τῷ τειμιωτάτῳ
ἀγαπητῷ Νεφερῷ
Παῦλος ἐν θ(ε)ῷ χαίρειν.
προηγουμένως εὔχομαι νυκτὸς
καὶ ἡμέρας καταξιοῦσθαι ὑπὸ τῆς σῆς
θεοσεβίας
καὶ κελεύεσθαι ἐν οἷς δὰν
βούλοιτο ἡ σὴ φιλανθρωπία ἐπὶ τῆς/
Ἀλεξανδρείας γινώσκων
κέρδος
εἶναί μοι ψυχῆς τὸ μνημονεύ-
εσθαι ἐν ταῖς σαῖς εὐχαῖς τῆς σῆς
εἰς θεὸν ἐλπίδος. ὅθεν παρακα-
λῶ, ἵ
να μου μνημονεύσῃς
ἐν ταῖς εὐχαῖς καὶ τῶν παιδίων
μου διὰ τὴν ξενιτίαν
ἡμῶν,
ἵ
να ἡμῖν ὁ θεὸς τὸ τέλος ἐν
τοῖς ἰδίοις χαρίσηται. κατηξίω-
σας δὲ κελεῦσαί μοι τὰ τρία δε[σ]μίδι/α
λαβόντα διοικῆσαι καὶ εἰς χρίαν
σου
ἔλαιον ἀποστεῖλαι. ἐπράθησαν οὖν
ἐκ μυριάδων δεκατεσσάρων .
ἠγοράσθη δὲ τὸ ἀγγῖον
τοῦ ἐλαίου
μυριάδων ἑξήκοντα . σὺν θεῷ
δὲ ἐάν μοι ἐνεχθῇ ἀποστέλλω
πάλιν· ἐγὼ γὰρ χάριν λαμβάνω,
ὅτε καταξιοῖς παρʼ ἐμοῦ δέξασθαι
ὁδήποτε. ἀξιῶ δέ, ἵ
να, εἰ ἀβαρές̣
ἐστιν, τὰς δεκαὲξ ἀρτάβας τοῦ σίτου
λαβὼν παρὰ Πα[π]νουτίου Ὡρίωνος
[ψωμ]ί̣α̣ ποιή[σῃς
σὺν θεῷ δέ, ἐὰν ψωμία γένηται, πέμψον ἡμῖν ψίαθον μεστήν. ἐρρῶσθα̣ί̣ [σε εὔχομαι,]
ἄνθρ\ω/πε [θεοῦ.]
τῷ δεσπότῃ μου ἀγαπητῳ Νεφερῷ
Παῦλος.
ἐάν τις τῶν πρόβατα ἐχόντων δέρματα προβάτων παρʼ ἡμῖν
δυνηθ[ῇ]
εὑρεῖν, τρια
ἢ τεσσαρα
χρίαν
ἔχω.
(No Latin text was extracted from the document.)
To the most esteemed,
beloved Nepherus,
Paul wishes you joy in God.
Previously, I pray that I may be deemed worthy by your
piety both night and day
and to be commanded in whatever
your philanthropy desires regarding
Alexandria, knowing
that it is a gain
for my soul to be remembered
in your prayers to God of hope. Therefore, I beseech
you to remember me
in your prayers and my children
due to our exile,
that God may grant us the end in
our own affairs. And having deemed me worthy,
you commanded me to take the three
items and to manage them and to send
oil for your need.
Therefore, it was purchased
from fourteen thousand.
And the vessel
of oil was bought
for sixty thousand. If God
allows it to be sent to me, I will send it
back again; for I receive grace
when you deem me worthy to accept
anything from me. I also ask,
if it is not burdensome,
to take the sixteen artabas of wheat
from Papnutius Horion
and make bread for us.
If, with God, bread is made, send us a full loaf. I pray for your health.
To my lord, beloved Nepherus,
Paul.
If anyone among those who have sheep can find
sheep skins with us,
I have need of three
or four.
τῷ τιμιωτάτῳ ἀγαπητῷ Νεφερῷ Παῦλος ἐν θ(ε)ῷ χαίρειν.
προηγουμένως εὔχομαι νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας καταξιοῦσθαι ὑπὸ τῆς σῆς θεοσεβείας καὶ κελεύεσθαι ἐν οἷς ἂν βούλοιτο ἡ σὴ φιλανθρωπία ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας, γινώσκων κέρδος εἶναί μοι ψυχῆς τὸ μνημονεύεσθαι ἐν ταῖς σαῖς εὐχαῖς τῆς σῆς εἰς θεὸν ἐλπίδος.
ὅθεν παρακαλῶ, ἵνα μου μνημονεύσῃς ἐν ταῖς εὐχαῖς καὶ τῶν παιδίων μου διὰ τὴν ξενιτείαν ἡμῶν, ἵνα ἡμῖν ὁ θεὸς τὸ τέλος ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις χαρίσηται.
κατηξίωσας δὲ κελεῦσαί μοι τὰ τρία δεσμίδια λαβόντα διοικῆσαι καὶ εἰς χρείαν σου ἔλαιον ἀποστεῖλαι. ἐπράθησαν οὖν ἐκ μυριάδων δεκατεσσάρων. ἠγοράσθη δὲ τὸ ἀγγεῖον τοῦ ἐλαίου μυριάδων ἑξήκοντα. σὺν θεῷ δὲ ἐάν μοι ἐνεχθῇ ἀποστέλλω πάλιν· ἐγὼ γὰρ χάριν λαμβάνω, ὅτε καταξιοῖς παρʼ ἐμοῦ δέξασθαι ὁπότε.
ἀξιῶ δέ, ἵνα, εἰ ἀβαρές ἐστιν, τὰς δεκαὲξ ἀρτάβας τοῦ σίτου λαβὼν παρὰ Παπνουτίου Ὡρίωνος ψωμία ποιήσῃς...
σὺν θεῷ δέ, ἐὰν ψωμία γένηται, πέμψον ἡμῖν ψίαθον μεστήν. ἐρρῶσθαί σε εὔχομαι, ἄνθρωπε θεοῦ.
(Verso)
τῷ δεσπότῃ μου ἀγαπητῷ Νεφερῷ Παῦλος.
ἐάν τις τῶν πρόβατα ἐχόντων δέρματα προβάτων παρʼ ἡμῖν δυνηθῇ εὑρεῖν, τριῶν ἢ τεσσάρων χρείαν ἔχω.
To the most honored and beloved Nepheros, Paul greets you in God.
First of all, I pray night and day to be deemed worthy by your piety and to be commanded in whatever your kindness wishes in Alexandria, knowing that it is a gain for my soul to be remembered in your prayers because of your hope in God.
Therefore, I ask you to remember me and my children in your prayers because of our exile, so that God may grant us the end among our own people.
You have honored me by commanding me to take the three bundles, manage them, and send oil for your use. They were sold for fourteen myriads. The vessel of oil was bought for sixty myriads. With God's help, if it is brought to me, I will send it again; for I am grateful whenever you deem it worthy to receive anything from me.
I request, if it is not burdensome, that you take the sixteen artabas of wheat from Papnoutios, son of Horion, and make loaves...
With God's help, if bread is made, send us a full basket. I pray for your good health, man of God.
(Verso)
To my beloved master Nepheros, Paul.
If anyone among those who have sheep can find sheep skins with us, I have need of three or four.