τῷ τιμιωτάτῳ ἀδελφῷ καὶ θε[ο]φιλ̣[ε]ῖ̣. Δωρόθεος ὁ Ὀξ̣[υ]ρ̣υ̣γ̣χεί-της ὁ ἄχριος δοῦλος προσαγορεύ-ει σε ἐν πν(εύματ)ι καὶ ἐν ἀγάπῃ Χ(ριστο)ῦ.
πρὸ μὲν πάντων παρακαλῶ τὸ(ν) θ(εὸ)ν καὶ π(ατέ)ρα τοῦ σωτῆρος Ἰη(σο)ῦ Χ(ριστο)ῦ ὅπως καταξιώσῃ με τοῦ εὑρεῖ(ν) χάριν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ δέξα-σθέ τὰ παρʼ ἐμοῦ γράμματα·
⟦ο̣⟧ ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ κἀγὼ μέλλω εὐθυ-μῖσθαι ὅταν ὁ ἀγαθὸς δοῦλος δι-ὰ γραμμάτω[ν] με προσδέξητα̣[ι] καὶ τὰς ὑ(*) πὲ̣ρ̣ ἐ̣[μ]οῦ εὐχὰς ἀναφέρει προθύμως π̣ρ̣ὸς τὸν δεσπότην ἐν ἰ(*) λικρινε̣ῖ̣ διανοίᾳ. πιστεύω γὰρ [ὅ]τ̣ι̣
ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν εὐκλ[ε]εστάτην [σ]ου π̣[ο]λ̣ιτίαν καὶ σε̣[μ]ν̣οτάτην, διότι τὴν τοῦ κ(όσ)μ(ο)υ ἀλαζονια ἀπεκήρυ[ξ]ας καὶ τὴν τῶ[ν] κενοδόξω(ν) μεγαλαυχίαν ἐβδέλ̣υξας. καὶ ἡμεῖς οὖν ἐπενοῦμεν μᾶλλο(ν) ἐπὶ τῇ ἀκοῇ ὅτι φρονίμως ἔδι-ξας τὸ γεννεότατον ἆθλον, ἐπιθυμοῦμεν δὲ μειμεῖσθαι ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ πολειτείᾳ τῇ σου φιλοκἀγαθείᾳ, ὅτι ὡς ἱκα-νο͂ς τάχα σοι ὁ θ(εὸ)ς ἐχάρισεν τὸν κα̣τ̣ὰ τὸν καιρὸν εὑρεῖ(ν) ἀντί̣π̣α̣λον καὶ θε̣ρ̣απευτι-κὸν ἀ̣π̣ο̣φ̣α̣στικόν, τὸν και-ρ̣[ὸ]ν̣ γ̣ὰ̣ρ̣ ἐ̣ξ̣α̣γ̣ο̣ρ̣ά̣ζ[ο]ν̣τες, κη-ρ̣ύττει ὁ̣ τρισμακά̣ρ̣ι̣ο̣ς ἀπόστολ[ο]ς, ὅτι αἱ ἡμ̣έ̣ραι πονηραί εἰσιν.
ἐπίστ̣[ε]υω̣ν δὲ καὶ τὸν χαρα-κτῆρά σου θεάσασθαι ἐὰν ἐπὶ-τ̣ρέπε̣ι̣ ὁ κ(ύριο)ς, ἐπ̣ί (*) ἐ̣φ̣όδ̣ιοί ἐσμε(ν), αἰ̣δοῦμ[α]ι δὲ ἐλθεῖν̣ μή ποτε ἡ̣μ̣ᾶ̣ς̣ καὶ ἐντράπωμε(ν).
[πάνυ(?)] ο̣ὖν ἐπιστεύσαμεν ὅτι εἰ θέ-[λημα θ](εο)ῦ̣ ἐστὶν τοῦ ἡμᾶς σοι ἀπαντᾶ(ν) [ἀγγελ]ε̣ῖ̣ς πρῶτον διὰ τοῦ φέρον-[τός σοι] τ̣ὸ ἐπιστόλιον. δὸς οὖν [αὐτῷ τὴ]ν ἀγγελίαν ὅ τι βουλεις ἢ οὐ [βούλει] ἀ̣νέλθωμεν, μὴ ὥστε π̣[ο]ι-[ε̣ν̣ ἴ(*) διοι πληρῶ[μ]ε̣(ν) [ω̣ν̣ τὴν περὶ σοῦ ἀγάπ[η(ν)] [πε(?)]ρ̣ὶ σέ̣, τιμώτατε ἐν πν[(εύματ)ι], [καὶ τοὺς σὺ]ν̣ σ̣ο̣[ὶ] ἀδελφοὺς̣
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To the most honorable brother and beloved of God. Dorotheus the Oxyrhynchite, the unworthy servant, greets you in the spirit and in the love of Christ.
First of all, I beseech the God and Father of our Savior Jesus Christ that He may deem me worthy to find grace in His sight, that you may receive the letters from me.
For in this I also intend to rejoice when the good servant receives me through letters and willingly brings my prayers before the Lord with sincere mind. For I believe that...
