{...} is used where there is missing text or the damage to the papyrus has prevented a translation.
Line 1 ......... (Missing verse)
The door keepers say, “We shall go and pillage!”
And the makers of sweets {...}
......... (Missing verse)
The laundryman refuses to take up his load, And the sailors (?) {...}
......... (Missing verse)
The catchers of birds have marshaled their fighting forces.
......... (Missing verse)
Line 10 The men of the Delta marshes bear shields,
And the brewers of beer {...}
Verily, every face goes white with fear
......... (Missing verse)
Verily, every man is distressed, for a man sees his son as his foe,
And rancor is everywhere
Verily, every face goes white with fear
......... (Missing verse)
And one man incites another: “Come, take control of the mob.”
Verily {...}
Line 20 ......... (Missing verse)
Verily, every face goes white with fear,
For now is fulfilled what was fated for us
In the time of Horus, in the age of the Ennead,
Verily {...}
And foreigners have overrun the whole of Egypt
Verily, every face goes white with fear,
......... (Missing verse)
......... (Missing verse)
Verily {...}
Line 30 For what men of old foretold has come to fulfillment.
Verily, every face goes white with fear
......... (Missing verse)
Verily, there are none who can escape {...}
......... (Missing verse)
Verily, every face goes white with fear,
For citizen’s bow. Their heads to the earth, subject to marauding bands,
And a man goes to plough bearing his shield.
Verily, the common man says:
“My heart is in agony because of the condition of the land,”
Line 40 But one who is sly can become wealthy.
Verily, every face goes white with fear,
For archers are arrayed in order, evil is everywhere,
And men are not what they used to be.
Verily, thieves plunder everywhere,
And the servant pilfers whatever he finds.
Verily, the Nile overflows, but no one tills the earth on account of it,
And all men say, “We know not what will happen throughout the land.”
Verily, the women are barren, and none conceive,
Khnum does not shape men because of the condition of the land.
Line 50 Verily, paupers have become men of affluence,
And he who could not provide sandals for himself is now the possessor of wealth
Verily, faithful servants, their hearts have become surly,
And the magistrates do not satisfy their people when they cry out.
Verily, the heart is horrified,
For affliction pervades the land,
Blood is everywhere,
There is no end of death,
And the death-shroud summons,
Though one’s time has not yet come.
Line 60 Verily, countless corpses are entombed in the river;
The waters are a tomb, and the place of embalming is the river.
Verily, the Nobles are in lamentation, while the paupers are in glee,
And every city says, “Let us drive out the mighty from our midst.”
Verily, the people are like Ibises, for filth pervades the land,
And there are none at all in our time whose garments are white.
Verily, the land whirls like the movement of a potter’s wheel,
The thief is a possessor of wealth, and he who was wealth is a robber.
Verily, the road to the tomb lies open;
Even the cattle are driven off, and the peasant says:
Line 70 “How appalling! What shall I do?”
Verily, the river is blood, but one drinks from it;
One may turn away from people, yet one will thirst for water.
Verily, the portals, columns, and walls have been burned,
But the halls of the palace Life, Prosperity and Health are established and strong.
Verily, the ship of the southerners is shattered,
The cities are ravaged, and Upper Egypt has become a desolate plateau.
Verily, the crocodiles belch from the fish they have seized,
As men go freely to them,
For this is the utter destruction of the land.
Line 80 Verily, men say, “Do not tread here, for behold, it is a net,”
But behold, men fall into the trap like fish,
For, in his dismay, the terror-stricken does not notice it.
Verily, the people are diminished in number,
And he who buries his brother in the earth is everywhere;
A wise man speaks, but then he flees without delay.
Verily, the son of one whose name is known lacks recognition,
And the child of his wife becomes the son of his maidservant.
Verily, the desert pervades the land,
The nomes are annihilated, and foreign allies have come to Egypt.
Line 90 Verily, Asiatics have arrived in the land,
And in truth there are no Egyptians anywhere.
Verily, gold, lapis lazuli, silver, turquoise, carnelian, amethysts,
Emeralds and all precious stones adorn the necks of maidservants,
Noble looking ladies are throughout the whole land,
But the housewives sigh, “If only we had something to eat!”
Verily, Life is abhorrent to the hearts of the Noble women,
For their bodies are wretched because of their ragged clothes,
And their hearts languish when they give one another greeting.
