Now, in the days of Sennacherib and Esarhaddon, kings of Assyria and Nineveh, there was a man, his name [is] Ahiqar, a wise Jew, writer and scribe and chief of the magi of the aforementioned kings; he stood constantly at their service without any fault, when Sennacherib, king of Assyria, died, in the year 679 Before Christ ⟨Note: This [note] lacks in one manuscript⟩ I, Ahiqar, have worked a great deal, and I have served Esarhaddon, the son of King Sennacherib; then the soothsayers, together with all the astronomers, have said to me: 'A son will be born to you, and he will inherit all your wealth. When they had told me this, I married sixty wives, and built for them sixty palaces which were great and very beautiful, and when I were sixty years old, I had no son. Then I, Ahiqar, went and offered sacrifices

to the gods, and burnt spices and incense to them, and said to them: “Indeed, o Gods, give your servant a son so that he be pleased with him, and he shall be my heir when I die, for my wealth that I have gained is great.” - The idols answered him absolutely nothing, and with confusion and sorrow he returned from the temple of the idols to his house. And he began to make supplication and pray with a sad heart before the Lord, saying: "O God of heaven and earth, O Creator of creatures, look and see my tears, accept my prayer, and give me a son, that I may be comforted, and that he may be my heir, and that he may attend my death, and close my eyes and bury me.” Then a voice came to him, saying: Because thou hast erred, and trusted in the gods, and burnt incense to them, and hast not wrought for me; therefore, I have left thee childless; let it suffice thee, do not be mourned. But, behold, Nadan, your sister's son; he shall be a son to you, whom you may teach everything as he grows older."

At these words I was again distressed and said: “O Lord, mighty God, if you give me Nadan, my sister's son, as a son, to throw dust on me after my death and close my eyes, will he be my heir or not? And He did not answer any of these words. Then I took Nadan, my sister's son, and he was a son to me who would learn, as soon as he was old, all that I would teach him. And when he was young, I gave him into the hands of the wet-nurses to bring him up, and he was fed with honey and butter, and he was clothed with garments of byssos and purple, and he grew up on carpets of every kind. And my son Nadan grew up and I began to teach him the writing of wisdom without rest. The request of King Esarhaddon. When the king returned from the place where he had gone, he said to me: “Ahiqar, scribe and wise man and my confidant, when you grow old and die, who will teach me wisdom?” Ahiqar’s answer to the king. Thereupon, I answered and said to the king: “My lord, king,

live forever! I have a son wise like me and he knows my writing." Then the king said to me: "Bring him that I may see him, and if he can stand before me, he will stand in your place, and I will release you in peace, that you may spend your old age [and] all the days of your life in peace." Then I brought Nadan my son to King Esarhaddonand brought him before him. When the king saw him, he rejoiced in him and said, 'Today a horn of salvation has risen for Ahiqar and he has been comforted by this child.” And he said:” May the Lord keep you, my son! As Ahiqar walked before me and before my father Sennacherib and was rewarded, in the same manner Nadan his son [will walk] before me and Ahiqar will now spend his life in rest in his house." Then I, Ahiqar, bowed to the king and said: "My Lord, King, live forever! As thou knowest that I have walked before thee and thy father, thou also shalt have patience concerning the youth of my son, and thy kindness to me shall be doubled,

O my lord king. Thereupon king Esarhaddongave him his hand and swore to Ahiqar, concerning Nadan his son, that he would be to him in great honour as he was and that he would fill him with good things constantly. Then I Ahiqar kissed the footprints of the king, and took Nadan my son, and returned home without interrupting my teaching of my son; and until I filled Nadan with doctrine as with bread and water, and thus spoke to him the words of wisdom. Parables that Ahiqar taught. ‘Hear my son, the words and give heed to them ’

‘They shall remain in thy heart, and thou shalt not reveal my word to others, lest it be a coal in thy mouth and burn thee, and thou make a stain upon thy tongue and murmur against God.’ ‘My son Nadan, whatever you see, you shall not tell, and whatever you see, you shall not reveal.’ ‘My son, do not loosen a sealed bond, and do not seal one that is loosened.’ ‘My son, let not your lips let out words that are not yours. ’ ‘If you lift up your eyes and see a woman with make-up, do not desire her, for if you give her all ’

‘that you have, you will find no profit in her and you will have committed a great sin against God. ’ ‘My son, let not your tongue be hasty like the almond tree which grows first for you and its fruit is eaten last; my son, be still like the fig tree which grows last and its fruit is eaten first. ’ ‘My son, lower your eyes and soften your voice and look down; be reserved and not impudent, for if a loud voice were enough to build a house, the donkey would build two palaces a day, and if the plough were driven by sturdy strength, the yoke of the plough would never be taken off the camel's neck. ’ ‘My son, it is good to be in relation with the wise man and not with the foolish man. ’ ‘My son, pour your wine over the grave of the righteous, and do not drink it with the foolish. ’ ‘My son, flee from the quarrelsome and talkative woman. ’ ‘My son, do not run after the beauty of a woman and do not desire her in your heart, for the beauty of a woman is ’

