[Ishoʿyahb of Nineveh to Metropolitan Cyriacos of Nisibis, letter #47]
I have happily received the letter of your love, o god-loving Father, and for your health I have thanked the Lord. And as you have been much troubled by the continual tumult of those sad affairs, I too am afflicted with much pain. For a little while before, I had begun to have a suspicion of pain, that might be found there useful things, which afforded the citizens of your city a very pleasant abundance of fertile land, and I was terrified by fostering a small hope on account of these things. Have perchance scarcities befallen the necessity of the rich suddenly, and, by the eruption of looming danger, have quiet men lost the abundance of their lives, and the necessities (ûlsanê) of Nisibin has brought them into the refuges (paltûtê) of Ashur: by the blandishment of a delicate belly, to which the souks of Nisibin have daily aroused the craving for pigswill? Or, indeed, does it turn out that what was about to happen was unbelievable? The city of a great reputation and abounding in all wealth, which had nourished many thousands of people, turned into a starving field abandoned from Ashur's ruin: to find some timely help for the needy in their impasse.
So when I was tossed around in thoughts of this sort, a very short time has elapsed since I received the letter from your Fatherhood, which I picked up, my suspicion of pain was resolved into unquestioned grief, and I was saddened by your pains, in pains of any kind I was prepared for. It is said by the holy and life-giving mouth {Luke 23:31}, that if these things happen in a green tree, what then will be done in us, who are by nature and will a dry tree? Thanks for the mercy of our Lord, either for these or for your sake. So now let your Paternity pray, that we may have a conscience what patience of God's kindness toward us is worthy of us. Perhaps God will give us the fruit of eternal life through all the benefits and the correction, to which we would all be worthy through the mercy of our God, amen!
For the work, which was taken from your Chastity as proof of your work written to me, I wished to give an extraordinary accomplishment with the enthusiasm of my conscience; So for time, so for home, so for our opportunity. To your Fatherhood I have sent virtually and offstage a thousand QWRs of barley, but by measure and quantity I have sent a hundred gribhas, as you had written to me. But if it will seem necessary to us a little after these things, you will have to give us the capital with the greatest interest and increase, should it be incumbent upon us to give more. But if the grace of God should protect us from their need, the great church of Nisibin will be our debitrix of a thousand QWRs of barley, forever. I permitting speak joy with sore pain: I have searched all my chambers with all my archives to find a thing or business, which I might use to repay the suppliant greeting which was sent by your Paternity to my vileness, but I found nothing, as stated above. For the fruits of our field and the produce of our river into our habitations bring such riches, that is, scarcity! But a few days before, the will of our Lord, from the lower region, he poured on us a few dactyls, which I sent to your Fatherhood, an abundant gift, whose greatness you will not exhaust! There are indeed many in number, and not much smaller than to fill up one small bushel. Let your Fatherhood take up your business, as it should be, and pray for me.
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