Verily, ebony caskets are destroyed,
Line 100 And the costly aromatic wood from the beds is smashed,
{...} their {...}
Verily, builders arrive, but they depart as mere farm hands,
And those who once sailed in the Royal barque are now harnessed to it.
Verily, none indeed voyage north to Byblos today.
What then are we to do for cedar trees for our mummies?
For the priests are entombed in the wood of such trees,
And the Nobles even as far as Keftiu are embalmed with the oil thereof.
But these things arrive here no longer.
Gold too is no more.
Line 110 And the materials for all workmanship have been depleted.
Even the contents of the Royal palace Life Prosperity and Health have been despoiled.
How significant it is when the men of the oases come with their goods,
Rugs, pelts, fresh redmet plants, and bird oil to sell for profit.
Verily Elephantine and Thinis which is in Coptos of Upper Egypt
No longer pay tax because of conflict.
Vanished now are grain, charcoal, blue dye, maa wood, nut wood, and Brushwood,
The works of the artisans, the bitter gourd, be mit, those things which
Line 120 Are the revenues of the palace.
Of what use is a treasury without its income?
Indeed the heart of a king is content only when his tribute comes to
him.
Moreover, all the foreigners claim:
“This is our water! These are our crops!”
And what can we do about it?
Things have fallen into ruin.
Verily, rejoicing is perished and no longer arises;
It is grief which pervades the land, mingled with lamentation.
Line 130 Verily, every worthless man is now on of note,
And those who were Egyptians have become aliens and cast out.
Verily, everyone’s hair has become thin,
And no one can tell an honorable man from one who is worthless.
Verily, deafness has set in with regards to complaints,
There is no honesty of speech in this time of complaints,
And there is no end of complaints.
Verily, old and young say, “I would rather be dead.”
And even little children say, “No one should have given me life.”
Verily, the children of the Nobles are smashed against the walls,
Line 140 And suckling children are thrown out onto the desert.
Verily, bodies which were in the tombs are cast out onto the desert,
And the skills of the embalmers are undone.
Verily, vanished are those things which were seen yesterday,
And the land is remnants of its own weakness like the trimmings of flax.
Verily, the entire Delta, there is nothing protected therein,
And Lower Egypt relies on roads freely traveled by all.
What can be done?
There is no means of escape in any place,
And men cry out, “Down with the sanctuary!”
Line 150 Behold, it is under the control of the impious as of the pious,
And nomads are now experts in the professions of the Delta.
Verily, citizens are consigned to work the millstones,
And those who were once clothed with fine linen are unjustly beaten.
Those who once did not see the daylight can now go out with no restraint;
As for those who once were in the beds of their husbands,
let them now sleep on the ground.
Those who used to say, “It is too heavy for me”
About a package of myrrh
Line 160 Are now laden down under vessels filled with grain
And are no longer accustomed to be carried in litters.
As for the butler, he no longer exists,
And there is no cure for this.
Noble ladies bewail their lot like maidservants;
Musicians are at the looms in the place of weaving,
While their lays to Meret are laments,
And the tellers of tales are at the milestones.
Verily, all maidservants are mean mouthed,
But let the mistress speak, and it vexes the servants.
Line 170 Verily, trees are hewn down and the branches knocked off,
And the servants of a man’s house have driven him out.
Men will both say and hear,
“Food is lacking for numerous children,
And there is no sustenance from the different grains.
What would it taste like now?”
Verily, the Nobles perish from hunger,
And men follow those who once themselves were followers,
For the arm of the violent is protection and succor.
Verily, the unruly man says,
Line 180 “If I knew where God is, I would serve him.”
Verily, Ma’at pervades the land, at least in name,
But what men do is lawlessness, establishing themselves upon it.
Verily, one must be quick to fight for what belongs to him,
Or he will be robbed and all his property seized.
Verily, even all the animals, their hearts weep,
And the cattle lament the condition of the land.
Verily, the children of the Nobles are smashed against the walls,
Suckling children are thrown out onto the desert,
And Khnum groans because he is weary.
Line 190 Verily, horror commits murder,
The fearful man prevents those who would act against your foes,
And only a remnant are unharmed and safe, only a few.
It is by stalking the crocodile and destroying it?
Is it by slaughtering the lion and roasting it on the fire?
It is by sprinkling water for Ptah and bringing offerings
Why do you give to him?
For it does not reach him.
It is only trouble that you offer him.
Verily, servants rule {...} throughout the land,
Line 200 The strong man issues orders to everyone,
And a man strikes his maternal brother.