‘her good sense, her word and her honour. ’ ‘My son, if anyone comes to meet you with malice, meet him in your wisdom. ’ ‘My son, the ungodly falls and the righteous rises in his place. ’ ‘My son, do not deprive your son of blows, for blows are to the child what manure is to the earth, the halter to the animal, and the bar to the door. ’ ‘My son, tame your son while he is young, and break his back while he is young, before he is stronger than you, so that you will not be ashamed of his vices and be covered with shame. ’ ‘My son, acquire a strong bull and a donkey provided with good hoofs, but do not acquire a runaway servant or a thieving maid, lest they cause you to lose all that is yours. ’ ‘My son, the words of lying people are like fat sparrows, and he who has a heart eats them. ’ ‘My son, do not bring upon yourself the curse of your father and mother, lest you rejoice in the good of your sons. ’ ‘My son, do not set out without a sword, for you do not know what enemies will meet you. ’ ‘My son, as a tree is adorned by its fruit and a mountain by its trees, so is a man adorned by his wife ’

‘and children. ’ ‘My son, strike a wise man and it will be like a fever in his heart; but if you strike a fool with many blows, he will not notice. ’

‘My son, send out a wise man, and do not give him many orders; but if you send out a fool, go yourself and do not send him. ’ ‘My son, send out a wise man, and do not give him many orders; but if you send out a fool, go yourself and do not send him. ’ ‘My son, test your companion with bread and water, then you may leave your goods and possessions in his hands. ’ ‘My son, leave the feast first, and do not stay to be anointed with perfumes, lest you be harmed. ’ ‘My son, he whose hand is full is called wise, and he whose hand is empty is called foolish. ’ ‘My son, I have eaten bitter things and swallowed slimy things, and I have found nothing more bitter than poverty. ’ ‘My son, I have carried lead and rolled iron, and nothing has been as heavy for me as a debt. ’ ‘My son, teach your child hunger and thirst, that he may rule his house according to what his eye sees. ’ ‘My son, the blind in the eyes quickly learns his way, follows it and arrives; he is better than the blind in heart who abandons the right path. ’

‘My son, a near neighbour is better than a distant brother; and a good name is better than beauty, for a good name remains and beauty perishes. ’ ‘My son, death is better than life for the man who has no rest; and the sound of groaning is better than the sound of dancing, than joy and song. ’ ‘My son, a bone in your hand is better than a goose in the pot of others. My son, the sheep that is near is better than the bull that is far away; better is a sparrow in your hand than a thousand sparrows that fly through the air. - My son, poverty that gathers is better than wealth that scatters, and a living fox is better than a dead lion. ’ ‘My son, lock the word in your heart and it will do you good, for if you speak the word, you change your friend. ’ ‘My son, let no word go out of your mouth until you have turned it over in your heart, for it is better for a man to stumble in his heart than to stumble with his tongue. ’ ‘My son, if you hear a word from a man, bury it four cubits in the earth, so that when you step on it you lose it. ’ ‘My son, do not remain among those who ’

‘quarrel, for from quarrelling comes judgment, and from judgment comes death. ’ ‘My son, if you see a man older than you, stand before him; if he does not repay you, God will repay you. ’ ‘My son, keep your tongue from lying and your hand from stealing, and you will be called wise. ’ ‘My son, do not get involved in anyone's betrothal: if they get confusion from it, they will curse you, and if they get good from it, they will not bless you. ’ ‘My son, he who shines in his clothing shines in his speech, and he who is contemptible in his clothing is contemptible in his speech. ’ ‘My son, if you find anything in front of an idol, offer him his share. ’ ‘My son, give yourself to the hand that was full and hungry, and do not give yourself to the hand that was hungry and is now satisfied. ’ ‘My son, stone the dog that abandons its masters and follows you, because it will not stay near you. ’ ‘My son, if a wise man strikes you with many blows of the stick, let not a fool anoint you with good ointments. ’ ‘My son, you will not be corrupted with a wise man, nor be wise with a corrupt man. ’ ‘My son, if you have shoes on your feet, walk on thorns and make a path for your children. ’

‘My son, if a rich man eats a snake, it is said that he eats it to cure his disease, but if a poor man eats it, it is said that he eats it from hunger. ’ ‘My son, eat your portion and do not quarrel with your friends. ’ ‘My son, do not eat bread at all with one who has no modesty. ’ ‘My son, do not envy the goods of your neighbour, and do not rejoice in his misfortune. ’ ‘My son, do not depart from your first friend, lest there be no other to take his place. ’ ‘My son, do not go down to the garden of the judges, and do not marry the daughter of a judge. ’ ‘My son, visit your friend with good words, speak before the prefect to save him from the lion's mouth. ’ ‘My son, do not rejoice over your enemy when he dies. ’ ‘My son, when a man stands without (occupying) a place, when the bird flies without wings, when the raven is white as snow and the bitter becomes sweet as honey, then the fool ’

