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Repentance of Nineveh
St Ephrem the Syrian, tr. Burgess, 1853
11. Part the Eleventh
The penitents, while thus conversing,
Said these things concerning the Hebrews;
And, although they greatly desired
To ascend higher, and look upon the land,
They now entirely abhorred it,
They trembled and fled from it.
Mortal pangs seized them,
For the crimes they witnessed there.
The sins they had approved, but now repented of,
The Hebrews had clothed themselves with;
The idolatry which the heathen had cast off,
This abominable nation had taken up.
Each man said to his neighbour,—
“Come let us escape from this place,
Lest we be swallowed up with its evil deeds,
For this is a rebellious people.
In Nineveh we may have good confidence,
But here there is great peril.
Perhaps this people is about to be extirpated
In place of Nineveh which has not been overthrown;
But in truth it is already
A nation plucked up by the roots;
For these are not the once fair people,
Since they have arrayed themselves in our abominations.
As to this blessed prophet,
His memorial shall be great among us;
For he was the cause of our salvation,
And obtained for us all this benefit.”
Having said this where they stood,
They turned and descended with fear;
Those happy men departed thence,
And returned home rejoicing.
Then they all sang distinctly,
While sincerely rejoicing,
This song of praise to God,
Who was reproving his people by the heathen,
Who were justified from their sins.—
“Let thankful voices ascend to Him,
From the impure who have repented and been cleansed;
Let us present to Him pure fruits,
From minds which are enlightened;
Let the wrathful and the rash
Offer to Him a new song,
And praise Him with the intellect;
Let even the licentious ones render thanksgiving,
And praise Him because they are made chaste.
Let the covetous praise Him,
Because He hath taught them to give alms;
Let the profligate praise Him,
Because they have been instructed how to fast.
Let the drunken praise Him,
Because they have learned to drink in moderation;
Let the rapacious praise Him,
Because they have now become givers;
Let the adulterers praise Him,
Because their consort suffices them;
Let the whoremongers greatly praise Him,
Because they are freed from their lust.
“Let the daring of our country praise Him,
Because they observe the limits of righteous persons;
Let the prodigals praise Him,
Because they have gained judgment and intellect;
Let the profane cursers praise Him,
Because their mouth has learned to bless;
Let the orphan praise Him,
Because He has become his patron;
Let the widow bow down before Him,
Because He hath heard her oppression in His kindness;
Let the beggar praise Him,
For He hath filled his basket with blessings.
Let the husbandman also praise Him,
Because He hath again bound his yoke,
And filled him with abundance.
Let the ploughman praise Him,
And the vine-dresser offer Him a song;
Let the artificers praise Him,
Who work in their various trades.
“Let our kings praise Him,
As they see their cities in peace,
And their crowns are again in quiet;
And let the armies praise Him,
Which have been delivered from destruction;
Let the rulers praise Him,
Who have returned again to their offices.
Let the rich praise Him,
Who can again look upon their treasures;
Let the fathers praise Him,
Who have enlarged their hope of their children;
Let the sons also praise Him,
For the sight of their parents.
Let the innocent children praise Him,
Because their life is prolonged;
Let the little ones praise Him,
Because they are carried on the shoulders.
Let the pregnant women there praise Him,
That the fruit of the womb hath not perished;
Let the brides praise Him,
Who are introduced joyfully to their chambers;
Let the new made mothers praise Him,
For they are blessed with their sucklings;
Yea, let the nurse praise Him
For the blest babe upon her bosom;
Let the virgins praise Him,
That they have been preserved from ruin.
“Let the judges greatly bless Him,
Because they are not judged according to their own sentences;
Let the exactors bless the Good,
Because it has not been required of them according to their extortions;
Let the usurers sing praises,
Because their debts have not been demanded;
Let the creditors bless Him,
That the bills of their debts are torn up.
Let robbers render praise,
That they have not reaped as they sowed;
Let the rapacious give thanks,
That they have suddenly become benefactors.
Let the offender and the offended
Greatly praise God;
Let them praise together in harmony,
That they have been equally benefited;
The offender that he has not been blamed,
And the offended that he has been preserved.
Let them give thanks in strong towers,
Because their dwellings tottered;
Let them multiply praise in castles,
Because they were delivered from destruction.
Let their maid-servants and their men-servants,
Give many thanks and utter praise;
For their bondage is far better
Than freedom in the sepulchre.
Let the mother rejoice and be comforted,
For she can look again on her beloved one.
Let all stations of every kind,
Offer praise with great joy;
Because they are delivered from perdition,
And become new born!”