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Letter from Išbi-Erra to Ibbi-Suen about the purchase of grain (Q000557)
Literary, Old Babylonian, Nippur · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE
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| Designation | Letter from Išbi-Erra to Ibbi-Suen about the purchase of grain |
|---|---|
| ID | Q000557 |
| Language | Sumerian |
| Period | Old Babylonian · c. 1900 BCE–1600 BCE |
| Genre | Literary |
| Find spot | Nippur |
| Coordinates | 32.1271, 45.2300 |
Transliteration (ATF)
From Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC default); per-file JSON license fields say: This data is released under the CC0 license (133618)
Machine draft. The right-hand column is machine English from ixmon/atf-to-english (atf-en-t5base-F, 2026-10-17), generated line by line from the transliteration. It is unreviewed and is not a scholarly translation.
| Line | ATF | Machine English (draft) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | {d}i-bi₂-{d}suen lugal-ŋu₁₀-ra u₃-na-a-dug₄ | To Ibbi-Sîn, my king, he gave it to him. |
| 2 | {m}iš-bi-er₃-ra arad-zu na-ab-be₂-a | Išbi-Erra, your servant, should say: |
| 3 | kaskal i₃-si-in{ki} ka-zal-lu{ki}-še₃ | on the road to Isin and Kazallu |
| še sa₁₀-sa₁₀-de₃ a₂-še₃ mu-e-da-a-aŋ₂ im-kur₉-re-en | In order to buy barley, I will bring it with me. | |
| 5 | ganba 1 še gur-ta-am₃ še sa₂ di | at the market rate of 1 kor barley equals 1 beating |
| 20 gun₂ kug-babbar še sa₁₀-sa₁₀-de₃ ba-an-ŋar SAM₂-re-de₃ | To buy 20 talents of silver, to buy barley, to sell | |
| 7 | inim mar-tu lu₂-kur₂-ra šag₄ ma-da-zu kur₉-ra ŋiš bi₂-tuku | The Amorite word of a stranger, your land has been changed. |
| 72000(|HI×(U.U)|) še gur še du₃-a-bi šag₄ i₃-si-in{ki}-na-ke₄ ba-an-kur₉-re-en ba-an-kur₉{+ur} | 72000 gur barley, its barley-heaps were brought into the hands of Isin, they were brought in. | |
| 9 | a-da-al-la-bi mar-tu du₃-du₃-a-bi šag₄ kalam-ma-še₃ ba-an-kur₉-re-en | Its marshes that were built in the Amorites were brought into the heart of the Land |
| 10 | bad₃ gal-gal dili-dili-bi im-mi-in-dab₅-dab₅ | He seized all the great walls, all of them. |
| mu mar-tu še-ba sag₃-ge nu-mu-e-da-šum₂-mu x-mu-un-da-ak-e | The name of the Martu is “If he does not bring it with him, he will kill him’ | |
| 12 | ugu-ŋu₁₀ mu-ta-ni-kalag i₃-tuš-u₃-de₃-en | You are the one who makes you strong, you sit down. |
| lugal-ŋu₁₀ 600 {ŋiš}ma₂-gur₈ 120 gur-ta-am₃ he₂-em-du₈-e ma₂ | Lugal-bu, 600 gur of barley (and) 120 gur each may he release the barge. | |
| 14 | {ŋiš}ma₂ 72 kalag-ga 20 {ŋiš}ZA PI X 30 X X GAN | a boat of 72 talents, 20 talents ... 30 ... IX |
| 15 | 50 {ŋiš}X 60 {ŋiš}ig ma₂ ugu ma₂ ŋa₂-ŋa₂ | 50 ...s, 60 door-beams, incumbent on the barge; |
| 16 | u₃ {ŋiš}ma₂ du₃-a-bi he₂-X | and the built boats ... |
| 17 | id₂-da {id₂}kur-ra {id₂}pa-li-iš-tum-ta | from the river Kurra and Palištum |
| du₆ sal-la-še₃ he₂-em-ta-ed₃-de₃-eš x-bi₂-ib-ed₂-de₃ | May they be brought down to the deep mounds, they shall bring down | |
| u₃ ŋe₂₆-e igi-ni-še₃ ga-am₃-ma-ši-ŋen ga-am₃-ta-e₃ | And I want to come out before him. | |
| 20 | ki {ŋiš}ma₂ kar-bi ugu-ŋa₂ e-tuku | the place where a boat docked, on top of it |
| 21 | HI-HI še du₃-a-bi he₂-ŋa₂-ŋa₂ he₂-e-sa₂ | ... may its built-up barley be abundant, may it be balanced. |
| 22 | tukum-bi še ba-an-tur-re-en | If you are to return the barley |
| 23 | ŋe₂₆-e še ga-mu-ra-kur₉ | I want to bring you barley |
| 24 | lugal-ŋu₁₀ elam-ma{ki} šen-šen-na zi ba-an-ir | Lugal-bu’a, the Elamite, faithfully carried off. |
| 25 | še-ba-ni ul₄-la-bi al-til-la | His ... is finished. |
| 26 | lirum-lirum na-an-tah-en | “Lead me away! Do not abandon me! |
| 27 | nam-arad-da-ni-še₃ saŋ-zu na-an-šum₂-mu-un | Don’t forget your servantship |
