It is said [that] when I, Ahiqar, was in the days of the king of Nineveh Sennacherib: When I was steward, scribe and young, the soothsayers, magicians and wise men said to me that I would not have a son. After I had great wealth, it was promised to me a great estate, and I became married

to sixty women and I built for them sixty large, marvelous palaces and great houses. I was sixty years old, but no child was born to me. However, I, Ahiqar, went and offered sacrifices and offerings to the gods and I burned frankincense and incense and I said to them: "O gods, give me one son to enjoy until I die, and he will inherit me, close my eyes, and bury me. And from the day of my death to his day of death, even if he takes and spends a golden coin from my wealth every day, it will not end, my wealth will not decrease." The idols did not answer him at all. However, he left them and suffered and became very sad, but he turned from his words. He prayed to God and believed and prayed to Jesus [and] gave him his heart and said: "O God of heaven and earth

and creator of all creation. I beg you to give me a son so that I may be comforted by him, and that he may be present when I die to close my eyes and bury me.” [Then] a voice came, saying to him: “Because you have trusted in the gods, and placed your hope in them and offered them sacrifices, because of that you will die without sons and daughters. However, I say to you, take Nadan, your sister's son, and teach him all your wisdom and he shall inherit you." Then I took my sister’s son Nadan and raised him and guided him and gave him to eight wet-nurses to feed him. They fattened him with oil and honey, and they clothed him with scarlet and purple and let him sleep on soft rugs and carpets. And my sister's son Nadan grew and became like a praised cedar. And I taught him writing, wisdom

and philosophy. And when King Sennacherib returned from his pleasure and from his journey, one day he called me, Ahiqar, his preserver and chiliarch, and said to me: “O my beloved, praiseworthy, cherished, honorable, wise and skilled scribe of my secrets, you are trusted with my affairs. As you have grown old and your death draws near, appoint who will serve me after your death and burial.” And I said to him: “O my lord, king, live forever! I have a sister’s son and he is like my own son. Behold, I have taught him all my teaching and he is wise and clever." And my lord commanded: "Go and bring him that I may see him. If he is able to serve me and stand before me, you may go your way, and he will let you rest from work and guide your old age in honor and glory.” Then I, Ahiqar,

took my sister’s son Nadan and brought him before the king and presented him with help. And when the king saw him, he was glad, rejoiced greatly and said: “May the gods guard him, your son. As you have served me and served my father Esarhaddon and stood with us in all matters to the end, so shall Nadan, son of your sister, serve me and handle my affairs, and I will honor him and make him great for your sake and care for him.” Then I bowed to the king and said: "O my lord, king, live forever! I ask you, O my lord the king, to be patient with him and help him, and he shall be in your palace, as I have served you and your father." Then he gave him his right hand and swore an oath to honor and praise him. I was moved and wondered how the king would do this. And I taught my son Nadan

and I spent the night with him, giving him my teaching. And he was filled with doctrine and wisdom until he remained a scribe like me. This was what I taught and said to him: Wisdom, teaching, and sayings of Ahiqar, which he taught to his sister's son Nadan. ‘O my son, hear my words and pay attention to my speech. Remember my teachings as the Lord said [them]. ’ ‘O my son, Nadan, when you have heard my words, put them in your heart, and do not reveal them except to yourself, lest they become a coal of fire and burn your tongue, bringing pain to your body and shame before God and the people.’ ‘O my son, when you hear a word, do not reveal it to anyone. When you see [something], say nothing [about it]. ’ ‘My son, do not loosen a sealed secret, and do not seal one that is loosened. ’ ‘My son, make your way and your speech straight, ’

‘and obey and give no answer. ’ ‘O my son, do not desire outward beauty, for beauty fades and passes away, while a good memory and a good name endure forever. ’ ‘My son, do not take a wife who quarrels with her words, for from words comes bitterness, and the poison of death is hidden in her net, and in her trap you will be caught. ’ ‘My son, if you see a woman adorned in robes, made up with perfumed oil, but by nature foolish, quarrelsome, and shameless, do not desire her in your heart. If you give her all your goods, you will gain no honor; rather, you provoke God to anger and stir him against you. ’ ‘My son, do not be hasty in answering and bold in replying and speaking, like the almond tree, which sprouts before all trees and ’

‘whose fruit is eaten at the very latest; rather, be sweet, honest, serene, and like a fig tree, for at the last it inclines its branches, grows green, and produces its leaves, but its fruit is eaten before all (other trees). ’ ‘My son, lower your head, keep your gaze down; soften your voice and be chaste, humble, silent, and calm; do not be bold and quarrelsome. Do not lift up your voice in pride and quarrel, for if a house were built by raising a mighty voice, the donkey would build two in one day, and if the plough were guided by strength alone, the camel would guide it far more. ’ ‘My son, pour out your wine and mix [it] on the graves of the righteous. ’ ‘My son, be wise and good, and do not drink your wine with quarrelsome women. ’ ‘My son, join wise and God-fearing men, that you may become like them, ’

‘but do not join young people, lest you become like them and learn their ways. ’ ‘My son, if you love a friend, test him first and then join him; and if you have not tested a person, do not praise him. If you have not tested a person, do not praise him, but test him and then take him. ’ ‘My son, with one who is not wise, do not walk and do not speak to him. Do not attend a gathering of young men. ’ ‘My son, even if you must walk barefoot on thorns and thistles, make a path for your children and your children's children.’ ‘My son, as often as the breeze blows and the sea is clear of waves, steer your ship and boat to the harbour, before the sea moves and becomes restless and the waves increase and cause the ship to sink; then you will be calm on your way and journey. As often as you are well, remember your end and be mindful of the death [that] lies between you ’

