EA 287 Translation

[Spe]ak [to the ki]ng, my lord, a message from IR₃-

(o 001)

Hebat, your servant. [I fall at the feet of the king], my lord, seven ti[mes and seven t
imes].
(o 004)
[Look, the commissioner]s brought to me [al]l the word[s of the king, my lord].
(o 006)
[Look], (this is) the deed (Akk. gloss. that which he d[id]): [[Milki-
ʾili gave bows] (and) (bronze) arrow(s) {Can.? gloss: [...} to Tagi (and) the sons of
La]bʾaya [...]. They brought [...] to [Qilt]u. The [king] should know: All the lands ar
e peaceful, (yet) there is hostility against me. So the king should care for his land.
(o
014)
Look, the land of Gezer, the land of Ashkelon, and L[achish] gave bread, oil, and
everything else (Can. gloss: their needs) to them. So the king should see to the regul
ar troops, and he should dispatch the regular troops against the men who are commit
ting a crime against the king, my lord. If there are regular troops this year, then the
king, my lord, will have lands and a city ruler. [But] if there are no regular troops, t
hen the king will not have [land]s or a city ruler.
(o
025)
[Lo]ok, as for this land of Jerusalem, neither my father nor my mother gave (it) to
me; the [stro]ng hand (Can. gloss: arm) of [the king] gave (it) to me.
(o 029)
Look, this is the deed, the deed of Milki-
ʾili and the deed of the sons of Labʾaya, who gave the king's land <to> habiru men.
(o
032)
Look, O king, my lord, I am in the right with regard to the Cushite men! The king
should ask the commissioners whether the house is very strong. But they sought (to
commit) a very serious crime.
{Can. They took} their equipment and went away to [se]ize the roof (Can. gloss: the
roof)! [So, i]f [troops] are to be dispatched into the land of [Jerusalem], they shoul
d come up (from Gaza) wit[h a garrison for] service. [The king] should care for the
m. [The entirety] of the lands under their control (Can.: has become oppressed). [S
o] the king should ask about the[m and] there [should] be much bread, much oil, (an
d) much clothing until Piwuru, the king’s commiss[ioner], comes up (from Gaza) to
the land of Jerusalem. Haddaya went away with the garrison – (he is) the we’u-
soldier [whom] the king gave. The king should know: Haddaya [sa]id to me, “[Lo]o
k, he dismissed me from duty.” Do not abandon it (i.e., the land of Jerusalem)! In th
 is [year] send me a garrison here, [and] send a royal commissioner here (as well). I
dispatched [caravan]s to the king, [m]y lord, [n] {Can. aširu-
personnel}, 5000 [(shekels) of silver and] eight {Can. bearers} of the royal caravans
, (but) {Can. they were taken by force} in the ugaru-
field (Can. gloss: the fields) of Ayaluna. The king should know: I am unable to send
a caravan to the king, my lord. For the purpose of informing you.
(r
060)
Look, the king established his reputation in Jerusalem forever, so he cannot aband
on it--the lands of Jerusalem!

Speak to the scribe of the king, my lord, a message from IR₃-

(r 064)

Hebat, your servant. I fall at the two feet.

{Can. I} am your servant. Bring loyal words to the king, my lord: “{Can. I} am a w
e’u-soldier of the king. I would die for you!”
(r
071)
You should treat the evil deed as the responsibility of the men from Cush. By a fin
ger’s breadth was I not killed (Akk. gloss: I was killed) by the hand of the men from
Cush [ins]ide my own house! The king should a[sk] about the[m].
(r 077)
[I fall seven] times and seven times. [The kin]g, my lord, [should care] for m[e].