‘may become wise. ’ ‘My son, if you are a priest of God, take good care of him and appear before Him with purity. ’ ‘My son, if you lend money to the poor, you have bought him for yourself and his children. ’ ‘My son, the man who has no brothers and sons will be despised and scorned by his enemies; he is like the tree by the road, every passer-by takes something from it, and the animals and birds tread on its leaves. ’ ‘My son, do not say, 'My master is foolish and I am wise,' but rebuke him for his faults and you will be loved. ’ ‘My son, do not count yourself among the wise, lest others do not praise you. ’ ‘My son, do not multiply your words before your master, lest you become contemptible in his eyes. ’ ‘My son, in the evil day, do not curse God, lest he hear your words and become angry with you. ’ ‘My son, when your servants stand before you, do not hate the one, nor love the other, for you do not know which of them will remain with you in the end. ’ ‘The servant who abandons his first master does not improve his case. ’ ‘My son, pronounce a right judgment and you will lead a peaceful old age. ’ ‘My son, let your tongue be sweet and your speech pleasant, for the tail of the dog gives him his bread and his mouth brings blows. ’ ‘My son, do not let your friend ’

‘step on your foot, lest he step on your neck. ’ ‘My son, the man whom God has showered with blessings shall also be respected by you. ’ ‘My son, do not enter into judgment with a man in his day, and do not resist the river when it floods. ’ ‘My son, the human eye is like a fountain of water, and it is not satisfied with riches until it is filled with dust. ’ ‘My son, do not stay near quarrelsome people, for after jokes comes quarrel, after quarrel comes strife, and after strife comes murder. ’ So, Ahiqar stopped his words of wisdom which he taught Nadan. Then I, Ahiqar, when I had taught this doctrine to Nadan, my sister's son, thought that he would learn and retain all this teaching in his heart, and that he would stand at the king's gate, and that he would be a cause of joy to me and a delight in life, but he did the contrary: he did not listen to my words, and threw them—as it were—to the wind. And he used to say: "Ahiqar, my father, has grown old and has lost his mind.” And Nadan, my son, appropriated my property and dissipated my possessions, and did not

my good servants, and struck them before me; he also killed and sold 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 he commanded: 'Let no man come near the property of Ahiqar the scribe while he is alive.' Then Ahiqar took Nabuzardan, Nadan’s brother, to raise him in his house. And when Nadan saw that I had taken Nabuzardan and brought him up before me in the house, he was displeased. Nadan envied him, and he had evil thoughts in his mind because of it, and 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 remove me from his house?” And Ahiqar heard the words of Nadan, so he thought and said to Nadan, “Woe to my wisdom! How tasteless it has become in you!” When Nadan, 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 wicked letters in the name of Ahiqar, and went to the king's gate to show them. And two letters that he wrote in my name to the enemy kings of Sennacherib and Esarhaddon were as follows: one addressed to the king of Persia and Elam, Akhi, the son of Samḥelim, ⟨Note: In another manuscript[, the reading] is: Perorot Akmnis⟩ in which he wrote: "From Ahiqar, scribe and keeper of the seal of King Esarhaddon, greetings to you, king of Persia and Elam. When you receive this letter, come out at once and come to Assyria, and I will deliver it into your hands without war and without fighting, and you shall take its empire without hindrance." And he sent another letter in my name to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and in it he wrote: "When the letter arrives to you, 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 copied my handwriting in the letters and sealed them with my seals and placed them in one of the king's chambers. Then he wrote yet another letter in the name of the king

to me. "From Esarhaddon to Ahiqar, my lord's scribe, greetings. When you receive this letter, assemble the whole army at the mountain of Sohar and go from there to the Eagles’ plain on the twenty-fifth of the month Āb, and when you see me approaching, arrange the troops in front of me as if you were preparing for war, because messengers from Pharaoh, king of Egypt, have come to me so that they may know what power I have and what my strength is." When Nadan, my son, gave one of the letters to the king as if he had found it, he took it and read it before my lord King Esarhaddon. And when the king heard it, he was very angry with Ahiqar the scribe, and he said: "O God, what fault have I committed against Ahiqar that he should want to treat me in this way?" Then Nadan answered and said to the king: “Do not be angry or grieved, my lord the king. Let us now go out to the Eagles’ plain as it is written in this letter; by this we shall know the truth