‘and yours. ’ ‘My son, if the rich man eats snakes, it is said: “He eats [them] for his health; it is good for him”; but if the poor man eats them, they say: “He eats them because of his hunger”; for the one found with rich ornaments is called good and righteous. ’ ‘My son, eat your portion and do not covet what belongs to your friend.’ ‘My son, do not become the neighbor of a fool, and with one who is not modest, do not share a secret. ’ ‘My son, meet your enemies with kindness, be sympathetic to their sufferings and grieve over what befalls them; do not rejoice at the time of their fall. ’ ‘My son, do not draw near to a quarrelsome and loud-talking woman; do not desire the beauty of a licentious and unclean woman, for a woman's beauty is her shame and it is only through the adornment of her clothes and outward appearance [lit.: beauty] ’

‘that she captivates you and leads you astray. ’ ‘My son, like earrings in the ears of a wild ass, which are of no benefit, so is the eye-catching woman; she brings no benefit. So is the woman who is evil in her words and actions, without understanding and licentious, who talks at length. ’ ‘My son, if your enemy meets you with evil, meet him with good and receive him. ’ ‘My son, the wise man may fall, but the righteous man is not pushed from his place. ’ ‘My son, when a wise man falls ill, the physician is able to heal him and make him well; but there is no cure for the pains and wounds of a fool. ’ ‘My son, take in the one who is inferior to you and has less than you; and if he goes away without rewarding you, God will reward you. ’ ‘My son, do not refrain from chastising your son. The chastening of a son is like ’

‘manure in the garden and like the knot of a bag, like the halter to an animal and like the bar to a door. ’ ‘My son, restrain your son from evil, that you may obtain rest in your old age. Educate and beat him while he is a child; make him listen to your commandments, so that he does not soon grow up, rebel against you, and bring you low among your friends, and make your head bow down in the streets and markets, and you become ashamed of the evil of his actions, and you are despised for his vile baseness. ’ ‘My son, acquire a strong bull and a donkey with good hoofs, and do not buy a horned bull; and do not join yourself to a bearded man. ’ ‘My son, do not buy a violent slave or a thieving maid, for everything that comes into their hands they destroy. ’ ‘My son, the words of lying and foolish men ’

‘are like fat sparrows that fly in the air; whoever has no understanding listens to them. ’ ‘My son, do not afflict your parents, lest they curse you and God be angry with them, for it has been said: He who curses his father and mother is put to death; this is a sin that angers God. But he who honors his father and mother will have a long life on earth, and much good will come to him. ’ ‘My son, do not go on the way without a sword, and do not cease remembering God in your heart, for you do not know where evil enemies will meet you, i.e., satans, evil men; be prepared on the way, for the enemies are many. ’ ‘My son, as a tree is adorned with its fruit, leaves, and branches, so is a man with a good wife ’

‘and children and sisters; the man who has neither wife nor children nor brothers in the world, and who is scorned and hated by his enemies, is like a tree by the roadside: everyone who passes by steps on it and eats its fruit, and the beast of the field shakes it and makes its leaves fall. ’ ‘My son, do not say, “My lord is a fool and I am a wise man,” but it is fitting that he be counted by you as excellent, even if he has a fault. Favor will be shown to you by him. Do not count yourself among the number of the wise if you do not appear among men in this way. ’ ‘My son, do not make long, foolish, and stupid speeches before your lord, lest you appear as a mockery in his eyes. ’ ‘My son, do not be among those to whom their lord says, "Get out before me," but rather among those ’

‘to whom it is said: Draw near and come to me. ’ ‘My son, on the day of your mourning, misfortune, and hardship, do not withdraw and do not curse the Lord, lest he hear your words and rebuke you. ’ ‘My son, when your servants stand before you, do not love one and hate the other, for you do not know which of them you will choose at the end. ’ ‘My son, a slave who leaves his lord’s house and goes to others will not prosper in his deeds. ’ ‘My son, a goat that wanders and multiplies her steps will be prey for the wolf. ’ ‘My son, pronounce a right and good judgment, so that you will attain and see an honorable old age and be at rest in it. ’ ‘My son, make your tongue sweet with the words of God and make good the words of your mouth and speak to the people in goodness and kindness, for the tail of the dog ’

‘gave him bread, and his mouth brought him blows and stones.’ ‘My son, do not let your friend tread on your foot, lest he tread on your breast; that is, do not let the enemy, Satan, lead you into a small sin, lest you commit a great one. ’ ‘My son, strike a wise man with a word and it will be like a fever in his heart; if you strike a fool with many sticks, he will not understand what is better. ’ ‘My son, if you send a wise man to do your work, do not multiply hints and exhortations, for he will do the task as your heart desires; but if you send a foolish man, do not speak to him in front of people; go yourself and do not send him, because ’

‘he will not do your task according to your wish, even if you give him much advice. ’ ‘My son, if they ask you for another [person] besides you, do not be foolish before a noble man, so that he does not oppose you with evil from where you do not know. ’ ‘My son, test your son and your servant with bread, with something small at first, and then entrust to him what belongs to you and your possessions. ’ ‘My son, withdraw first from the feast and meal, and do not linger so that your hair is not anointed with oil and ointment, so that you do not get bruises and spots on your head. ’ ‘My son, the one whose hand is full is called wise and venerable, and he whose hand is empty is called evil, wretched, needy, and poor, and no man honors him. ’ ‘My son, I have eaten bitterness and swallowed aloe, yet I have seen nothing more bitter than poverty and need. ’ ‘My son, I have carried iron ’

‘and lead, but I have seen nothing heavier than shame and slander. ’ ‘My son, I have carried salt and large stones, and they were not as heavy to me as one who mocks and jokes while in his father-in-law's house, and others like him. ’ ‘My son, teach your son hunger and thirst, so that he may manage his household. ’ ‘My son, do not teach a fool words of wisdom and knowledge, for my words are to him as if one had covered his body with pitch to make himself fat. ’ ‘My son, if you are needy and impoverished, do not reveal your situation to a friend, so that he does not consider you a miser. ’ ‘My son, the blindness of the eye is better than the blindness of the heart, for the blindness of the eye leads to the way of life, but the blindness of the heart goes on a difficult way. ’ ‘My son, ’

