Letter 30: To the brothers Narsai and Maremmeh

Letter 30: To the brothers Narsai and Maremmeh — Ishoʿyahb III of Adiabene To Narsai and Maremmeh, my brothers in the Lord, greeting. The bond of peace with the memory of love has come to you, O my brothers, and the salutation of greeting shall be found with the bond of the strong foundation which is thus for you. And this is for the sake of humility and great honor, not from another side that has happened, but from the death of love which is not dead—that by which above all you were accustomed to be sustained in your existence. For it is not dead, as you also will say that it is not dead, but it is sick and grievously troubled. With one member from the pain of stumbling, with another from the ache of affliction. Yet thanks to the mercy of the Lord, who renews in you the fragrance of the life of his household from time to time in the pattern of health, as also now he has stirred up the excellence that is in you to be reminded by a letter of that which from toil had escaped. And in a foreign form the necessary word of it was given. This also, then, is from sickness, that which was spoken. For it is a companion to sickness and also to error, and both are grievous to the soul. Yet even thus, and upon the face of this alone, I confess to the grace of the Lord, that in every way he preserves for you the remnant of gratitude in strong memories. And I also pray that you may not again be diminished more than thus—that wealth by which many have gone astray from the beginning. But where then are you? And again, where then are you going? I wished to know. And may the Lord grant through his mercies that you be thus in your existence, as it is right that you be in your existence. And pray also yourselves for me, that I may find compassion and obtain the grace of repentance which is needful for the healing of my pains. And may I see you in peace, as the Lord wills. Finished.