τῷ δεσπότῃ μου τιμιω̣[τ]ά̣τῳ καὶ εὐ̣λ̣αβ̣ε̣[σ]τάτῳ
Ἄπα Ἰωάννῃ Η̣[ ̣ ̣ ̣ Ἀ]βραὰμ
ἐ[ν κ(υρί)ῳ] Θ(ε)ῷ χαίρειν.
ὡς̣ κ̣α̣ὶ̣ πιστεύω ὅτι μ[έλε]ται μου καὶ τοῦ οἴκου
μ̣ο̣υ̣ σ̣ο̣ι̣, εὐχα̣ρ̣[ιστῶ] τ̣ῇ σῇ θεοσεβείᾳ {σου}·
οὕτω κα̣ί σ̣ο̣υ τὸ ἱερὸν π̣ρ̣ό̣σ̣ω̣π̣ο̣ν̣
ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ μου γίγνωσκέ με ἔχειν.
προσαγορεύω σου τοιγαροῦν τὴν εὐλάβειάν
{σου} δ̣ι̣ὰ τούτων μου τ̣[ῶν γ]ραμμάτων, παρα̣-
κ̣α̣λῶν ὅπως μνημονεύῃς καὶ καμοῦ
(*)
τοῦ σε
προσκυνοῦντος καὶ π̣αντὸς τοῦ οἴκου μου
ἐ̣ν̣ α̣ἷ̣ς̣ ἀναπέμπεις̣ [ἀεὶ] καὶ μεθʼ
(*)
ἡμέραν
εὐχαῖς τῷ κυρίῳ
(*)
σωτῆρει
(*)
ἡμῶν.
πέποιθα γὰρ ὡς διὰ τῶ̣ν ἁγιοτάτων
(*)
σου εὐχῶν καὶ το̣ῦ̣ κ̣[α]μάτου τούτου
ἐν ᾧ ἐσμὲ̣ν̣ ἐλ̣ε̣υ̣θ̣ερωθῆναι καὶ
ἐπανελθεῖν πρὸς [ὑ]μᾶς. λ̣οιπόν, δ̣έ̣σπο-
τα, ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ̣ ἄνθρωπε,
καταξίωσον ἐ̣[ν] μνήμαις̣ ἔχειν
20
ἡμᾶς. προσαγό̣ρ̣ευε παρʼ ἐμοῦ
πάντας τοὺς [σὺν] σοὶ κάμνοντας
ἀδελφούς. ὁ παντοκράτωρ
Θεὸ̣ς̣ διαφυλ̣άξῃ σε ἐπὶ
πολὺ̣ν χρό̣ν̣ο̣ν ἡμῖν
25
τοῖς ἁμ̣αρτ̣ω̣λ̣οῖς, ἵνα
δ̣ι̣ὰ̣ τ̣ῶ̣ν̣ σ̣ῶ̣ν̣ ἁ̣γ̣ι̣ο̣τ̣ά̣τ̣ω̣ν̣
(*)
ε̣ὐ̣χῶ̣ν̣ δι̣α̣σ̣ω̣σθῶμεν
(*)
διὰ το̣ῦ̣ βίο̣υ̣.
τῷ δεσπότῃ μου τιμιωτάτῳ καὶ εὐλαβ[εστάτῳ Ἄπα Ἰωάννῃ].
To my most honorable and most reverent lord, Abba John, Abraham, greetings in the Lord God.
As I also believe that it is intended for me and my household, I give thanks for your piety.
Thus, I know that your sacred presence is in my thoughts.
Therefore, I call upon your reverence through these my writings, that you may remember me and my household, who always offer prayers to the Lord our Savior.
For I trust that through your most holy prayers and this labor, we may be freed and return to you.
Therefore, O lord, truly man of God, grant that we may be remembered.
Call upon all my brothers who are with you.
May the Almighty God protect you for a long time with us, the sinners, so that through your most holy prayers we may be saved through life.
τῷ δεσπότῃ μου τιμιω̣[τ]ά̣τῳ καὶ εὐ̣λ̣αβ̣ε̣[σ]τάτῳ
Ἄπα Ἰωάννῃ Η̣[
̣ ̣ ̣
Ἀ]βραὰμ
ἐ[ν κ(υρί)ῳ] Θ(ε)ῷ χαίρειν.