‘better is a slip with the foot than a slip of the tongue; for if he dies by a slip of the foot, he is spared the arrows of trials, but if he slips with his tongue, he falls into trials. ’ ‘My son, a close friend is better than a distant friend, and a good name is more valuable than the wealth of the world, for wealth will end and be scattered, while a good name endures forever. ’ ‘My son, beauty is lost, becomes null and void, and the world comes to an end, perishes, and fades away; but a good name does not fade away, does not end, and does not become void. ’ ‘My son, for the man who has no rest in his life, death is better than life. ’ ‘My son, better is the voice of weeping and lamentation than that of joy and wedding, for the voice and hearing ’

‘of weeping teach a man about his sin and make it void. ’ ‘My son, the piece of bread you give to the poor with your hand in your poverty is better than a talent you give in your wealth. And a goat that is near is better than a bull that is far off, and a bird that you hold in your hand is better than a hundred that fly in the air. If you are poor and your children are gathered with you, it is better than to have great riches by which your children would be scattered. A living fox is better than a dead lion; that is, a weak man who shows mercy is better than a miserly and evil rich man who dies in sin. ’ ‘My son, better is a talent of wool than ’

‘a basin of gold and silver, for gold and silver are hidden, carried in boxes, and not seen by any stranger. But wool is taken out and sold in the markets and streets; it is also used for clothing and is seen as beautiful. ’ ‘My son, hide and cover the word in your heart and do not reveal a secret to your friend; but if you do, you will have removed his friendship from you. ’ ‘My son, do not bring out a word from your mouth that may cause you heartache afterward; it is better for you to stumble with your foot than with your tongue.’ ‘My son, when you hear a word from the ruler, cover it and hide it in your heart as long as you live’

‘in this world; whenever you think about it in your heart, bury it within yourself.’ ‘My son, do not set yourself in judgment against those who are distinguished and in authority, for from mockery and words of contempt arise anger and strife. And a wrathful word sustains and stirs up anger, and from that anger comes strife, and from strife comes manslaughter. And if you stand there, either you will be put to death, or they will testify against you, and demand testimony from you; afterward there will be repentance, or you will be ashamed or afraid ’

‘and you will bear false witness out of shame. However, I command you: flee and run away from there, and if there is strife, then you will have rest.’ ‘O my beloved son, do not contend with one who is stronger than you in his time and age, lest a word be brought against you in judgment and you be defeated in the trial. Do not be bold and idle in strife; overcome evil by means of good. ’ ‘My son, acquire an innocent and pure heart, a clear and humble mind, and a humble spirit. Choose a good path, for there is nothing better than it in the world, and you will have a delightful life. ’

‘O my son, do not stray from your first friend, lest another not take his place. ’ ‘My son, do not go down to the garden of the judges and do not dishonor the house of the judges, and do not marry a daughter of the judges.’ ‘My son, help your friend with good words before the ruler, and speak to save him from the lion's mouth.’ ‘My son, do not rejoice over your friend when he dies.’ ‘My son, when a man would stand without ground, when a bird without wings would fly, when the raven becomes white as snow, and the bitter sweet as honey—then the fool will become wise.’ ‘My son, if you are a priest of God, be very cautious of him and enter before him in purity. ’ ‘My son, a man whom God has treated well should also be honored by you. ’ ‘My son, do not judge a man in his day and do not ’

‘stand against a river in its course. in its course.’ ‘My son, the eye of man is like a spring, and it is not filled until it is filled with dust.’ ‘My son, do not stand among quarrelsome [people], for from mockery come words of quarrel, strife, and murder.’ So, Ahiqar stopped his words of wisdom that he was teaching Nadan. When Ahiqar showed the king everything that Nadan was doing with his properties and wealth. Then I, Ahiqar, had taught this doctrine to Nadan, my sister's son, thinking that he would keep all this doctrine in his heart and that he would stand at the king's gate, and I did not know that he did not listen to my words, but threw them to the wind. And he said this: "Ahiqar, my father, has grown old and has lost his mind.” And Nadan, my son,

took my property and dissipated my wealth, and did not spare my industrious servants, but struck them before me; he slew my beasts of burden and my mules. When I saw what he was doing, I said to him: “My son, do not touch my property.” It is said in the Proverbs: “What the hand has not acquired, the eye has not respected.” And I made these [things] known to my lord the king, and the king commanded: "Let no one approach the property of Ahiqar the scribe while he is alive—no one shall approach his wealth and his house." When Ahiqar took Nabuzardan, Nadan’s brother, to raise him up. Then, when Nadan saw that I had taken his little brother and raised him, behold, he brought him before me in my house and did evil to him. He envied him and put evil thoughts in his mind, for he said: “Ahiqar, my father,

has grown old, and his wisdom is gone, and his words have become contemptible. Will he not give his property to my brother and put me out of his house?” And Ahiqar heard the words of Nadan, and reflected; Ahiqar replied to Nadan, and said to him: “Woe to my wisdom, my son! How tasteless it has become in you!" When my son heard this, he was very angry, and in his heart he prepared evil against me, and he went to the king's gate to carry out the evil that was in his heart: he wrote an evil letter for Ahiqar, or rather in his name, and he came to the king's gate to show them. And [he wrote] two letters in my name to the enemy kings of King Sennacherib, one (addressed) to the king of Persia and Elam, in which he wrote: "From Ahiqar, scribe and (keeper of) the seal