But because of your most glorious and most honorable polity, since you have denounced the arrogance of the world and have abhorred the boastfulness of the empty-glorious. And we therefore praise you more for the fact that you have wisely shown the most noble prize, and we desire to imitate you in the same polity of yours, in your love of goodness, since as it seems, God has graciously given you the opportunity to find a suitable and therapeutic solution, for the days are evil.
I also believe that I may see your character if the Lord permits, we are on the way, but I am ashamed to come lest we may be turned away.
Therefore, we have believed that if it is the will of God for us to meet you, let the first message be sent through the one who brings you the letter. Therefore, give him the message of whatever you wish or do not wish for us to ascend, so that we may not be filled with the love concerning you, most honorable in spirit, and those with you, brothers.
τῷ τιμιωτάτῳ ἀδελφῷ καὶ θεοφιλεῖ. Δωρόθεος ὁ Ὀξυρυγχείτης ὁ ἄχρειος δοῦλος προσαγορεύει σε ἐν πν(εύματ)ι καὶ ἐν ἀγάπῃ Χ(ριστο)ῦ. πρὸ μὲν πάντων παρακαλῶ τὸ(ν) θ(εὸ)ν καὶ π(ατέ)ρα τοῦ σωτῆρος Ἰη(σο)ῦ Χ(ριστο)ῦ ὅπως καταξιώσῃ με τοῦ εὑρεῖν χάριν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ δέξασθαί σε τὰ παρʼ ἐμοῦ γράμματα· ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ καὶ ἐγὼ μέλλω εὐθυμεῖσθαι ὅταν ὁ ἀγαθὸς δοῦλος διὰ γραμμάτων με προσδέξηται καὶ τὰς ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ εὐχὰς ἀναφέρει προθύμως πρὸς τὸν δεσπότην ἐν εἰλικρινεῖ διανοίᾳ.
ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν εὐκλεεστάτην σου πολιτείαν καὶ σεμνοτάτην, διότι τὴν τοῦ κόσμου ἀλαζονείαν ἀπεκήρυξας καὶ τὴν τῶν κενοδόξων μεγαλαυχίαν ἐβδέλυξας. καὶ ἡμεῖς οὖν ἐπαινοῦμεν μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῇ ἀκοῇ ὅτι φρονίμως ἔδειξας τὸ γενναιότατον ἆθλον, ἐπιθυμοῦμεν δὲ μιμεῖσθαι ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ πολιτείᾳ τῇ σου φιλοκαγαθίᾳ, ὅτι ὡς ἱκανῶς τάχα σοι ὁ θ(εὸ)ς ἐχάρισεν τὸν κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν εὑρεῖν ἀντίπαλον καὶ θεραπευτικὸν ἀποφατικόν, τὸν καιρὸν γὰρ ἐξαγοραζόντες, κηρύττει ὁ τρισμακάριος ἀπόστολος, ὅτι αἱ ἡμέραι πονηραί εἰσιν. ἐπίστευον δὲ καὶ τὸν χαρακτῆρά σου θεάσασθαι ἐὰν ἐπείτρεπει ὁ κ(ύριο)ς, ἐπὶ ἐφόδιοί ἐσμεν, αἰδοῦμαι δὲ ἐλθεῖν μή ποτε ἡμᾶς καὶ ἐντράπωμεν. πάνυ οὖν ἐπιστεύσαμεν ὅτι εἰ θέλημα θ(εο)ῦ ἐστὶν τοῦ ἡμᾶς σοι ἀπαντᾶν ἀγγελεῖς πρῶτον διὰ τοῦ φέροντός σοι τὸ ἐπιστόλιον. δὸς οὖν αὐτῷ τὴν ἀγγελίαν ὅ τι βούλει ἢ οὐ βούλει ἀνέλθωμεν, μὴ ὥστε ποιοῦντες ἴδιοι πληρῶμεν τὴν περὶ σοῦ ἀγάπην περὶ σέ, τιμώτατε ἐν πν(εύματ)ι, καὶ τοὺς σὺν σοὶ ἀδελφούς.
To the most honored brother and beloved of God: Dorotheos, the Oxyrhynchite, the unworthy servant, greets you in spirit and in the love of Christ. Before all things, I beseech God and the Father of our Savior Jesus Christ that He may deem me worthy to find grace before Him, and that you may accept the letters from me. For in this I myself will also rejoice, when the good servant receives me through letters and eagerly offers prayers on my behalf to the Master with sincere intention.
But because of your most glorious and honorable way of life, since you have renounced the arrogance of the world and detested the boasting of the vain, we therefore praise you even more upon hearing that you have wisely demonstrated the noblest contest. We desire to imitate your virtuous way of life, since God has perhaps graciously granted you sufficiently to find at the right time an opponent and a healing refutation. For redeeming the time, the thrice-blessed apostle proclaims, because the days are evil. I was hoping also to behold your character, if the Lord permits, as we are ready for the journey; yet I hesitate to come lest perhaps we embarrass ourselves. Therefore, we fully trusted that if it is God's will for us to meet you, you will first inform us through the one who brings you this letter. Therefore, give him the message whether you wish or do not wish us to come up, lest we act on our own and fulfill our love concerning you, most honored one in spirit, and the brothers who are with you.