Letter from the monk Apa Joseph to Apa Phoibamon about fieldwork and pay TM 942786Bawit (Hermopolites, Ägypten)VII - VIII

[recto] Before everything and in all matters, I greet the glory of your honoured fatherhood, which is sweet through God, and with tears I greet everyone who is under your authority. Greetings. I inform your fatherhood that you wrote to me about Psah Kyros. I rejoiced greatly when I received the letter of your fatherhood. Now then, God has had mercy on us, the matter has turned out well, and it has gone well again; the village wanted it. Now then, look, I am sowing the fields; I am sowing them. Do the kindness, do not lose heart, and sit and turn away from the single place (?). And Psah of the village, send him after me quickly. He has held me to the customary arrangement of his pay and that of the year. And if they have not given a shatila (?) to him for his pay, then send the shatila (?) and do not leave it, since there is no hand for the work (?). Shut in the mouth of my share (?). You said, 'Do not open any door.' Look, I have had need for the rest of the field; I have opened my face (?). And again I say: if you go to the village, meet and see the matter that is good, give it. † Farewell in the Lord, my honoured father. [verso] Deliver to my beloved, honoured father Apa Phoibamon, amen, from Apa Joseph the monk.