To all those who love and cherish their life which is in Christ through God the Father, and obey the truth of God in hope of eternal life; to those who bear affection towards their brethren and towards their neighbours in the love of God; to the blessed brother virgins, [292] who devote themselves to preserve virginity "for the sake of the kingdom of heaven;" [293] and to the holy sister virgins: the peace which is in God. [294]

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Footnotes:

[292] In later Greek parthenos was used of both sexes (comp. Revelation 14:4). The Syriac original employs both a masculine and a feminine form. This will not always be indicated in the following translation.

[293] Matthew 19:12.

[294] Or "to the holy virgins who are in God: peace." So Zingerle, and probably Wetstein.