and I am by no means a friend of his.  Have I ever visited him in his domain or entered his door, or passed through his compound? [Never!] He is a man whose heart becometh full of evil thoughts, whensoever he seeth me, and he wisheth to carry out his fell design and plunder me.  He is like a wild bull seeking to slay the bull of a herd of tame cattle so that he may make the cows his own.  Or rather he is a mere braggart who wisheth to seize the property which I have collected by my prudence, and not an experienced warrior.  Or rather he is a bull that loveth to fight, and that loveth to make attacks repeatedly, fearing that otherwise some other animal will prove to be his equal.  If, however, his heart be set upon fighting, let him declare [to me] his intention.  Is God, Who knoweth everything, ignorant of what he hath decided to do?”

And I passed the night in stringing my bow, I made ready my arrows of war, I unsheathed my dagger, and I put all my weapons in order.  At daybreak the tribes of the land of Thennu came, and the people who lived on both sides of it gathered themselves together, for they were greatly concerned about the combat, and they came and stood up round about me where I stood.  Every heart burned for my success, and both men and women uttered cries (or exclamations), and every heart suffered anxiety on my behalf, saying, “Can there exist possibly any man who is a mightier fighter and more doughty as a man of war than he?” Then mine adversary grasped his shield, and his battle-axe, and his spears, and after he had hurled his weapons at me, and I had succeeded in avoiding his short spears, which arrived harmlessly one after the other, he became filled with fury, and making up his mind to attack me at close quarters he threw himself upon me.  And I hurled my javelin at him, which remained fast in his neck, and he uttered a long cry and fell on his face, and I slew him with his own weapons.  And as I stood upon his back I shouted the cry of victory, and every Aamu man (i.e. Asiatic) applauded me, and I gave thanks to Menthu;[1] and the slaves of my opponent mourned for their lord.  And the Shekh Ammuiansha took me in his arms and embraced me.  I carried off his (i.e. the opponent’s) property.  I seized his cattle as spoil, and what he meditated doing to me I did unto him.  I took possession of the contents of his tent, I stripped his compound, I became rich, I increased my store of goods, and I added greatly to the number of my cattle.

[Footnote 1:  The War-god of Thebes.]

Thus did God prosper the man who made Him his support.  Thus that day was washed (i.e. satisfied) the heart of the man who was compelled to make his escape from his own into another country.  Thus that day the integrity of the man who was once obliged to take to flight as a miserable fugitive was proven in the sight of all the Court.  Once I was a wanderer wandering about hungry, and now I can give bread to