What are these things which have come to pass?
I can cry only “Destruction!”
Verily, the roads are avoided and the paths are ambushed,
Men crouch in the bushes until the arrival of a traveler at night
In order to seize his burden and to take what he is carrying;
He is attacked with blows of a cudgel and fouly murdered.
Verily, vanished are those things which were seen yesterday,
And the land is remnants of its own weakness like the trimmings of flax.
Line 210 The peasants wander about aimlessly because of the desolation,
And goldsmiths are employed on the canals.
If only this were the end of men!
No more conceiving! No more giving birth!
Then the land would be hushed from its discord,
And its turmoil would be no more.
Verily, men feed on wild plants and wash them down with water,
For they can find neither fruit, nor herbs, nor fowl;
They seize the slops from the mouths of pigs.
No one is cheerful, for all have succumbed to hunger.
Line 220 Verily, grain is depleted everywhere,
And men are deprived of clothing, perfume, and oil.
Everyone says, “There is nothing left.”
The warehouse is bare and its attendant stretched out on the earth.
All joy is lacking to my heart; I’am totally undone!
If only I had uttered my words at the proper time,
For it would have rescued me from the suffering into which I have fallen.
Verily, the sacred chamber, its writings are stolen,
And the place of secrets, which was therein, is disclosed.
Verily, the sacred spells have been exposed,
Line 230 Incantations and rituals have been invalidated
Through being known by the people.
Verily, the offices opened and their records pillaged;
Men who once were serfs have now become owners of serfs.
Verily, scribes are murdered, and their writings are stolen;
How evil is my plight through the misery of our time.
Verily, the scribes of the land registry, their records are destroyed,
And the grain of Egypt is up for grabs.
Verily, the decrees of the council chamber are tossed aside;
Moreover, men walk on them in public,
Line 240 And the rabble smash them in the streets.
Verily, the pauper has acquired the rank of the Ennead,
And the business of the House of the Thirty is laid bare.
Verily, the great council chamber is open to all,
Paupers came and go in the great palaces.
Verily, the children of the Nobles are cast into the streets;
The wise man says “Yes!” while the fool says “No!”
And he who understands nothing of it finds it pleasing in his sight.
Verily, bodies which were in the tombs are cast out onto the desert,
And the skills of the embalmers are undone.
Line 250 Behold now, a fire has blazed up to the height,
And its flames goes forth against the land.
Behold now, deeds are done which have never before occurred,
For the king has been overthrown by the rabble.
Behold, he who was buried as a falcon now sleeps on a bier,
And what the pyramid once held hidden will now be wanting.
Behold now, the land begins to lose the kingship
At the hands of a few men who ignore tradition.
Behold now, there arises rebellion
Against the mighty Uraeus of Re who contents the Two lands.
Line 260 Behold, the secret of the land, whose limits are unknown, is laid bare,
And the residence could fall at any moment.
Behold, Egypt has begun to pour water,
And he who once irrigated the land has carried off the mighty in misery.
Behold, the serpent has been wrenched from its lair,
And the secrets of the kings of Upper and Lower Egypt are laid bare.
Behold, the residence is fearful because of want,
And everyone will arouse strife with no opposition.
Behold, the land is fettered by mobs,
And as for the brave man, the craven seizes his property.
Line 270 Behold, the serpent devours the dead,
And he who could not make a coffin for himself
Is now the owner of a tomb.
Behold, those who once owned tombs
Are thrown out onto the desert plateau,
While he who could not make a grave for himself
Is now owner of a treasury.
Behold now what men have become:
He who could not build for himself a single chamber
Is now the owner of a mansion.
Line 280 Behold, the judges of the land are driven away throughout the land,
And those who once herded bulls are now in the royal palace.
Behold, Noble ladies now sleep on the floor,
And princes are in the workhouse.
Behold, {...}
While he who did not have a floor on which to sleep
Is now the owner of a bed.
Behold, he who once owned wealth now spends the night in thirst,
While he who once begged dregs for himself has overflowing bowls.
Behold, those who once owned robes are in rags,
Line 290 While he who could not weave for himself is the owner of fine linen.
Behold, he who could not build a boat for himself
Is now the owner of a fleet,
While their former owner can only gaze at them,
For they no longer belong to him.
Behold, he who had no shelter is now the owner of a shelter,
While those who once had shelters are in the blast of the tempest.
