Column 8

8.1 〈as〉 a widow because of want — he finds riches. He who was never looked at stands, making himself important. Look, he who had no property is an owner of wealth;

8.2 and the official sings his praises. Look, the poor of the land have become rich men; the 〈owner〉 of property is a man of nothing. Look, 〈butlers〉 have become

8.3 owners of cupbearers. He who was a messenger now sends another. Look, he who had no peat-loaf is an owner of granaries, 〈furnished〉

8.4 with the goods of another. Look, he whose hair has fallen out, who had no oil, has become an owner of khebbet-jars of sweet myrrh.

8.5 Look, she who had no casket is an owner of a carrying-chest; she who glimpsed her face in the water is an owner of a mirror. Look, happy is the man who eats his food:

8.6 Eat your food in joy, with nothing held back from you! It is a good thing for a man to eat his food: god allots it to whom he has favored.

8.7 …whom he has favored. […] One 〈who does not know〉 his god offers to him with the incense of another, without [his] knowing [it]. Look, the noble ladies, the great ladies, the mistresses of riches

8.8 give their children for bed-covers. Look, a man […] makes a noble lady his wife, her father having protected him;

8.9 yet the have-not slays him. Look, the children of the council are in ol[d clothes]; [the calves of their cattle belong to plunderers …]

8.10 Look, the king's men smash and devour the cattle; the oppressed […] the plunderers.

8.11 The plunderers: he who could not slaughter for himself slaughters shorthorn cattle; he who knew no butchery sees every […]

8.12 every man. Look, the king's men smash and devour the geese; in place of longhorn cattle they are given 〈to〉 the gods! Look, the maidservants

8.13 offer the pigs; the noble ladies thereof 〈…〉. Look, the noble ladies flee in a single rush, their

8.14 bodies felled in fear of death. 〈Look〉, the chiefs of the land flee; they have no occupation, for lack of a lord of fav[ors]. [Look,] the owners of beds are on the ground.

8.1 as a widower because he had nothing now finds wealth. A man nobody looked at stands as an important person. Look, a man who had nothing now owns riches,

8.2 and an official praises him. Look, the country's poor have become rich, while a man who owned property now has nothing. Look, the servers

8.3 now own attendants, and the former messenger sends someone else. Look, a man who had no loaf now owns a storehouse, stocked

8.4 with things that belong to someone else. Look, a man whose hair fell out and who had no oil now owns jars of sweet myrrh.

8.5 Look, a woman who had no small chest now owns a carrying chest; one who used to see her face reflected in water now owns a mirror. Look, a man enjoys eating

8.6 his food. Eat what you have gladly, with no one to stop you! It is good for a man to eat his food: god gives it to a man he favors.

8.7 […] A man who does not know his god offers him someone else's incense without realizing it. Look, wealthy and powerful women who own riches give away their children in exchange for beds.

8.8 Look, a man […] takes a wealthy woman for his wife, and her father has protected him,

8.9 but a man who has nothing kills him. Look, the councilors' children wear old clothes; […] their cattle belong to looters.

8.10 Look, butchers kill cattle, while the miserable […] looters.

8.11 Look, a man who could not slaughter an animal now slaughters short-horned cattle; a man who did not know butchery now sees […].

8.12 Look, butchers slaughter […] geese. These are given to the gods in place of long-horned cattle! Look, servant women […]

8.13 are offering pigs, while the wealthy women […]. Look, wealthy women flee together in a rush; their […] lie flat

8.14 in fear of death. Look, the leaders of the land are fleeing; they have no work because there is no lord to reward them. Look, the owners of beds lie on the ground.