poor and a foreigner. But now that you have caused such a catastrophe, and that you have exposed us to death, it is right that we make you perish. Then the judge asked: Is this the child of whom you say that he deceives the eyes for prestige? The children answered together: Yes. But Jesus observed: I know that you have all banded together against me, and that you want to condemn me to death unjustly. And the judge said: How can you pretend that you have no contrary witnesses, and that you consider yourself innocent? Jesus said: If I give myself a true testimony, will you believe me? The judge said: Yes, I will believe you. And Jesus added: Wait a moment, I’m going to give you proof.
12 And, having said this, Jesus, deeply indignant, approached the dead man, and cried out with a loud voice: Jonathan, son of Beria, stand on your feet, open your eyes, and discover the one who threw you into the well. And, at the same moment, the dead man stood up, opened his eyes, looked at everyone present, and recognized them, calling them by their names. His parents screamed and, very joyful, hugged him in their arms and covered him with kisses. And they questioned him, saying: My son, what brought you back to life? And he showed his finger to Jesus, who asked him: Who was the cause of your loss? And Jonathan replied: It was not you, sir, but my cousin Saraka. He was the one who, after hitting me, made me fall into the well. Then Jesus said: Hear all of you how the dead man has just testified about me. When they saw this, those present at the prodigy exclaimed, overcome with fear: Truly this child is God and son of the Father, come to earth. And Jesus said: Wicked judge, do you believe now in my testimony and in my innocence? Have you seen how my actions deceive eyes, and what my behavior was at the well? But the judge, in his confusion, did not answer him a word.
13 And the child remained alive until sunset, enough time for a multitude of people to come to see the miracle done. for Jesus, at whose feet they all threw themselves, confessing their sins. Then Jesus said to the little boy: Go, sleep now, and rest, waiting for the judge of all men to come to determine the rewards, and impose his just decrees. And when Jesus had spoken these words, the child laid his head on the milk and fell asleep. At the sight of which, everyone was possessed with panic, and feared Jesus. And when he wanted to come out, they knelt before him and begged him: Bring the dead man back to life! But Jesus did not consent to this, and said to them: Unjustly, and despite my innocence, you wanted to condemn me, but my justice has freed me from death. And, after answering them thus, he disappeared from his sight. And Joseph, brought out of prison, returned in silence to his house, and told Mary of the wonders he performed. two for her son. And the parents of the dead child went, bursting into tears, to look for Jesus, and, not finding him, they begged Joseph: Where is your son, so that he may come to resurrect our deceased? But Joseph said: I do not know.