of these things, and whatever you command shall take place." When the king had commanded that they prepare to go up to the plain to see the truth of this matter, then Nadan, my son, arose with my lord King Esarhaddon, and they came to me, found me and my army with me in the Eagles’ plain. And when I saw him coming to me, I set my army in array before him as for war, according to the letter that Nadan, my son, had sent me. When the king saw such deceit, his face was saddened and he turned back, on the advice of my son Nadan, who said to him: "My lord king, go to your dwelling in peace; I will take Ahiqar bound with chains and deliver him into your hands because he has committed evil against you." When Nadan left the king, he came to me and said: "By your God, my father, I swear to you, King Esarhaddon has praised and exalted you greatly for what you have done, because you have fulfilled the order of his letter. Now he has sent me to you so that we may go to him alone. Send the troops away so that each one may go to his own house." So, I sent the troops away and came with Nadan to the king and greeted him. And when he saw me, he said to me: "You have come, Ahiqar,

my scribe and who govern my kingdom, you whom I loved! I tell you, go home, and do not appear before me anymore. Now you have turned your love into hatred, and have become one of my enemies." Then he drew and gave me the letters which Nadan, my son, had written in my name and signed with my seal. When I had read them, I was appalled and remained trembling with fear, my tongue bound, and when I wanted to utter any of the wise words, I could not. Then my son Nadan cried out against me and said: "Go away from before the king, O foolish old man, O wretch, give your hands to the bonds and your feet to the ropes." Then the king turned his face away from me with unutterable anger and he commanded the executioner, named Nabusemakh, and said: "Arise, take Ahiqar, and go and slay him, and carry his head a hundred cubits from his body." Then I, Ahiqar, bowed to the king and said to him: "Live, O my lord the king, forever! Since you have willed my death, let your will be done, for I have no fault, to my knowledge, but I ask

my lord the king that I may be put to death at the door of my house, and that my body may be given to my servants to bury me." Then the king said to the executioner: "Go, as Ahiqar said, do it quickly." Then we all went out from before the king, and I sent word to my wife Eshfagni to come to meet me with a thousand maidens clothed in beautiful and sumptuous garments to lament and weep over me before I die. And I said to my wife to return home and prepare food and drink on tables of all kinds, and to serve the king's servants and the executioners with good and old wine. Then Eshfagni, my wife, who had great and prudent knowledge, did as I commanded her. When they had eaten and drunk and were drunk, they fell asleep in their places. Then I, Ahiqar, said to the executioner: "Lift your gaze to God, the Creator of heaven, and remember the bread and water that we ate together. I know that I have no fault and no sin, but Nadan has set a trap for me and deceived me. Do not share in his sin and kill me unjustly. Remember

and put into your mind the day when Sennacherib, the father of this king, was angry with you and commanded to kill you, and when I knew that you had no fault, I hid you and did not kill you until [the day] when the king's anger was appeased and he remembered you kindly; he commanded, and I brought you before him; he did you good and gave many presents. Now hide me and repay me for what I have done for you. Behold, I have a guilty servant, he is in prison, and his name is Medyapar, and he deserves death for his wickedness: bring him out now, clothe him with my garments, and deliver him up to the men who are with you; they are drunk, and will kill him, and not know whom they have slain; spread his head a hundred cubits from his body, and give his body to them to be buried, and the rumour shall spread through Assyria and Nineveh that Ahiqar has been slain." Then the executioner and Eshfagni, my wife, made me a hidden place under the earth fourteen cubits long and seven cubits wide under the threshold of the door; they brought me and hid me there and they put bread and water by me, and left me, and went and said to the king: “Ahiqar is dead according to your command.” And when the news

of it spread through Assyria and Nineveh, they wept over me and said: "Alas for you, Ahiqar, the skilful scribe who knew the hidden things, who shall arise like you?" Then King Esarhaddon called Nadan and said to him: "Go, make a funeral for your father Ahiqar according to custom." And Nadan went and came to the house and did not make a funeral, but gathered wicked and lustful men, and they began to eat, drink, dance and sing. And Nadan began to take my maids and strip them of their clothes, and he demanded evil things of them; even my wife, who had raised him as her son, he did not respect, but wanted to uncover her and sleep with her. I, Ahiqar, from under the earth, heard the cries of the people of my household before Nadan, my son. And I began to pray before God and beg him for them. And God heard my lamentations from the depths of the earth, and a few days later he sent Nabusemakh to me, and he comforted me, and recognized me, and gave me bread and water. When he asked to go, I persuaded him to pray to God to deliver me from this place. And he prayed and said, 'O merciful and praiseworthy God, remember Ahiqar

who hopes in you and deliver him from this prison.' When Pharaoh heard that Ahiqar the wise was slain, he rejoiced with great joy and wrote a letter and sent it, saying: "From Pharaoh king of Egypt, to Esarhaddon king of Assyria and Nineveh, greetings and peace. Know, O king, that I desire to build a fortress between heaven and earth, and therefore I want you to send me from near you an architect who will build it for me as I desire and who will know how to build it and answer any question. If you can find such a man, I will send you the tribute of Egypt and all its regions for three years, but if you do not find such a man, send with our messenger the three-year tribute of Assyria and Nineveh. When this letter came and was read before King Esarhaddon, he called together all the nobles, the wise men, the philosophers, the soothsayers, and the astrologers and said to them: "Which of you may go and answer King Pharaoh?" They answered and said to King Esarhaddon: "Truly, our lord the king knows that these questions and arguments were for the wise Ahiqar. See the one who holds his place, call him and question him."