of King Esarhaddon, greetings to you. When you have received this letter, come out at once and come to Assyria and I will deliver Assyria to you and you shall take the kingdom without war and without fighting.” And he sent another letter in my name to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and in it he wrote: “When the letter arrives in your hands, go out to meet me in the southern plain on the twenty-fifth of the month of August. I will bring you to Nineveh and you shall take the kingdom there without a fight.” And he made the letters according to my handwriting and sealed them with my seal, and threw them into one of the king's chambers. Then Nadan wrote a letter to his father Ahiqar in the king's name. Then he wrote yet another letter in the name of the king to me. "From Esarhaddon

to Ahiqar, my lord's scribe, greeting[s]. When you have received this letter, assemble the whole army on the mountain and go from there to the Eagles’ Plain on the twenty-fifth of the month, and when you see me approaching you, arrange the troops before me as if you were preparing for war, for messengers have come to me from Pharaoh, king of Egypt, so that they may know what power I have and what my strength is." And he sent [⟨this letter⟩] to me with two men. When Nadan, my son, gave me a letter (from them) that he had written in the name of Ahiqar. Then my son Nadan, took one of the letters as if he had found it and read it before the king. And when the king heard [this], he was very angry. And while the king was enraged about Ahiqar, he said: "O

God, what wrong have I done to you and to Ahiqar that he should want to treat me this way!” Then Nadan answered the king about Ahiqar. Then Nadan replied and said to the king: “Do not be angry, my lord the king. Let us now go out to the Eagles’ Plain as it is written in this letter, (so) that we may know the truth of these things, and that what you have commanded may take place." When the king had commanded that they should prepare to go up to the plain to see the truth of this matter, my son Nadan, led the king, and they came and found me and my army with me in the Eagles’ Plain. And when I saw him coming, I set my army before him in array as for war, according to the letter that Nadan my son had sent me. And my son said to the king: "O my lord the king, go to your dwelling in peace; I will bring Ahiqar

to you," and the king returned to his home. And my son Nadan came with his message to his father Ahiqar. Then my son Nadan came to me and replied and said to me: "My lord, the king has sent me to you (to) tell you that all you have done was great, and the king has praised you very much, and now he is sending the troops away [so] that everyone (may go) to his house, and you may go to him alone." [So I came to the king, and when he saw me, he said to me: "You have come, Ahiqar,] When my scribe and my counsellor from Assyria and Nineveh, I let you go in honour and rest, and you turned and became [one] of my enemies." Then he gave me the letters, which resembled my handwriting and were signed with my seal. Then the king said to me: “Read this letter!” and when I had read it, my bones became weak, and my tongue was tied, and I wished for one

to utter any of the wise words, I could not find [them]. When he gave him the letter that was written in his name [lit.: mouth] to read, and he read it, his wisdom perished from the shock that I received. Then the king commanded me to be killed in his house, and I Ahiqar replied and said to the king: "Live forever, my lord the king. Since you want me to be killed, let it be [so], for I know that I have no guilt against you. But command, my lord the king, that I be killed at the door of my house, and that my body be given for burial." And the king commanded: ”Let it be so,” and I, Ahiqar, sent [a letter] to my wife Eshfagni that she should come to meet me, and that she might go out with a thousand maidens dressed in silk and purple and honourable, and that they might weep to meet me

and they will weep until I die. Bake a loaf for my poor companion, Nabusemakh and for the Parthians with him. Go and meet them and bring them in, and I will enter my house with them as a guest. When Ahiqar's wife Eshfagni went to meet them. When she received the legates, she was full of wisdom and did all that I sent her to do, and she went out to meet Nabusemakh and the Parthians and made them come to my house. And when my wife, Eshfagni, took the bread to Nabusemakh and the Parthians, she [also] brought them wine and mixed it. And she, Eshfagni, served them until they were all drunk and asleep. When the Parthians got drunk from the wine, then

They fell into a deep sleep, and all of them slept in their places. I praised God, the Lord of heaven and earth, for all that had happened, and I said: 'Truly, You are the Deliverer of the world; You know all that has happened and [all] that will happen. May You look upon me with mercy before Nabusemakh." When Ahiqar pleaded with Nabusemakh not to kill him. When Ahiqar saw this, I replied and said to Nabusemakh: "Lift up your gaze to the sky, O Nabusemakh, and see God and remember the bread and salt we ate together. Do not be troubled about death. Remember that you were given to me by the father of this king to kill you and I did not kill you, because I knew that you had done nothing wrong, but I kept you alive until [the day] the king

asked for you. He gave me many presents. Now hide me lest it be known, and say that you have not killed [me], but, behold, I have [among] my prisoners a man who deserves death. Take my clothes and put them on him, and wake up the Parthians to kill him. And while the man was being killed, he made the Parthians rise up against him, and in their drunkenness they killed this man, and the news spread through Assyria and Nineveh that Ahiqar had been slain. [In the meantime,] the scribe Ahiqar was hidden. Then Nabusemakh and my wife Eshfagni got up and made me a hidden place in the earth; its width was three cubits and its length four cubits and its depth was five [cubits]. They gave me bread and water and left me and told my lord, the king, that Ahiqar had been slain

And this was said by the king: "Woe to me, Ahiqar the scribe and the wise, the repairer of the breaches of the city; because of the words of a boy I have lost you.” Then the king commanded Nadan to make a lamentation and wailing for me. Then the king called my son Nadan and said to him: "Go, make a lamentation for your father,” and Nadan came to my house, and he made no lamentation for me, nor did he remember me, but he gathered adulterous women, and they sat down singing and rejoicing, eating and drinking, and he killed my servants and maidservants and stripped them and beat them; and even my wife, who had brought him up, he was not ashamed, but he wanted to commit adultery and sin with her. When Ahiqar prayed to God, and I [⟨was thrown⟩] into a dark pit. And I heard

the voice of my bakers, cooks and even my butlers while they cried and wept, and I prayed without ceasing for my life. After [some] days, NabusemakhpersName> came and opened before me and brought me bread and water, and I said [to him]: ‘May God remember me before the king, for when he saw me, he said to him: ”Truly, Lord God, the righteous and the God of heaven and earth. Now, AhiqarpersName> who sought refuge with you and sacrificed fat bulls, behold, he is cast into a dark pit, a place where no light falls. Hear, Lord, the voice of your servant and have mercy on him.” This [is] the letter that Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, sent to Esarhaddon, the king of Assyria and Niniveh

When Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, heard that I, Ahiqar had been slain, he was very glad and sent a letter to King Esarhaddon: "The king of Egypt, to Esarhaddon king of Assyria and Nineveh, greeting[s].” When Esarhaddon received the messengers of Pharaoh with his letter, he read: “A fortress, for I have one that shall be built for me between sky and earth. Look, send me a wise man, an architect, that I may give him everything and ask him; he shall give me an answer. If you send me a man who will do all that I ask, I will collect the tribute of Egypt for three years and send [it] into your hands. If you do not send me a man who is not able to do what I say, [then] collect and send me this messenger with whom you send the tribute of Assyria and Nineveh.

for three years. Then King Esarhaddon gathered all the nobles of his kingdom and showed it to them because of this letter from Pharaoh. When this letter was read before the king, he sent for the rest of the nobles, the wise men, the magicians, and the scholars of the kingdom and said: “Which of you may go to Egypt and give an answer to Pharaoh?" Then the nobles answered the king; they all said: "You know, my lord the king, that matters like this were solved in your days and in the days of your father by the scribe Ahiqar and now [it is] his son Nadan; he has learned his writing, he knows his wisdom; he shall go and solve this matter." So Nadan was brought to the king and heard his voice. Then, when Nadan heard these words

He cried with a loud voice before the king and said to the king: “[Even if] the gods are not able to do such things, how can people be able [to do so]?” And when King Sennacherib heard these [words] of Nadan, he suffered greatly, was grieved and descended from his throne, and sat on ashes, and wept. And as he wept, he said: "Woe to you, skilled scribe Ahiqar, whom I have lost by the words of a boy, and I have no one like you. Who will give you to me today, and I will weigh him in gold.” When Nabusemakh wanted to tell the king about the scribe Ahiqar. When Nabusemakh heard such words from the king, he fell down on the earth, prostrated himself and said to the king: “Live forever. Anyone who disregards the words of his lord is guilty of death.

And I have disregarded the word of your kingdom; command me to be crucified on wood, for Ahiqar whom you commanded me to kill, lives. Then the king replied to Nabusemakh: “Speak, Nabusemakh, for you are a good and righteous man; you do no evil. If it is as you say, show me that Ahiqar is alive, and I will give you great talents (and) many silver talents and a hundred cloths of purple.” When Nabusemakh heard these [words] from the king, he began to say to him: “I want one thing from my lord the king, that he tell me that he will not remember this evil deed of mine and that he will not take wrath on me.” And so the king gladly swore to him. Then Nabusemakh opened

in front of me, the scribe Ahiqar. Then Nabusemakh entered the chariot and sat down at that hour, and like the wind that blows, he came to me and opened before me, and I ascended. Because I put my hope in God, I was not ashamed. When Nabusemakh brought Ahiqar to the king, I fell on [my] face and my hair came down to my shoulders, and my beard reached my chest, and my body was covered with dust, and my nails were long like those of an eagle. When the king saw [this], he wept much and said to me: “O Ahiqar, I have not sinned against you, but it is your son whom you raised, who has caused you harm." Then Ahiqar replied to the king with an answer; then he replied and said to the king: "My lord, now that I have seen your face, I hold no evil against you.” Then,

the king said to me: “Go to your house, shave your head, wash your body with water and rest for forty days, and then come to me." So I went to my house and did as my lord, the king, commanded me and I stayed in my house for twenty days. And when I had recovered, I came before the king. Then I, Ahiqar, came to the king after I had come out of the prison that was over me, and he spoke about the letter that the king of Egypt had sent. Then the king said to me: “See, Ahiqar, what the Egyptians have written to us, and what tribute they have imposed on Assyria and Nineveh. Then Ahiqar gave an answer to the king. Then he said to him: My lord the king, live forever!

In this matter, do not be anxious and do not be troubled. I will go to Egypt and give an answer to all your enemies. I will speak parables and give an answer and I will bring you the tribute of Egypt for three years. When the king heard [this], he rejoiced greatly and made a great feast and the sorrow in his heart went away. He sacrificed oxen and sheep and gave me great talents, and he also set Nabusemakh at the head of us and gave him high rank and raised him up. When Ahiqar wrote a letter to his wife Eshfagni: “O my wife, when this letter reaches you at this hour, command the hunter to catch two eaglets and tell my servants

to bring me spun cotton, and that they prepare for me two wheels, their inner part the size of a little toe and their width a thousand cubits, and command the carpenters to make me two balloons, and give my boys Nabulhal and Tabshalem to seven first nurses to nurse them so that they grow up, and put them on the backs of the eaglets, and the boys shall grow with them. Prepare two sheep a day for their food, and teach the boys to say: “Make straight mud and plaster; the architects, the king’s guests, are idle from work.” My wife was very wise, and she did all that I commanded. When I received the order from the king to go to Egypt. When the Assyrians and the Ninevites heard this,

they rejoiced with great joy and returned to their places. I replied and said to the king: “My lord, the king, give me permission,” and I took with me a large force and went away. When I reached the lodgings for the night, I dismissed the force and let the eaglets go, and I tied the wheels to their feet and made my boys sit on them, and let them go, and they ascended high into the air. And it happened that the boys cried out as they had been taught: “Bring bricks, mud and plaster, the king’s guests and architects are idle,” and then I made them return to me. Entry of Ahiqar into Egypt with the messengers of Pharaoh, king of Egypt When I reached Egypt it was made known to the king’s workmen, and the king commanded that Ahiqar should enter to him. I went to him and gave him my greetings. Then [⟨the king⟩] asked me:

“What is your name?” And I said to him: “Abiqam, an ant of the ants of the king of Nineveh.” He became angry and said to me: “Am I so insignificant to your lord that he should send me an ant to give me an answer?” And he said to me: “Go, Abiqam, to your lodging, and come to me before morning.” And Pharaoh commanded his lords: “Tomorrow, be clothed in red robes.” And in the morning the king put on byssus and silk, and sat on his throne, and his nobles sat around him and before him. The king commanded, and I entered before him. And he said to me: “Abiqam, what am I like, and what are my nobles

like?” I said to him: “My lord the king, you resemble Bel, and your nobles resemble his priests.” Again he said to me: “Go, O Abiqam, and come to me early in the morning.” Then the king commanded his nobles to change their garments. And he commanded his nobles to put on white cotton cloth the next day, and the king put on fine white [cloth] and sat on his throne, and his nobles stood before him and around him. [The king] commanded, and I went before him, and he said to me: “Abiqam, to whom do I resemble, and to whom do my lords resemble?” Then I gave him the answer. I said to him: “You are like the sun, and your nobles are like [its] rays.” Again he said to me: “Go, Abiqam, and come to me early in the morning.”

When [⟨the king⟩] commanded his lords: “Tomorrow, you shall put on black cloth, and the doors of the palace shall be covered [with] black and scarlet, and the king clothed himself in scarlet. Then Pharaoh commanded that Abiqam should enter. I went in, and he said to me: “Abiqam, to whom do I resemble, and whom do my nobles resemble?” I said to him: “You, king, are like the moon, and your nobles are like the stars.” He said to me: “Go Abiqam, and come to me tomorrow.” Then the king commanded his lords: “Tomorrow you shall put on other garments, dyed in many colours, woven with various colours, and the gates of the palace shall be covered with embroidered red, and the king put on fine embroidered cloth. Then Pharaoh commanded that

Abiqam should enter. I entered, and [the king] said to me: “To whom do I resemble, and to whom do my nobles resemble?” And I replied and said to him: “You resemble [the month of] Nisan and your nobles resemble its flowers.” When the king heard this, he rejoiced greatly and was filled with joy, and he said to me: “Abiqam, once you compared me to Bel and my nobles to his priests, the second [time] you compared me to the moon and my nobles to its stars, and the third time you compared me to Nisan and my nobles to its flowers. But still tell me, your lord Esarhaddon, what is he like?” When Abiqam answered Pharaoh, I replied and said to him: “God forbid, O king, that you should mention my lord Esarhaddon while you are sitting, for my lord Esarhaddon resembles

my God in heaven, and his nobles resemble lightning. When he wills, he brings forth dew and rain, the wind blows, the rain falls, and prosperity arises in the heavens of his kingdom. He stops the sun from shining and its rays from being seen; he also stops Bel and his priests from going in and out of the cities, and he stops the moon from rising and its stars from shining. When he wants, he commands the north wind, and it brings hail and rain, and he crushes Nisan and destroys the flowers.” And when King Pharaoh heard [these words], he became angry. When Pharaoh asked Ahiqar his name, he said: “You are Ahiqar.” Then I said: “[It is true], my lord, it is I.” Pharaoh said: “By the life of your lord Esarhaddon,

what is your name?” I replied and said to him: “I am the scribe Ahiqar and I am the ring on the hand of King Esarhaddon.” The king said: “How are you still alive?” And I said to him: “I am alive, for I have seen my lord King Esarhaddon, and my life has been prolonged, and God has delivered me from what I had not done.” The king said to me: “Go, scribe Ahiqar, and come to me in the morning and tell me a word that no one has heard, not anyone, not even one of my nobles, and that has not been heard in the city of Egypt.” When Ahiqar wrote the word Pharaoh asked him to write, I, Ahiqar, went away and wrote a letter, and this was in it: “From Pharaoh, King of Egypt,

to Esarhaddon, King of Assyria, greeting[s]! Kings need kings, and judges need judges, and at this time, I am in need of talents, for they have become few, and silver is lacking in my treasury. Therefore, command that they send me nine hundred talents of silver from your treasury, and in a short time I will return them to their places.” I rolled up the letter and brought it to him. I said to him: “[What is written in this letter] has not been heard by any noble, nor has Egypt heard what is written in this letter; [it is] a word that has not been heard by you or anyone else.” Everyone said: “We have heard [it], and it is true.” They read the letter and were astonished. Then the king said to me: “Ahiqar,” and I said: “Behold,

I.” And he said to me: “Build me a fortress between sky and earth, and let its height from the earth be a thousand cubits.” And at that moment I took the eagles from their places, tied wheels to their feet in measure, and placed the boys on their backs, and they said: “Mud, plaster, guests, architects, we let them work, for the king’s architects are idle and mix wine for the architects.” And when the nobles saw, they heard and were astonished. Then I, Ahiqar, took a stick and began to strike Pharaoh's nobles until they fled, for they were to raise what was needed for the building. Then the king said: “Go away, Ahiqar.

