Protevangelium of James 23

1Now Herod sought for John, and sent officers to Zacharias, saying: Where hast thou hidden thy son? And he answered and said unto them: I am a minister of God and attend continually upon the temple of the Lord: I know not where my son is.

Ὁ δὲ Ἡρώδης ἐζήτει τὸν Ἰωάννην, καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ὑπηρέτας πρὸς Ζαχαρίαν λέγων· ποῦ ἀπέκρυψας τὸν υἱόν σου; ὁ δὲ ἀπεκρίματο λέγων αὐτοῖς· ἐγὼ λειτουργὸς ὑπάρχω τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ προσεδρεύω τῷ ναῷ κυρίου, οὐκ οἶδα ποῦ ἐστὶν ὁ υἱός μου. (26021)

2And the officers departed and told Herod all these things. And Herod was wroth and said: His son is to be king over Israel. And he sent unto him again, saying: Say the truth: where is thy son? for thou knowest that thy blood is under my hand. And the officers departed and told him all these things.

Καὶ ἀπῆλθον οἱ ὑπηρέται καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν τῷ Ἡρώδῃ ταῦτα πάντα. καὶ ὀργισθεὶς ὁ Ἡρώδης εἶπεν· ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ μέλλει βασιλεύειν τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. καὶ ἀπέστειλεν πρὸς αὐτὸν πάλιν λέγων· εἰπὲ τὸ ἀληθές· ποῦ ἐστὶν ὁ υἱός σου; οἶδας γὰρ ὅτι τὸ αἷμά σου ὑπὸ τὴν χεῖρά μου ἐστίν. καὶ ἀπῆλθον οἱ ὑπηρέται καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν αὐτῷ ταῦτα πάντα. (26075)

3And Zacharias said: I am a martyr of God if thou sheddest my blood: for my spirit the Lord shall receive, because thou sheddest innocent blood in the fore-court of the temple of the Lord. And about the dawning of the day Zacharias was slain. And the children of Israel knew not that he was slain.

Καὶ εἶπε Ζαχαρίας· μάρτυς εἰμὶ τοῦ θεοῦ, εἰ ἐκχέεις μου τὸ αἷμα· τὸ γὰρ πνεῦμά μου ὁ δεσπότης δέξεται, ὅτι αἷμα ἀθῷον ἐκχέεις εἰς τὰ πρόθυρα τοῦ ναοῦ κυρίου. καὶ περὶ τὸ διάφαυμα ἐφονεύθη Ζαχαρίας. καὶ οὐκ ᾔδεισαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ ὅτι ἐφονεύθη. (20524)