Then the king called Nadan and handed him this letter. And Nadan answered and said to Esarhaddon: "My lord king, King Pharaoh is greatly mistaken! Who can make a building between heaven and earth? The gods themselves cannot! Perhaps it is a scribe's mistake!" And when the king heard the words of Nadan, he suffered greatly, descended from his seat, and sat on the ashes, and said: "Woe to me! Ahiqar, the wise who knew the hidden things; I would give half my kingdom to the one who tells me.” Then Nabusemakh heard the sound of the king's words and he came before him and bowed and said: "Lord king, live forever! Behold, Ahiqar is alive and hidden under the earth. Do not weep. Command, and we will bring him before you!" At these words, the king immediately left the ashes and ascended the throne, and he ordered Ahiqar to be brought from the place where he was. Nabusemakh went and brought him out from under the earth and brought him before the king. After they had both bowed to him, King Esarhaddon looked at Ahiqar and saw that his profile was changed

and that his whole body was weak; when the king saw him in such a state, he was seized with grief, he wept and said: "Ahiqar, I have no blame nor sin, but it is Nadan, your son, who has caused you harm by fraud." And Ahiqar answered and said: "My lord the king, now that I see you, let us leave all that is past, since God has favoured me with the sight of your fair face." The king answered and said: "Blessed be the God of Ahiqar, who has snatched him from these snares. Go, O Ahiqar, to the bath, shave, wash and return to your house. Eat and drink for forty days until you are strong, then come to me." And Ahiqar returned and did as the king had said. And after twenty days Ahiqar returned to King Esarhaddon and bowed before him. Then the king took out to him the letter of the king of Egypt and showed it. And Ahiqar took the letter out of the king's hand, and he read it, and understood all that was in it. And he said to the king: "Do not worry or grieve, my lord. I will go into Egypt and answer Pharaoh. I will explain all his requests and I will bring

the tribute of Egypt for three years, and I will confound all your enemies with the help of God, O my lord the king." When the king heard the words of Ahiqar, he rejoiced and filled his heart with joy and gladness, and he gave many gifts to Ahiqar and his wife. As for the executioner Nabusemakh, he raised his dignity above all and exalted him greatly. The day after, I, Ahiqar, wrote a letter to Eshfagni, my wife, and said to her thus: "On the arrival of this letter, order that the hunters should take two eaglets for us, and prepare ropes of hemp, two thousand cubits long, and order the carpenters to make two large boxes, and give Nabulhal and Tabshalem ⟨Note: In another manuscript Tafshalem⟩ to the nurses to bring them up, and feed the eagles a sheep every day, so that they may grow, and every day have the children ride on the backs of the eagles while they are small and have no weight. Tie the ropes to the feet of the eagles and [make the eagles fly] in the air, and the children shall ride on their backs while they are small, so that they may become accustomed to carrying them. And when they fly, teach the children to shout

on the backs of the eagles when they go up in the air, thus: 'Bring us mortar, lime, and stones, which the builders and workers need, for they want to build a fortress in the air.' Then draw the little ones [eaglets] down to the ground, put them in the box, and send me an answer to inform [me] about the end of this matter." And Eshfagni, my wife, was very wise and she did all that I had ordered and informed me. After some days I, Ahiqar, said to the king: "I am going to Egypt, for the time has come to go there." Then he gave me orders, and I took a large company with me. And when we had advanced a day's journey and had come to an open place in the plain, I brought the eagles out of the cages, tied the ropes to their feet, and made the children ride on their backs, and they flew through the air so that they were not seen. Then the children began to shout on the backs of the eagles in the air: "Bring us the lime, mortar, and stones which the builders and workers need, for they want to build a fortress in the high sky.” Then we drew them up and let them down. When the Assyrians heard this, they rejoiced

with great joy. Entry of Ahiqar before Pharaoh, king of Egypt When I, Ahiqar, entered Egypt with my troops, I went to King Pharaoh and the king’s servant informed him, saying: "Behold, the man whom you have asked of the king of Assyria is coming; what is your command?" And Pharaoh commanded and gave us a place for me and for my troops. Then Pharaoh commanded and I went in before him and bowed. Then he said to me: "What is your name?” I said: "Abiqam is the name of your servant, an ant of the ants of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria and Nineveh." When Pharaoh heard this, he was angry with me and said: "Am I so small before your master that he sends me an ant to give me an answer? Now go, O Abiqam, to your house, and tomorrow return to me." And I went away. And Pharaoh commanded his lords to put on the next day clothes of red byssus and to come to him. And the king also put on red purple and sat on his throne with all his servants and lords around him. Then he sent for me to come to him and said: "O Abiqam, first question, what am I like and what are my troops like?” I said

