Nisibis 21

He bowed his head, his voice low. John the Baptist was a lamp; he spread and covered the gleams. They hastened to extinguish the lamp, for they wished to quench the desire of their minds. He became a guide in brightness, and the servants of darkness were put to shame. However much your teaching shone, the rashness of his boldness did not cease. The desire of darkness served; blessed is he who made you a guide. A great blessing was hidden in the modesty of Elijah. Elisha served him and followed; one twofold reward for his service. One twofold beauty he gave him, who wears the crowns of his mother. Because he loved the poverty of the one who plundered the rich man, your great one. The treasury of his wisdoms was inherited; blessed is he who enriches your teaching. May abstinence contend with your fast, as with the fast of Daniel. May desire be shamed before your body, as it was shamed before Joseph. May the desire for money contend with you, as it contended with Simon. May you be bound to the earth like him, and may you be loosed in the height in his likeness, so that your faith may be like his; blessed is he who entrusted to you his service. Your asceticism like Elisha, and your virginity like Elijah. Standing before your eyes like Job; your compassion like David. And without envy, like the consolation of Jeremiah; your strength like that of Isaiah. Your gentleness of the apostles; for you the ancient one of the prophets. For you the new ones of the apostles; blessed is he who reigned from their treasures. You will be a crown for the priesthood, and through you the service will be adorned. You will be a brother to the presbyters, and also a commander to the deacons.

He will be a rod for childhood and a hand for old age. He will be a wall for the oppressed, standing firm in your stature; be adorned. And the Church, by your beauty, will be adorned. Blessed is he who chose you, that you might be chaste. By your poverty, the vain festival of the house of Gazza will be abolished. By your old age, the impure festival of the house of ‘Ali will be abolished. By your gentleness, the peace that is the boast of the lips will again be gladdened. The Iscariot, the devourer, has consumed all of your thought, and its forms anew, as a new thing. Blessed is he who, by your firstborn, refines you. By your stature, the baptism that was lord of our freedom was put to shame. The pain that was with us was abolished from us, and it was pleasant for us. The pretexts that had taken hold of customs full of defects have ceased. Your evil nature, by custom, has been cut off; your good nature, by custom, has been established. Be, my lord, the cause of our salvation. Blessed is he who chose you for the sake of my life. Evil customs will be cut off; the Church will be covered; they will not establish. And what suffices, the spirits will establish; and if it suffices, it is the fear of the Lord. And the violent will not be buried in the cutting off of hope, impiously. By the pits and Elijah and the dancing-girl of life, who wears a tunic, and the whole burden is ready. Blessed is he who turns you to the dust. An evil desire entered, also the wickedness of the house of ‘Ali, and the pride of the house of Gazza, the insults of the house of ‘Abel. The springs of the vain festivals are polluted, so that there will be no great one, and from him there will be a palpal, so that also to you from his blow will come. My lord, Iscariot, your eyes are blind. Blessed is he who dried up your springs.

For the old man, a word he hastened; for the child, silence he delivered. Of your memory, which enters your side with your order, he learned for you. He silenced the speaker of the first, and silenced the second and third. And if everyone guards his mouth, and if everyone knows his rank. Blessed are those who call you, until the Lord of your will is fulfilled. The voice of your truth shall be one, and the voices of the foolish without measure. The image of truth upon your heart and upon your face, all likenesses. Sober, modest, and aged, to show that you are stirred for the one who errs. To show that you are joyful for the one who repents, you are one for the divine nature. And for the many human natures, blessed is he who was with everyone. If you hear good or evil from the truthful who do not lead astray, Pour out tears of your eye for the rock that swallowed at the end. Seek with you the separators, and decree a fast for the knowers. And in silence your monastery shall be over the one who perished in sin, That he may be healed by repentance. Blessed is he who found the flock that perished. Do not give your hand to everyone without your caution of deceivers. Do not ask your foot of everyone without your shame of the contemptible. Do not give yourself to everyone without your holiness of the wanton. Keep your hand from falsehood, lest you gather thorns in your hand. Be distant and near. Blessed is he who is near when distant. Behold, the goodness of the new king thunders and comes in the covenant. For the spoils he became a boast, and for the plunderers a provision. The groan of the weary reaches that all that they swallowed is seated.

He also hastened from your side to the house of the priest for the sick king. The first ones, ready, were restrained by the blessed one of rank, and the merciful father. There is one who found a place and was at ease, and one who was distressed and constrained his offspring. One shepherd of the guarded flock, and another who was not even. There is one who marveled and delayed his thirst, and one who marveled and was thirsty for marveling. The rich marveled, and the poor marveled; the hungry marveled at the abundance. And the sated marveled, who had no need, the blessed one who chose all his wills. Now, then, he gave a place and showed all his will, that as it is and to what it is like, and what he chooses for himself from what. He took help from all, the blood of the atonement, which was not even a measure. He gave you a place that is sought, better than this authority. The blow helps greatly, the blessed one who is skilled in the covenant. For he does not wish to cast his short spear upon your neck. He gave you a place, and you were inflamed, the blood of the rebels, and you were shattered. He had mercy on his short spear, he chose his gentle tribe. His sigh greatly filled you, that by his shortness is that likeness, and by his spear, brevity. Blessed is he whose labor is delight. The whole world, like a body, fell into a great sickness. By the fire of impiety, it was burned, and was ill, and fell. The right hand of mercies touched him, and he healed his soul with health. It quickly cut off the impiety that was the cause of his sickness, and he was adorned and knew, and the father gave praise to the hand that ministered to him.

The earth was watered in your days by your vision full of peace. Through you, the churches were sought and their desires were adorned, and their books were opened and their altars were arranged, and their deacons hastened to raise up to their Lord the confession, the first-fruits to the Lord of peace, blessed is he who comforts the remembrance. Your prayer ascends to heaven; with it ascends the supplication, and the Lord of heaven rains down his blessings upon our wickedness, and his consolations upon our afflictions, and his strength upon our weakness. His mercy stirs with his love; your grace follows his sorrow; your iniquity is covered by his goodness, blessed is he who blesses his flock. The priest and the king, the first, were bound together as one, and as if on scales they were balanced, and also the prince was not heavy, for they were humble and strong, and the last ones resembled each other. The priests became radiant, and the walkers became zealous, and the judges became vigilant, blessed is he who enlightened our souls. From the kingdom, laws; from the priesthood, pardons; for both are difficult, for both are harsh; one is harsh and one is gentle, in union and in separation. Fear mingles with mercy; may your priesthood be sweet, and your kingdom strong, blessed is he who mingles the covenants. The priests prayed for the kings, who became a wall for the city, from the hunt of kings, victory; from the priests, faith. Victory adorns bodies, and faith adorns souls.

Kings were silent, the diadem was laid aside; priests were silent, the staff was laid aside. The head and the crown ceased; blessed is the son of the Messiah, all. Glory to you for your gift.