ὡς̣ κ̣α̣ὶ̣ πιστεύω ὅτι μ[έλε]ται μου καὶ τοῦ οἴκου
μ̣ο̣υ̣ σ̣ο̣ι̣, εὐχα̣ρ̣[ιστῶ] τ̣ῇ σῇ θεοσεβείᾳ {σου}·
οὕτω κα̣ί σ̣ο̣υ τὸ ἱερὸν π̣ρ̣ό̣σ̣ω̣π̣ο̣ν̣
ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ μου γίγνωσκέ με ἔχειν.
προσαγορεύω σου τοιγαροῦν τὴν εὐλάβειάν
{σου} δ̣ι̣ὰ τούτων μου τ̣[ῶν γ]ραμμάτων, παρα̣-
κ̣α̣λῶν ὅπως μνημονεύῃς καὶ καμοῦ
τοῦ σε προσκυνοῦντος καὶ π̣αντὸς τοῦ οἴκου μου
ἐ̣ν̣ α̣ἷ̣ς̣ ἀναπέμπεις̣ [ἀεὶ] καὶ μεθʼ ἡμέραν
εὐχαῖς τῷ κυρίῳ σωτῆρι ἡμῶν.
πέποιθα γὰρ ὡς διὰ τῶ̣ν ἁγιοτάτων σου εὐχῶν καὶ το̣ῦ̣ κ̣[α]μάτου τούτου
ἐν ᾧ ἐσμὲ̣ν̣ ἐλ̣ε̣υ̣θ̣ερωθῆναι καὶ ἐπανελθεῖν πρὸς [ὑ]μᾶς.
λ̣οιπόν, δ̣έ̣σποτα, ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ̣ ἄνθρωπε,
καταξίωσον ἐ̣[ν] μνήμαις̣ ἔχειν ἡμᾶς.
προσαγό̣ρ̣ευε παρʼ ἐμοῦ πάντας τοὺς [σὺν] σοὶ κάμνοντας ἀδελφούς.
ὁ παντοκράτωρ Θεὸ̣ς̣ διαφυλ̣άξῃ σε ἐπὶ πολὺ̣ν χρό̣ν̣ο̣ν ἡμῖν τοῖς ἁμ̣αρτ̣ω̣λ̣οῖς,
ἵνα δ̣ι̣ὰ̣ τ̣ῶ̣ν̣ σ̣ῶ̣ν̣ ἁ̣γ̣ι̣ο̣τ̣ά̣τ̣ω̣ν̣ ε̣ὐ̣χῶ̣ν̣ δι̣α̣σ̣ω̣σθῶμεν διὰ το̣ῦ̣ βίο̣υ̣.
r.10. l. ἐμοῦ
r.12. l. καθʼ
r.13. corr. ex κωριω
r.13. l. σωτῆρι
r.14. l. ἁγιωτάτων
r.26. l. ἁγιωτάτων
r.27. l. διασωθῶμεν
To my most honored and most reverent master,
Apa John [from] Abraham,
greetings in the Lord God.
As indeed I believe that you care for me and my household,
I thank your piety.
Thus, know that I hold your holy person in my mind.
Therefore, I address your reverence through these letters of mine,
asking that you remember me also,
who reveres you, and my entire household,
in the prayers which you always offer daily
to the Lord our Savior.
For I trust that through your most holy prayers and this toil
in which we find ourselves, we may be freed and return to you.
Therefore, master, truly man of God,
deem us worthy to keep us in your remembrance.
Greet from me all the brethren who labor with you.
May Almighty God preserve you for a long time for us sinners,
so that through your most holy prayers we may be preserved throughout life.
Line 10: read "ἐμοῦ" (of me)
Line 12: read "καθʼ" (according to)
Line 13: corrected from "κωριω"
Line 13: read "σωτῆρι" (to the Savior)
Line 14: read "ἁγιωτάτων" (most holy)
Line 26: read "ἁγιωτάτων" (most holy)
Line 27: read "διασωθῶμεν" (we may be preserved)