One day when the brothers were sitting near him, Macarius said to them, "Look, the barbarians are coming to Scetis today; get up and flee."They said to him, "Abba, won't you flee too?"
He said to them, "I've been waiting for many years for this day when the word of Christ will be fulfilled, 'They who take the sword shall perish by the sword' (Matthew 26:52)."
They said to him, "We will not flee either, we will die with you."
He replied, "That's nothing to do with me; let each one decide for himself if he will stay or flee."
There were seven brothers there and he said to them, "Look, the barbarians are nearly at the door," and they came in and slew them. But one of them fled and hid under a pile of rope and he saw crowns coming and crowning each of them.
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