6 And now he drew near to a great
city, in which there was an idol,
to which the priests of the other
idols and gods of Egypt brought
their offerings and vows.
7 And there was by this idol a
priest ministering to it, who, as
often as Satan spoke out of that
idol, related the things he said to
the inhabitants of Egypt, and those
countries.
8 This priest had a son three
years old, who was possessed with
a great multitude of devils, who
uttered many strange things and
when the devils seized him, walked
about naked with his clothes torn,
throwing stones at those whom
he saw.
9 Near to that idol was the inn
of the city, into which when Joseph
and St. Mary were come, and had
turned into that inn, all the
inhabitants of the city were
astonished.
10 And all the magistrates and
priests of the idols assembled
before that idol, and made inquiry
there, saying, What means all this
consternation, and dread, which
has fallen upon all our country?
11 The idol answered them,
The unknown God is come thither,
who is truly God; nor is there any
one besides him, who is worthy of
divine worship for he is truly the
Son of God.
12 At the fame of him this
country trembled, and at his
coming it is under the present
commotion and consternation, and
we ourselves are afrighted by the
greatness of his power.
13 And at the same instant this
idol fell down, and at his fall all
the inhabitants of Egypt, besides
others ran together.
14 But the son of the priest,
when his usual disorder came upon
him going into the inn, found
there Joseph and St. Mary, whom
all the rest had left behind and
forsook.
15 And when the Lady St. Mary
had washed the swaddling clothes
of the Lord Christ, and hanged
them out to dry upon a post, the
boy possessed with the devil took
down one of them, and put it upon
his head.
16 And presently the devils
began to come out of his mouth,
and fly away in the shape of crows
and serpents.
17 From that time the boy was
healed by the power of the Lord
Christ and he began to sing
praises, and give thanks to the
Lord who had healed him.
18 When his father saw him
restored to his former state of
health, he said, My son, what has
happened to thee, and by what
means wert thou cured?
19 The son answered, When the
devils seized me, I went into the
inn, and there found a very
handsome woman with a boy, whose
swaddling clothes she had just
before washed, and hanged out upon
a post.
20 One of these I took, and put
it upon my head, and immediately
the devils left me, and fled away.
21 At this the father exceedingly
rejoiced, and said, My son,
perhaps this boy is the son of the
living God, who made the heavens
and the earth.
22 For as soon as he came
amongst us, the idol was broken,
and all the gods fell down, and
were destroyed by a greater power.
23 Then was fulfilled the prophecy
which saith, Out of Egypt I have
called my son.
CHAPTER V.
1 Joseph and Mary leave Egypt.
3 Go to the Haunts of robbers,
4 Who hearing a mighty noise,
as of a great army flee away.
NOW Joseph and Mary when
they heard that the idol was
fallen down and destroyed, were
seized with fear and, trembling,
and said, When we Were in the
land of Israel, Herod, intending
to kill Jesus, slew for that purpose
all the infants at Bethlehem, and
that neighbourhood.
2 And there is no doubt but
the Egyptians if they come to
hear that this idol is broken and
fallen down, will burn us with fire.
3 They went therefore hence to
the secret places of robbers, who
robbed travellers as they pass by,
of their carriages and their clothes
and carried them away bound.
4 These thieves upon their
coming heard a great noise such
as the noise of a king with a great
army, and many horse and the
trumpets sounding at his departure
from his own city, at which they
were so affrighted, as to leave
all their booty behind them and
fly away in haste.
5 Upon this the prisoners arose,
and loosed each other's bonds,
and taking each man his bags,