DAVID, THE ROBBER-CHIEF, WHO LATER BECAME A MONK
We came to the Thebaid and at the city of Antinoé, we visited Phoebamon the Sophist for the benefit of his words. He told us that in the district around Hermopolis, there had been a brigand whose name was David. He had rendered many people destitute, murdered many, and committed every kind of evil deed; more so than any other man, one might say.
One day, whilst he was still engaged in brigandage on the mountain, together with a band of more than thirty, he came to his senses, conscience-stricken by his evil deeds. He left all those who were with him and went to a monastery. He knocked at the monastery gate, and the porter came out and asked him what he wanted. The robber-chief replied that he wanted to become a monk, so the porter went inside and told the abbot about him.
The abbot came out, and when he saw that the man was advanced in age, he said to him: "You cannot stay here, for the brethren labor very hard. They practice great austerity. Your temperament is different from ours, and you could not tolerate the rule of the monastery." But the brigand insisted that he could tolerate these things if only the abbot would accept him. However, the abbot was persistent in his conviction that the man would not be able to endure it.
Then the robber-chief said to him: "Know, then, that I am David, the robber-chief, and the reason why I came here was that I might weep for my sins. If you do not accept me, I swear to you and before him who dwells in heaven that I will return to my former way of life. I will bring those who were with me, kill you all, and even destroy your monastery."
When the abbot heard this, he received him into the monastery, tonsured him, and gave him the holy habit. Thus, he began the spiritual combat, and he exceeded all the other members of the monastery in self-control, obedience, and humility. There were about seventy persons in that monastery; he benefited them all, providing them with an example.
One day, when he was sitting in his cell, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, saying: "David, David; the Lord has pardoned your sins, and from this time on, you shall perform wonders." David replied to the angel: "I cannot believe that in so short a time God has forgiven me all my sins, which are heavier than the sand of the sea."
The angel said to him: "I did not spare Zachariah the priest when he refused to believe me concerning his son. I imprisoned his tongue to teach him not to doubt what I said; how then should I now spare you? You shall be totally incapable of speech from this time onwards."
Abba David prostrated himself before the angel and said: "When I was in the world, committing abominable acts and shedding blood, I had the gift of speech. Will you deprive me of it by imprisoning my tongue, now that I wish to serve God and offer up hymns to him?"
The angel replied: "You will only be able to speak during the services. At all other times, you shall be completely silent"—and that is how it was. He sang the psalms, but he could say no other word, big or little. The one who told us these things said: "I saw him many times, and I glorified God."