to him: "Surely, Lord, you resemble the idol Bel, and your servants resemble its deacons." Then he said to me: "Go now, O Abiqam, and come tomorrow.” And the king commanded his lords to put on white garments of thread, and to gather before him. And the king put on the same and sat on his throne with his lords standing before him. He commanded to bring me before him, and he said to me: "O Abiqam, to whom do I resemble and to whom do my lords resemble?” I said to him: "You resemble the sun and your lords resemble [its rays]." He said: "Go to your dwelling and tomorrow come back to me.” And the king commanded his lords to dress themselves in yellow silk, and the king also dressed in the same manner, and he sat on his throne, and I was brought in to him. And he said to me: "Abiqam, to whom do I now resemble and to whom do my lords resemble?" I said to him: "You resemble the moon and your great ones the stars." He said to me: "Go to your dwelling and come back tomorrow.” And he commanded his servants to put on various kinds of apparel, and that the veils of the palace should be red, and the king put on the purple and sat on his seat. He commanded and I was brought in to him. And he said to me: "Abiqam, to whom do I resemble, and to whom do my great ones resemble?"

I say to you this time, if you understand all that you have compared me to, your lord king Esarhaddon and his lords, what are they like?" Then I said to him: "God forbid that I should speak the name of my lord the king while you are sitting on your seat, but rise to your feet and I will tell you what my lord the king of Assyria is like." Then Pharaoh rose from his seat and I spoke to him thus: "My lord Esarhaddon resembles the power of the wind and his great ones the lightning. When he wills, the wind blows, the rain falls and the mud is formed. He also commands and thunder thunders and lightning flashes, he destroys the statue of Bel and scatters his deacons. He prevents the sun from shining and its rays from being seen; he commands the moon not to rise and the stars not to appear. He commands the northern part and it gives winds and thunders and rain falls and hail, and the flowers with all the fruits of Nisan are destroyed and fall." Then when

King Pharaoh heard this, he was greatly astonished and became angry. And he said: "Tell me truly what your name is, O man." Then I said to him: "I am Ahiqar the scribe." Then the king said to me: "We have heard that Ahiqar is dead. What does this mean?" I said to him: "It is the kindness of the merciful God that has delivered me from the cunning and oppression of evil and deceitful men. They lied against me before my lord the king and he ordered my death, but my Lord saved me from death; blessed is everyone who trusts in him." And King Pharaoh answered and said to me: "Go, O Ahiqar, to your house and tomorrow return to me and tell me something which I have not heard and which has not been heard by the great ones of Egypt." I went to my house and wondered within myself what word they would not have heard at all. Then I, Ahiqar, took a letter and I wrote as follows: "From Pharaoh, king of Egypt to Esarhaddon, king of Assyria and Nineveh, greetings. "Know, my dear brother, that brothers need brothers and kings need kings. Behold, at this moment I lack resources, my treasures and savings are exhausted, I ask Your Brotherhood to lend me nine hundred talents of gold, in a short time I will return

your gold to you without delay." I rolled up the letter and went to King Pharaoh. When he said to me: “Ahiqar, do you bring me the answer I asked you for?” I said to him: “Yes, Lord,” and I took out the letter and put it into his hands. And when he had given it to his lords, they were amazed and astonished, and said: "Truly this was never heard of in Egypt.” Then I said to them: "Egypt in this case must pay this debt to Assyria and Nineveh." So the Egyptians took it upon themselves to give the above debt. Then King Pharaoh said to me: "O Ahiqar, I ask you to build me a fortress between heaven and earth, and let its height be two thousand cubits." And I answered and said: "I will build you, O Lord, such a fortress as you desire, but the stones and the lime and the mortar shall be [provided] by you and the builders and the workmen by me." And Pharaoh answered and said: "So it shall be.” And immediately I took the eagles out of their boxes and made the children ride on their backs and tied the sons to their feet, and the eagles flew with the children, who cried and said: "Bring us the lime and the mortar and the stones, for King Pharaoh's builders and the workmen remain

idle and want to build for King Pharaoh a fortress between heaven and earth." Again they shouted and said: "Mix and give us wine to drink, O Egyptians." When Pharaoh and his nobles saw this, they were very astonished, and Ahiqar took a stick and struck Pharaoh's nobles so that they would give stones, lime, and mortar to the builders. And when the blows made them suffer, they fled to their houses. Then Pharaoh said: "Ahiqar, what are you doing? Are you mad? Who can bring them what they ask for from such a height in the sky?” Then I said to him: "If my lord Esarhaddon were here, he would build two fortresses in one day." Then Pharaoh said to me: "Stop building now and go to your dwelling, and tomorrow come to me at once." And I went as he commanded me, and I came again to him, and he said to me: "Ahiqar, what is the story of the horse of your master Esarhaddon? He neighs in Assyria, and our horses hear him from here and miscarry." Then I went out and took a cat from a garden and struck it before Pharaoh until it cried and mewed. And King Pharaoh called me