| 28 | u₃ egir-ra-ni-še₃ na-an-du-un | and behind him he should not go |
| 29 | še mu 15-ta-am₃ šag₄-gal e₂-gal-zu | barley of 15 years, chief šaggal of your palace |
| u₃ iri du₃-a-bi šu-ŋu₁₀-ta i₃-ŋal₂ du₃-a-zu | and the city that you built, from your hand carried away, | |
| i₃-si-in{ki} nibru{ki}-a en-nu-uŋ₃ ha-ra-ab-ak-e iri en-nu-uŋ₃ ak-de₃ | In Isin and Nippur the guards shall be entrusted to you, the city is to be guarded. | |
| ugu-ŋa₂ he₂-tuku lugal-ŋu₁₀ ugu-ŋa₂ e-tuku | May he have dominion over it, may kings over it possess. | |
| 33 | lugal-ŋu₁₀ he₂-en-zu | may he be your king! |
| 34 | lugal-ŋu₁₀ ni₂ nu-te ni₂ nu-gid₂-i šag₄-ba ŋe₂₆-e nu-te-BU | The king does not fear him, does not rejoice at his appearance |
| 35 | diŋir dili-dili-bi igi he₂-ni-ib₂-kiŋ₂-kiŋ₂-e ki-bi he₂-kiŋ₂-kiŋ₂ | (Sum) May he look at the one who sees him alone, may he seek his place (Akk) May the one of the intertwined world look at him alone and seek its place |
| 36 | uŋ₃ daŋal-bi nam-lu₂-ulu₃-bi x X BI mah | Its inhabitants, its people ... supremely |
| he₂-silim-me-eš numun zid-da he₂-en-gal-le-eš x-kal-le-eš | May they be reconciled, may they have a true seed | |
| 38 | urim₂{ki} iri kug-zu an ki-da mu₂-a | Urim, your holy city that grows with heaven and earth |
| 39 | nun gal-me-e GAG X X saŋ-ki-bi kal-la | The great prince, ..., the mighty sakib priest |
| 40 | me šum₂-mu uš ŋiš-hur ge-en-gen₆-ne₂ sig igi-nim-ma | I am the one who makes the heavens tremble like a stormwind |
| 41 | šu-ta he₂-kar-re KA X X-bi he₂-eb₂-be₂ | May he remove it from his hand, may he ... its ... |
| 42 | e₂-kiš-nu-ŋal₂ eš₃ an ki šu₂-šu₂ X X X nu-tuku | The Ekišnubal temple, the shrine of heaven and earth, the one who has no ... |
| 43 | elam{ki} ur-idim lu₂ niŋ₂ ha-lam-ma-ke₄ | Elam, Ur-idim, the man of destruction |
| 44 | šu pe-el nu-ma-ak-e {d}lamma-bi nu-si-il | The hand is not defiled, its lamma is not purified |
| 45 | lugal-ŋu₁₀ KA sig₁₀-sig₁₀ gal-gal dub₃-tuku mu-un-kar | Lugal-<bum> smashed the big brickwork with great strength. |
| 46 | {m}i-bi-{d}suen-ka šag₄-ta-am₃ ki aŋ₂-me-eš | Ibbi-Sîn is the šagtammu |
| 47 | an {d}en-lil₂ {d}en-ki igi zid hu-mu-un-ši-bar-re-e-ne | An, Enlil, and Enki looked faithfully upon him. |
| 48 | x x X X RU E X X X he₂-en-ŋar igi-bi he₂-eb₂-gi₄-gi₄ | May ... be released, may it be restored to its place. |
| 49 | X X abula urim₂{ki}-ma ŋal₂ da₁₃-da₁₃-da a-a | ... the gate of Urim, to be smashed, father |
| 50 | X he₂-ni-ib-be₂ a-ba-am₃ lugal-ŋu₁₀-e-še | May he say ..., who is it that will be his king? |
| 51 | lugal {d}en-lil₂ X X gaba-ri nu-tuku-me-en | I am the king whom Enlil had no rival. |
| 52 | x X X X x šag₄-zu na-an-gig-ga | ... may he not hurt your heart! |
| 53 | x šu mu-un-gi suhuš-bi mu-ri-in-ge-en | He restored his hand and firmly established his foundation |
| 54 | x X numun-bi-a šag₄-zu he₂-en-dug₃-ge | ... may your heart be satisfied with its seed |
| 55 | en-na lugal-ŋu₁₀ al-til₃-la nam-lugal urim₂{ki} mu-un-ak-e | As long as Lugal-būšu is alive, he will exercise kingship over Urim. |
| 56 | niŋ₂ na-me lugal-ŋu₁₀ kiŋ₂ mu-na-ni-ib₂-gi₄ | No one compares with him, the king returns to his place. |
| 57 | a-ma-ru-kam nam-ba-e-šub-de₃-en-ze₂-en | It is an amāru, do not approach me! |
| 58 | igi {d}utu-kam ka-ŋu₁₀ nu-bala-e | in front of Utu, he does not change his mouth |
Sources & licences
- Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC default); per-file JSON license fields say: This data is released under the CC0 license (133618) · ORACC project editions, https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ ; cite the individual project (see texts.extra_json.project)
Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-18.