Behold, he who could play the lyre is skilled on the harp,
And he who could not sing for himself now praises Meret.
Behold, those who once owned bronze vessels,
Line 300Not one of them has garlanded jars.
Behold, he who once slept wifeless through poverty
Can now find Noble women,
And he who was inconspicuous
Now stands in a position of importance.
Behold, he who had nothing is now the owner of wealth,
And the official favors him.
Behold, the poor of the land have become the wealthy,
And he who owned property now has nothing.
Behold, cupbearers have become the masters of butlers,
Line 310 And he who was a messenger now sends someone else.
Behold, he who did not have a loaf is now the owner of a storehouse,
But his storeroom is stocked with the property of another.
Behold, he who had lost his hair and was lacking in oil
Has become the owner of jars of sweet myrrh.
Behold, she who had no box is now the owner of a chest,
And she who used to look at her face in the water now owns a mirror.
Behold {...}
Behold, a man is contended when he eats his food,
So consume what you with joyful heart
Line 320 While there is still nothing preventing you.
It is pleasant for a man to eat his food,
And God ordains it for the one whom he has favored.
......... (Missing verse)
Behold now, he who did not know his God now makes offering to him
With incense belonging to another whom he does not even know.
Behold, Noble ladies, highborn and possessors of wealth,
Now sell their children in exchange for provisions.
Behold now, a lowly man takes a Noble woman as his wife,
And her father supports him so that he may not kill him.
Line 330 Behold, the children of magistrates are in rags,
And the calves of their cattle are surrendered to robbers.
Behold, the serfs slaughter cattle,
And the poor have become robbers.
Behold, he who did not slaughter for himself now slaughters bulls,
And he who did not know how to carve now sees all choice meats.
Behold, the serfs slaughter geese
Which are given to the Gods instead of oxen.
Behold, maidservants {...} make offerings of ducks,
And Noble women {...}
Line 340 Behold, Noble women flee in one single flight,
Their hearts failing through fear of death.
Behold, the chiefs of the land flee;
They have no function through lack of one to back them.
Behold, those who once owned beds sleep on the ground,
While he who spent the night in squalor
Is now one spreads a leather mat for himself.
Behold, Noble ladies have fallen upon hunger,
While serfs are satisfied with what had been made ready for them.
Behold, no function is in its proper place,
Line 350 Like a herd wandering aimlessly without its herdsman.
Behold, the cattle wander off with no one to collect them,
And every man takes for himself the one branded with his name.
Behold, a man can be slain in the presence of his own brother,
And he deserts him in order to save himself.
Behold, he who did not have a pair of oxen
Is now the owner of a herd,
And he who could not find oxen for ploughing
Is now the owner of cattle.
Behold, he who had no grain is now the owner of a granary,
Line 360 And he who used to borrow grain now lends it out.
Behold, he who had no dependants is now the master of serfs,
And he who was a director is now one who conducts his own affairs.
Behold, the mighty of the land,
The condition of the people is not recounted to them,
For everything has been destroyed.
Behold, all the artisans no longer work,
For the enemies of the land have ruined its artisans.
Behold, he who reported the harvest now knows nothing of it,
While he who did not plough for himself is now rich ingrain.
Line 370 The harvest is carried out, but is not reported;
As for the scribe, his hands are idle at his post.
Destroy {...}
{...} his {...} in his time.
A man regards his brother as his enemy,
And the weak man brings coolness {...}
{...} in the office is fearful.
No {...}
The wretched {...}
The land does not brighten because of it.
Line 380 Destroyed {...} their food is seized from them.
The pauper begs {...} the messenger,
But no {...} time.
He is seized while burdened with his property,
And he is robbed {...},
Men pass by his door.
The Wab priest sits outside the wall
In the office of the rooms containing falcons and rams,
A vigil without dawn.
As for the commoner, he is watchful,
Line 390 So that the day may dawn on him without his fearing it.
Men flee as if driven by the wind.
Those who once worked with fine linen in a house,
Now all they make are tents like the nomads.
No longer are commissions carried out by servants on the business of
Their masters,
For there is no readiness on their part to do so.
Even though there are five men yet they all say:
“Take care of that yourself! You know that we have just come back!”
The Delta weeps, for the Royal storehouse is up for grabs by everyone,
Line 400 And the entire Royal palace Life, Prosperity and Health lacks its income.