and said, "Why are you hitting that cat?" Then I said to King Pharaoh: “This cat has caused me great harm, O my Lord, for I had a rooster with a remarkable voice and it announced the hours of the night and my lord Esarhaddon had given it to me as a gift. That night the cat went to Assyria and ate my rooster. Then Pharaoh said to me: "Ahiqar, I now find in you something strange; how could it be possible that a cat should go from Egypt to Assyria in one night, since there are more than three hundred and sixty parasangs between them, and eat your rooster there, and return here?" Then I said: "My lord King Pharaoh, and how can the horse neigh there and the horses miscarry here?" Then the king said: "Your answer is good, but explain to me this parable: A builder built a pillar, and he built it with eight thousand seven hundred and sixty-three bricks and its shadow is on three hundred and sixty-five stones; and he planted above it twelve trees of cedar and he fixed to each cedar thirty sticks and to each stick two branches of dates,

one white and the other black." Then I said to King Pharaoh: "The herdsmen of Assyria and Nineveh know this: The builder is God who built the year and it is the pillar, he set the hours of the year [at] eight thousand seven hundred and sixty-three hours, and he fixed the days of the year to three hundred and sixty-five days. The twelve cedars are the twelve months of the year, each cedar has thirty sticks, that is, thirty days, and on each stick there are two branches, one white and one black, which are day and night." Pharaoh said to me again: "Ahiqar, [make] me two ropes out of the sand of the sea." I said to him: "My lord, command that they bring me from your treasure such a rope that I may make one like it." The king said to me: "Ahiqar, if you do not make me the rope, I will not give you the tribute of Egypt." Then, I went behind the house and made two holes in the wall and the sun came through these holes, and I laid sand from the sea in the holes and it began to turn like a cable. I said to the king: "Command your servants to take the cables." Then King

Pharaoh said: "Ahiqar, we have a millstone of a very remarkable case; one of them is broken, I want you to mend it for us." And Pharaoh's servants set it before me. Then I saw another stone, smaller and broken, and I took a piece of it and put it before Pharaoh and said to him: "Know, O my Lord, that I am here now a foreigner and I have not brought with me the tools of the carvers. Command the tailors of the city to make me a needle from this stone and I will sew it for you as soon as possible." Then Pharaoh and his lords admired Ahiqar the wise, and they praised him and said: "Blessed be the Lord who has given you such wisdom and insight, O Ahiqar." Ahiqar leaves Egypt and returns to Esarhaddon, king of Assyria and Nineveh. When Pharaoh and his lords saw that they had been overcome by Ahiqar the scribe, and that he had explained and solved all their parables and objections, and that they had no argument left against him, then Pharaoh gave him goods and the three-year tribute of all the land of Egypt, and he returned the nine hundred talents of gold of the letter which he had written.

And he filled all my servants and my troops with countless gifts, and allowed Ahiqar to return to Assyria with his troops. And I kissed the knees of King Pharaoh and returned to Assyria with great success. I returned to King Esarhaddon with honor and with my head held high, and he rejoiced with great joy at the sight of me; he made me sit at his right hand, and he said to me: "Ahiqar, my scribe, ask me whatever you wish and desire." Then I said to him: “My lord King, live forever! All that you give me I ask to be given to Nabusemakh the executioner, because thanks to his wisdom I am still alive, O lord King Esarhaddon." When the king of Assyria began to question me about all that I had done before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and I had told him each of these things, he heard it and was amazed. Then I handed over to him all that Pharaoh, the king, had given me, and afterwards I worshipped King Esarhaddon and said: "I pray for your peace and health, may the Lord grant it to you always; I desire nothing of my master's possessions, but give me Nadan, my son, that I may command him by your command and by your word." Then King Esarhaddon commanded, and they delivered Nadan.

my sister's son to me, bound, and I brought him home. I began by scourging him severely. I struck him one thousand and seventy blows on his back, a thousand on his shoulder, a thousand on his belly, a thousand on his backside, and a thousand on his feet, and every day I struck him. When he wanted to rest, I made him lie on the dung so that he would breathe a stench, and I gave him bread and water in measure for food. And I delivered him into the hands of Nabulhal and Tabshalem, young men who would guard him, and I said to them, "Write down all the words that I say to Nadan, the wretch, whom I have so honored and loved, and he did not understand it, but loved my death and sought to cause me to lose my life." Then I said to Nadan, my sister's son: ‘"My son, it is said in Proverbs: He who does not hear with his ear, let him hear from behind his head."’ ‘And Nadan answered me and said: “Why are you angry with me, O Ahiqar? It is said in the book, 'You shall not return evil for evil.’ Ahiqar said: “My son, I honored you and raised you up, I placed you before the seat of the empire and you threw me off my seat and desired my death, but God saved me when I was oppressed,’

