The Empires of the Bible from the Confusion of Tongues to the Babylonian Captivity

No. I

“To the king my lord, speak thus: I, Ebed-tob, thy servant, at the feet of my lord the king, seven times seven prostrate myself. EB 112.3

“What have I done against the king my lord? They have slandered myself, laying wait for me in the presence of the king, the lord, saying: Ebed-tob has revolted from the king, his lord. Behold, neither my father nor my mother have exalted me in this place; ⁶⁶ the prophecy of the mighty king has caused me to enter the house of my father. Why should I have committed a sin against the king, the lord? With the king my lord is life. I say to the Commissioner of the king my lord: Why dost thou love the Confederates, and the governors thou hatest? and constantly I am sending to the presence of the king my lord to say that the countries of the king my lord are being destroyed. Constantly I am sending to the king my lord, and let the king my lord consider, since the king my lord has established the guard who have taken the fortresses.... EB 112.4

“May the king send help to his country. May he send troops to his country which protects the fortresses of the king, the lord, all of them, since Elimelech is destroying all the country of the king, and may the king, the lord, send help to his country. EB 112.5

“I say: I have gone down along with the king my lord, and I have not seen the tears of the king my lord; but hostility is strong against me, yet I have not taken anything whatever from the king my lord; and may the king incline towards my face; may he despatch the guard to me, and may he appoint a Commissioner, and I shall not see the tears of the king my lord, since the king my lord shall live when the Commissioner has departed. EB 112.6

“I say: the countries of the king my lord are being destroyed; and yet thou dost not listen to me. All the governors are destroyed; no governor remains to the king the lord. May the king turn his face to the men, and may he send auxiliaries, even the troops of the king my lord. No countries remain unto the king: and the Confederates have wasted all the countries of the king. If auxiliaries come this year, the countries of the king the lord will be preserved; but if no auxiliaries come, the countries of the king my lord are destroyed. EB 112.7

“To the secretary of the king my lord, Ebed-tob speaks: a report of my words thou layest before the king my lord: there are destroyed by the enemy the countries of the king my lord.” EB 113.1