To it are due grain and barley, fowl and fish;
To it are due white fabric and fine linen, bronze and oil;
To it are due carpets and mats {...} blossoms and sheaves,
Every fine work which should arrive expertly fashioned.
If there is dearth of these in the Royal palace, Life, prosperity and Health,
Then no one can be free from the lack of them.
Destroy the enemies of the Noble Residence, glorious in its Nobles,
Who {...} in it like {...}
......... (Missing verse)
Line 410 For the ruler of the city must go about without his escort.
Destroy the enemies of the Noble Residence, glorious in {...}
......... (Missing verse)
Destroy the enemies of that Noble Residence, abundant in laws,
......... (Missing verse)
......... (Missing verse)
......... (Missing verse)
Destroy the enemies of that Noble Residence {...}
For {...} its {...}
Destroy the enemies of that Noble Residence {...}
Line 420 For none can stand {...}
Destroy the enemies of that Noble Residence, abounding in offices,
For verily {...}
Remember the anointing of {...}
One who suffers due to the sickness of his body.
Give respect to {...}
{...} because of his God.
He will guard his mouth {...}
{...} and his offspring will witness the rising of the Nile flood.
Remember to replenish the shrine, to make offering of incense,
Line 430 And to pour a libation from a vessel at dawn.
Remember to bring fat ro-geese, terep geese, and set geese
And to sacrifice sacred offerings to the Gods.
Remember to chew natron and to prepare white bread,
As is done by a man on the day of the anointing of the head.
Remember to set up flagpoles and to carve offering tables,
As the priest purifies the sanctuaries,
The house of the God is plastered as white as milk,
The fragrance of the horizon is made sweet,
And offerings of bread are presented.
Line 440 Remember to observe the ordinances, rightly to assign the dates,
And to expel him who is initiated as a priest despite physical impurity,
For this is undertaking it wrongly,
This is malevolence of heart.
Remember the day which precedes eternity,
The months which are numbered and the years which are known.
Remember to slaughter oxen,
{...} from the best which you have on record.
Remember to go forth and seek the God who summons you,
To place a ro-goose on the fire {...},
Line 450 To open the jar, and to make offering on the banks of the Nile flood.
Remember {...}
{...} of women
......... (Missing verse)
{...} clothing.
{...} to offer praise,
......... (Missing verse)
{...} to content you.
{...} through lack of people.
Come {...}
Line 460 {...} of Re who commands {...}
{...} while revering him, the one who journeys to the west,
To weaken those who are by the Gods.
Behold, why does God even consider creating man,
When the peaceful man is not distinguished from the aggressive?
Let him but bring coolness upon their passion, and men will say:
“He is the shepherd of all mankind, and there is no evil in his heart.”
Small is his herd,
But he had had to spend the entire day to herd them
Because of the fire in their hearts.
Line 470 Would that he had perceived their nature in the first generation!
Then he would have smitten their sinfulness
And extended his arm against it;
He would have destroyed herds of them and their heirs.
Yet men desire to procreate,
And so sorrow has come to be, and misery on everyside.
Such is the way it is, and never will it end,
As long as the gods exist in the midst of it all
And the seed issues forth from the wives of men.
None may be found upon the right way,
Line 480 But only struggle has come forth.
The chastiser of crimes is the one who devises them,
And there are no pilots on watch.
Where is God today? Does he indeed sleep?
Behold, his power is no more seen.
Though we have been afflicted,
Yet did I not find you?
You did not call to me in vain.
“Resistance against these things means only discouragement.”
These words are now on the mouth of everyone,
Line 490 For today those who fear these things are more than millions of men,
And no defenders against our enemies can be seen.
{...} the tumult in his outer hall
Has entered into the temple {...}
The south erners weep for him {...}
Behold him! He is the one who acts so that his words are contradicted.
How often the land {...}
Has not the land fallen? {...}
The statues are burned, and their workshops are destroyed.
Everyman is on his guard,
Line 500 For he sees the day of calamity now established.
The universal Lord, who has made for himself a division between heaven
And earth,
Has become fearful for everyman.
If he does not act in our defense, who then will,
If you refuse to save?
Authority, perception, and Ma’at are with you,
But it is confusion which you have permitted throughout the land
Along it the noise of tumult.
Behold, one man strikes out at another,
Line 510 For men transgress against what you have decreed.
Of three men set out on a journey, only two arrive,
For the many kill the few.
Is there indeed a shepherd who desires death?
Then you may command that such be done.