‘because God drives out the proud and cares for the broken-hearted.’ ‘My son, you have been like the scorpion that strikes its sting on a rock and it does not notice, but when it strikes a needle, the needle says to the scorpion, 'Behold, my sting is harder than yours.’’ ‘My son, you have been like the man who takes stones to strike God and his stones do not reach Him, and he takes upon himself a great sin.’ ‘My son, you have been like the goat that stood up against the dyers' weeds to eat them. The madder said to the goat: "Why do you eat me, since your skin will be tanned with me?” The goat said to him: "During my life I eat [leaves] from you, and when I die my skin is tanned with your branches.”’ ‘My son, you have been to me like the man who saw his neighbour shivering with cold and took water and poured it on his head. ’ ‘My son, know that if the tail of a pig were to grow seven cubits long, it would not take the place of a horse, not even if its hair were to become soft as wool.’ ‘My son, I said that you would be my substitute and that you would take my place and that you would possess my teaching and all my goods, but you have not received my teaching and you have not heard my words, you have not considered God, and he has not heard your voice.’ ‘My son, you have been to me like a lion meeting a donkey in the morning,’

‘and the lion said to the donkey: "Peace be upon you.” And the donkey said: “May your peace be with him who did not bind me in the evening, and may God grant that I have not seen your face.”’ ‘My son, you have been to me like the trap that is on the dunghill. The sparrow said: "What are you doing here, O trap?" The trap said to him: "I pray to the high god.” And the sparrow said: “What is this that you lean upon?” The snare said: “This is my staff on which I lean in prayer.” And the sparrow said: “What is that in your mouth?” The snare said: “It is food for those who come near me.” The sparrow said: “Then I also may come near and eat.” The trap said: “Come near.” And the sparrow spoke and said to the trap: “If this is your fasting and prayer for God, He will not accept your fasting and prayers, nor will God agree with you to give you goods.”’ ‘My son, you have been to me like the weevil in the wheat, which is of no use; God destroys much [by means of it].’ ‘My son, you have been to me like the dog who, because of the cold, enters a house to get warm and when he is warm, he starts to bark at the inhabitants of the house.’ ‘My son, you have been to me like the pig who went with the grown-ups to the bath to wash himself. When he was washed’

‘and got out of the bath, he found mud and rolled in it.’ ‘My son, the dog that is not fed by its hunt will become food for the wolves. My son, the hand that does not work and is not useful will be cut off. My son, the eye that looks with envy will be plucked out.’ ‘My son, I have shown you the face of the king, I have brought you to great honor and raised you up, and instead of good you have done me evil. To him who does evil with you, what will you repay?’ ‘My son, you have been to me like a cat to whom it was said: “Give up stealing, and the king will make you a golden necklace.” He said: “I will not give up the art of my father and mother.” ’ ‘My son, I fed you with all good food, and you did not satisfy me with any bread, and I was hidden and buried, and you drank wine and desired, in your wickedness, the women who raised you.’ ‘My son, I raised you up like a beautiful cedar and you brought me down to the pit by the great number of your wicked deeds.’ ‘My son, I hoped that I had built a strong tower where I could hide from my enemies, but the Lord has torn me from it, for I sought good things from you and you gave me evil things. Therefore I will gouge out your eyes, cut out your tongue and take your head with the sword."’

‘And Nadan answered and said to Ahiqar: “Far be it that I should receive evils from you, but [rather] good things. Do with me according to your kindness, and forgive me all that I have done and said before, because I have angered God with my sins, and He always welcomes those who repent and have sinned. You, therefore, accept me to tend your beasts of burden, feed your swine and remove your dung, and I will be called an evil man and you a good man."’ ‘Ahiqar said to him again: “My son Nadan, the youth of the eagle prevails over the youth of the impure raven.’ ‘My son, they said to the wolf: "Keep away from the flock of sheep, lest its dung come upon you.” The wolf said: "I will not go away, for the droppings of the sheep are medicine for my eyes.” The wolf was brought to the scribe, my son, so that he might instruct him. The master said to him: “Say A, B.” And the wolf answered and said: “Sheep and kid in my belly.”’ ‘My son, since the time I taught you, I told you that God is a just ruler and an upright judge. To those who do well, He returns good; to those who do evil, He returns evil, and He places on their heads the torment that is in’

‘My son, in you is fulfilled the saying: He whom you have begotten, call him your son, and he whom you have raised, call him your slave. My son, this too is true: If he is your sister's son, strike him against the wall and throw him to the ground. It is God who knows the hidden things and renders to each one according to his works, whether good or bad. He will give you what you deserve. As for me, I say no more to you.”’ When Nadan, the fool, heard these words, he immediately swelled up and became like a bloated wineskin and perished, and his ribs broke and he died, as it is said in Proverbs: To him that does good, the Lord will render good, and evil shall also be repaid with evil.

It is finished by Steven Rais, who collected it from two old volumes. In the month of April in year 1883 CE, in [a] monastery: the teacher, Priest Jeremiah.