Irmos: God, the Lord and Creator of all, the Dispassionate One, having beggared Himself, united to Himself that which He had fashioned; and as a Babe borne in the flesh He is worshipped in a poor manger, crying out: Eat ye My body, and make yourselves steadfast through faith!
Exhibiting beforehand the madness of Pilate, Herod is eager quickly to slay Christ Who is come now to shed His own blood as deliverance for the world. Wherefore, in his murderous savagery he hath slaughtered a multitude of infants.
The foolish man hath said: There is no God. And he who is filled with utter insanity is sick with lust for the murder of the Messiah. Having fallen low in his audacious intent, he armed himself fully for the murder of innocent babes and hath defiled the earth with their blood.
Translated by Isaac Lambertsen. Edition menaion.en.lambertsen.