There is now a destruction of affection,
For one man hates the other.
Now there is a reduction in men’s persons everywhere,
And it is you who have behaved so that this might come to pass,
For you have spoken falsehood.
Line 520 The land is now a bitter weed which destroys mankind,
And none can be certain of life.
Through all these years there is conflict,
And a man can be murdered on the roof of his own house.
Let him be vigilant in his gatehouse,
And if he is strong, he may save himself.
This is life!
Men devise crimes even against a commoner:
He travels on the road until he sees the ambush;
The road is blocked, and he stops in fear.
Line 530 What he has with him is seized,
And he is attacked with blows of a cudgel and cruelly murdered.
Would that you might taste even a little such misery!
Then you would say, “Keep silent no longer!”
......... (Missing verse)
{...} his {...} as a guard on the wall,
As well as {...}
......... (Missing verse)
The years when speech was uttered {...}
Line 540 ......... (Missing verse)
Verily, it is good when ships sail southward {...}
......... (Missing verse)
And no robbers plunder them.
Verily, it is good {...}
......... (Missing verse)
Verily, it is good when the net is pulled in,
And men tie up the birds in the evening.
Verily, it is good when {...} honors for them,
When the roads are open to travel.
Line 550 Verily, it is good when men’s hands construct pyramids,
When pools are dug, orchards planted with trees worthy of the Gods.
Verily, it is good when men drink deep,
When they drink strong liquor, and their hearts rejoice.
Verily, it is good when shouts of joy are in men’s mouths,
When the lords of the estates stand
Watching the rejoicing in their houses,
Dressed in fine linen,
Their foreheads anointed, and secure for the future.
Verily, it is good when beds are prepared,
Line 560 When the headrests of the Nobles are well secured,
When all men’s wants are satisfied by a couch in the shade,
And a door is shut to protect him who used to sleep in the bushes.
Verily, it is good when fine linen is laid out on New Years Day,
{...} on the bank,
When fine linen is laid out, and cloaks spread on the ground,
When the keeper of the cloaks {...}
......... (Missing verse)
{...} trees,
And the common folk are {...}
Line 570 ......... (Missing verse)
{...} they {...} acts of robbery
{...} while sailing southwards.
The Delta is confined {...}
{...} in their midst like Asiatics.
......... (Missing verse)
But men ignore their schemes,
And so bring about their own doom,
And none can be found who will arise
And defend themselves against the Libyans and Asiatics.
Line 580 Each man fights only for his sister and protects himself.
Are Nubians the threat? Then we shall protect ourselves,
For the warriors are numerous to drive back the foreign bowmen.
Is it Lybians? Then we shall route them,
For the Medjay are friendly with Egypt.
But how? For everyman slays his own brother,
And the troops we recruited for ourselves have become foreigners
And have turned to pillaging.
The outcome of that will be to let the Asiatics realize the condition of the Land.
Line 590 But all the foreigners are still held in awe of it,
And what the peoples have experienced is enough to say:
“Egypt will not be subjected to the desert;
She will be victorious because of her walls.”
But this will be said of you in later years:
“{...} destroyed itself.”
It is time {...} their {...} will give life to his children.
There will be {...}
What has been brought to pass is that there will not be {...}
{...} said
Line 600 The troops {...}
......... (Missing verse)
......... (Missing verse)
......... (Missing verse)
......... (Missing verse)
......... (Missing verse)
{...} make sandals for yourselves
.........
Bonds {...} resin,
Lotus leaves, reeds, {...}
Line 610 {...} in excess of the provisions {...}
You have deceived the whole populace!
It seems that your heart prefers to ignore the troubles.
Have you done what will make them happy?
Have you given life to the people?
They cover their faces in fear of the morning!
Once there was a man who had grown old and was approaching death,
And his son was a child still without understanding.
He began to defend {...}
But he could not open his mouth to speak to you,
Line 620 And you robbed him even in the agony of death.
Weep {...}
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Line 630 {...} after you,
The land will be {...}
{...} on every side.
If men call to {...}
The people of the land weep because of their enemies
Who have entered the funerary temples
And burned the images.
Destroyed are {...}
And the bodies of the mummies are carried off {...}
How evil {...}
Line 640 {...} of the director of works
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The rest of the text is missing. It is unfortunate, as the dialogue between the pharaoh and Ipuwer begins to appropriate blame for the chaos that now hangs over Egypt. But a sense of restoration seems to be at hand.