Who can give them what they ask for?” and I said to him: "Why do you put the name of my lord Esarhaddon in your mouth? If he were here and wanted to build, he would build two fortresses in one day!” [The king] said to me: “Leave the fortress now and come to me early in the morning.” And when it was early in the morning, I went to him, and he looked and saw me and said to me: "Ahiqar, explain this story that is happening to us: the wanton horse of your master neighs lustfully in Assyria and Nineveh, and our horses hear his voice here and they miscarry their foals." Then I went out from before the king and commanded my servants to trap me a cat, the goddess of the Egyptians, and they struck

it until the Egyptians heard [it] and they went and said to the king: "Abiqam brought a cat, a goddess, and seized it and struck it.” [When] the king heard [this], he said to me: “O Ahiqar, why do you insult our gods?” I said to him: “O king, live forever. This cat has done me great harm, and not a little. When my lord the king gave [me] a rooster, its voice was very beautiful, and every time I wanted to [be] at the king’s gate, it cried at that time and woke me from my sleep, and I would go to the king’s gate. Suddenly this evil

cat did this to me: Last night this cat went before me and went to Assyria and Nineveh and took the head of this rooster and came here. Then the king said to me: “Now you have grown old and become foolish; between Egypt and Assyria there are three hundred parasangs, and how was it able in one night to take the head of the rooster and come [here]?” So I said to him: “If there are three hundred thirty parasangs between Assyria and Egypt, did they not hear what your horses heard, the voice of our horses, and their foals were aborted? The same [is true] of the cat as well.” When the king heard this, he was ashamed and astonished, and he said to me:

"O Ahiqar, one word remains that I say to you: I have a great pillar, and above it are planted twelve cedars. Above each cedar are thirty wheels, and above each wheel run two [things], one white, the other black. Then I said to the king: "This word that you have said, my lord the king, the herdsmen of sheep and cattle know, which the king has asked for. The pillar you spoke of, my lord, is the year, this pillar is made of 8,763 tiles, and there are 7,763 hours, and the twelve cedars are the twelve months of the year, and the thirty wheels

are the thirty days of the month, the two runners, one black and the other white, are night and day.” Again he said to me: "Put [your words] aside now, I ask you, O Ahiqar, twist for me two long ropes of dust, five cubits long, and as wide as a little toe.” And I said: “My lord the king, command that they bring out of your treasury a rope [of dust] so that I can make it like them.” So he said to me: “I do not know what you are saying. If you do not twist the rope that I have told you, you will not take the tribute of Egypt.” So I, Ahiqar, went out from the king and spent the night with much thought [about this]. Then, in the early morning, an idea came to me, and I went out and walked to the back

of the palace where the king sat. And I made a small hole in the wall against the sun, and the sun came in through the wall of the palace. And I bored another hole in that wall and filled [it] with a handful of dust, and threw it into the hole, and they saw it by its course as it turned. [So] I replied and said to the king: "Command, my lord the king, that they first turn around, and as much as you wish, I will make [it] for you like them." And when the king and all his nobles with him saw [this], they were astonished, amazed, and very ashamed. Then the king commanded: "Bring me the broken millstone.” And the king said to me: “O Ahiqar, sew me this millstone.” And at that moment I took a pestle from a millstone

and threw [it], and said to him: “My lord the king, my tools are not near me, and I find nothing with which to work. But command your carvers to bring me a pot made of this pestle, which is of the same kind as the millstone, and I will sew it in the same hour.” When the king heard this, he laughed and said: "Well done is the day you were born, O Ahiqar. It shall be blessed before the gods of Egypt. For I have seen you alive, I will make a great meal and feast from this day on." The departure of Ahiqar from Egypt and his return to Esarhaddon, king of Assyria and Nineveh. When Pharaoh the king was defeated in all things, I stood against his challenges, put him to shame, and solved his riddles

and I made [them] void, and he gave me the three years' tribute of Egypt, and I took the nine hundred talents which I wrote in the letter that Pharaoh borrowed from my lord, which confirmed all who heard us. And I took talents from the king and honour from his nobles. Quickly King Esarhaddon went before me. When Ahiqar returned from Egypt, he came to the king, and Esarhaddon received him in honour. And the king began to speak words of comfort to me: “Whatever you desire, ask and seek.” And I said: “O my lord the king, live forever!” and the king began to go out for me, and rejoiced with great joy. Then he came before me and placed me near him, above his throne and his tower, and he said to me: “Ask me, O

Ahiqar, all that you desire and wish, and I will give you all my kingdom.” Ahiqar said to him: “O my lord the king, live forever and ever. Now you grant me, if you wish, what is useful to you. This is all I ask in honour of your greatness. If you accept it, it will be good for me. I want Nabusemakh to be the executioner, that you put him in a good position, because I have seen life through him and now he has preserved my hope in God. If he had not helped me, I would have been killed. Therefore, may the king show abundant and great mercy to me, through the gifts and talents he has given to many, which I have also received from him.

And the king began to grant me many good things, and he gave me many talents, and the king comforted me for all that had happened to me before Pharaoh, and he asked me about all the riddles, and I began to recount them from the beginning to the last one, every single one, and then he listened to me and was greatly astonished. Afterwards I brought forth the wealth, silver, gold, talents, and gifts that the king of Egypt had given me. I brought them from Egypt and he was very pleased. He said to me: “I will give you as much as you want,” and I said to him: “I ask for nothing but your kindness and your peace. What shall I do with property and further [things]?

But I beseech your grace to give me the power to do to Nadan what I wish, so that I may take vengeance on him and that you do not ask me for his blood.” At that hour the king commanded me to do [with] him as I pleased. So I took Nadan and went to my house and bound him in fetters and chains of iron, and in shackles and bonds of iron on his hands and feet, and I put iron on his neck. I began to scourge him with severe punishments and hard blows, and I made him remember the teaching, the wisdom, the knowledge, and the instruction that I had taught him, and I said to him: “You have not heard my words and did not accept my teaching, and you did not listen to God and did not know Him; even He has not heard your voice

‘My son, give me an answer: you came upon me like a hungry lion, and went astray like a donkey in the early morning. Then the lion said to the donkey: "Welcome, O my beloved brother," and the donkey said: "This welcome is like those who did not bind me in the evening, and did not remember to bind me, and until now I see your face."’ ‘My son, you were to me like a snare hidden on a dunghill, and a sparrow came and saw that snare, and the snare said to it: “O my brother, what are you doing here?" The sparrow said: “Behold, I am looking at you.” And the snare said: "I am praying to God, praise be to Him!" The sparrow asked him again: "What is this wood that is bound to you?" The snare said to the sparrow: "This is ’

