against the king my lord.  If troops come this year, there will remain both provinces [and] governors to the king my lord; [but] if no troops arrive, there will remain no provinces or governors to the king [my lord].  Behold, neither my father nor my mother has given this country of the city of Jerusalem unto me:  it was an oracle [of the Mighty King] that gave it to me, even to me.  Behold, Malchiel and the sons of Labai have given the country of the king to the Confederates.  Behold, the king my lord is righteous towards me.  As to the Babylonians, let the king ask the commissioner how very strong is the temple-[fortress of Jerusalem.]....  Thou hast delivered (?) the provinces into the hands of the city of Ash[kelon].  Let the king demand of them abundance of food, abundance of oil, and abundance of wine until Pa-ur, the commissioner of the king, comes up to the country of the city of Jerusalem to deliver Adai along with the garrison and the [rest of the people].  Let the king consider the [instructions] of the king; [let him] speak to me; let Adai deliver me—­Thou wilt not desert it, even this city, sending to me a garrison [and] sending a royal commissioner.  Thy grace [is] to send [them].  To the king [my lord] I have despatched [a number of] prisoners [and a number of] slaves. [I have looked after] the roads of the king in the plain (kikkar, Gen. xiii. 10) and in the mountains.  Let the king my lord consider the city of Ajalon.  I am not able to direct my way to the king my lord according to his instructions.  Behold, the king has established his name in the country of Jerusalem for ever, and he cannot forsake the territories of the city of Jerusalem.—­To the secretary of the king my lord thus speaks Ebed-Tob thy servant.  At thy feet I prostrate myself.  Thy servant am I. Lay a report of my words before the king my lord.  The vassal of the king am I. Mayest thou live long!—­And thou hast performed deeds which I cannot enumerate against the men of the land of Ethiopia....  The men of the country of the Babylonians [shall never enter] into my house....”

(IV.) (The beginning of the letter is lost, and it is not certain that Ebed-Tob was the writer of it.) “And now as to the city of Jerusalem, if this country is still the king’s, why is Gaza made the seat of the king’s government?  Behold, the district of the city of Gath-Carmel has fallen away to Tagi and the men of Gath.  He is in Bit-Sani (Beth-Sannah), and we have effected that they should give Labai and the country of the Sute to the men of the district of the Confederates.  Malchiel has sent to Tagi and has seized some boy-slaves.  He has granted all their requests to the men of Keilah, and we have delivered (or departed from) the city of Jerusalem.  The garrison thou hast left in it is under the command of Apis the son of Miya-riya (Meri-Ra).  Hadad-el has remained in his house in Gaza....”