Hope In Troubles

Ὅτε ἐπέλιπε τὰ ἀναγκαῖα ἐν τῇ Σαμαρίᾳ, Βασιλεύοντος Ἰωρὰμ τοῦ υἱοῦ Ἀχαὰβ, δια τὸ ἐπιστρατεῦσαι τὸν Βασιλέα τῶν Ἀσσυρίων, καὶ ἐπράθη κεφαλὴ ὄνου πεντήκοντα σίκλων, καὶ τέταρτον κάβου κόπρου θανάτου οἰκτίστου, τοααύτη παρ' ἐλπίδας γέγονεν εὐθυνία, ὡς μέτρον σεμιδάλεως πραθῆναι σίκλου, καὶ διάμετρον κριθῆς ὁμοίως σίκλου· Κύριος γὰρ διασκεδάζει βουλὰς ἐθνῶν, καὶ ἀρχόντων· ἡ δὲ βουλὴ τοῠ Κυρίου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα μένει. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀθυμήσωμεν, ἀλλὰ προσδοκήσωμεν ἐξ ἐνδείας εὐπορίαν, καὶ ἐκ θλίψεως ἄνεσιν. Ἅγιος Νειλος, Βιβλιον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολὴ Ζ' Μαρκελλινῳ Μονακῳ Source: Migne PG 79.85b

When under pressure of necessity in the reign of Joram the son of Ahab, the king of the Assyrians bringing war upon him, the head of an ass sold for fifty shekels and a quarter of a kab of dove's dung for five shekels of silver, with the terrifying fear of death hanging over all, so that there was no hope of abundance, yet then it came to be that a measure of grain cost a shekel, and two measures of barley a shekel, 1 'For the Lord scatters the counsels of the Gentiles and of princes, and the will of the Lord remains in eternity.' 2 Let not then the soul despond, but hope for abundance from poverty and rest from tribulation. Saint Nilus of Sinai, Book 1, Letter 7, to Marcellinus the Monk 1 4 Kings 6.24 -7.20 2 Ps 32.10