‘and your prayer, and may God not end with you [in] goodness."’ ‘My son, you have been to me like a passing weevil in the wheat; it is useless and it destroys the wheat. ’ ‘My son, you have been to me like someone who sowed ten kilograms of wheat in a field. And when he reaped the harvest and ground it, it gave him ten kilograms of wheat. Then the man said to the field: “Why do I not gain anything? I ploughed you twice and sowed you. If I had not created you, I would not ask from you; that would have been better for me.” ’ ‘My son, you have been to me like a roe that is caught in a noose, unable to save itself from death. Yet it lifts up its sweet and beautiful voice and causes many to sink into murder. ’

‘or many partridges to it, so they will be caught.’ ‘My son, you have been to me like the dog weakened by the cold; he flees and hides with the baker. And when he is hidden, he wants to bark and bite them. But those [people] struck him, and he barked, and they feared he would overcome them, and they killed him. ’ ‘My son, you have been to me like a swine that went to the bath with the nobles, and when it reached the bath, it bathed with them. But when it came out, it saw mud and wallowed in it. ’ ‘My son, you have been to me like a pot of ashes, even when a golden handle was made for it. ’ ‘My son, you have been to me like a he-goat that bowed its head and entered before the slaughterer ’

‘and could not save itself from him.’ ‘The dog that kills the prey: if he does not pay attention to his prey, the wolf will eat it at once. ’ ‘My son, those who are not industrious, who do not work and toil, shall perish through weariness. My son, the eye that cannot see the light shall be bound. ’ ‘My son, I have shown you the face of the king, and I have brought you great mercy, and I have taught you and raised you, and I have done you all good. What do you repay me, and [what do you] deserve? ’ ‘My son, you have been to me like a tree that was commanded to be cut down, and the tree said to its woodcutters: “Unless you seize and take from me, you will never be able [to overcome] me all your life.” ’

‘Be glad and rejoice, O my son, I myself am comforted. If the gods steal, by whom shall they swear? And if [⟨a lion⟩] steals a land, to whom shall it swear? If a person steals a country, how will he live from it?’ ‘My son, I have shown you the face of the great king and brought you great honour, and you have rewarded my good servants with evil. Then what will you give my evil servants? ’ ‘My son, you have been to me like the cat to whom it was said: “Abandon stealing, and you shall go in and out as you will.” And the cat said: “That is my profession. If I had eyes of silver, and hands of gold, and feet of beryl, I would not abandon it.” ’ ‘My son, you were to me like a serpent that climbed on a bush ’

‘and went down into a river. And the lion saw it and said: “Evil rides on evil, and worse than both of them carries them away.” The serpent said to that lion: “Behold, will you return the goat to its owners?” ’ ‘My son, I have seen foals that have murdered their mothers. ’ ‘My son, I made you taste all that is sweet and you did not satisfy me with dry bread. I anointed you with sweet oils, and you, my son, defiled my body with dust. I made you drink old wines, and you did not satisfy me with plain water. ’ ‘My son, you were to me like a mole climbing to the surface of the ground to complain to God about its eyes. An eagle came and took it away. ’ ‘My son Nadan answered and said to me: “Far be it from you, my lord,’

‘that these [things] happened without mercy. But be merciful, do to me as you have done before. [When] a person sins, even God forgives his sins. Now you, forgive me likewise and I will serve your horses, or pasture your sheep or swine, and I will be called an evil man, and you will be called a good man.” ’ ‘I answered and said to him: “My son, you have been to me like the palm tree that stood by a river and did not yield fruit. Its owner wanted to uproot it. The palm tree said: “Give me this one year, and I will bring forth thorns.” Its owner said to it: “O wretch, you have not been industrious with your fruit; how will you be industrious with what is not yours?” ’ ‘My son, the old age of the eagle is better than the youth of the vulture. ’ ‘My son, ’

‘they said to the wolf: “Keep away from the sheep.” It said: "The droppings are good for my eyes.” They said to him: “Learn to say A, B,” it said: “Sheep and kid.” ’ ‘My son, they placed the donkey's head on the table and it rolled and fell to the ground. They said about it: “It was angry because it did not receive honour, but disgrace.” ’ ‘The word is true which says, "Whomever you have begotten, call him your son, and whomever you have raised, call him your slave. My son, there is nothing more true than this saying: Seize and dash your sister's son with a stone. God is [the one] who gives life to him and knows all things, and He renders everyone according to his works; He knows and judges between me and you. I say no more to you. May God repay you ’

‘according to your works.’ When the foolish Nadan heard this word, at that hour his belly swelled up and he became like a swollen leather bottle, and his insides burst with his bowels and his loins. From his evil deeds he was inflamed, withered, grew pale, and weak, and perished and died. His end was destruction and he went into Gehenna, among envious and proud people, as it is said in the Book of Proverbs and in the Psalms of King David. The son dug and sinned and fell into the pit that he made, and he who does evil shall perish, and he who sets a trap for his brother shall be caught by it.

This is the end of the story of the wise and skilled philosopher Ahiqar,

and knower of hidden things and exposer of riddles, who at first was an idol-worshipper and a friend of magicians, but at the end of his days he believed in God and confessed His name, that He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land and all that is in them, who gives understanding and wisdom to His beloved. And you, O honourable listeners, may the Lord protect you and pardon your faults and forgive your sins and send over you mercy and blessings on you and your children and save you from temptation and sorrow and from all accidents, adversaries, and vengeance, and fill your hearts [with] all understanding, knowledge, insight, and spiritual wisdom, so that you may be able and possess

yourselves. And that you may put away all hatred, envy, and wrath, and keep yourselves from mortal sin. And in the end, that you may inherit the kingdom of heaven, and be filled with everlasting joy. Truly, Amen.