The king's word to Il[lil-ban]i and the Nippu[reans ol]d and young, every one of [my servants]: I am well; you can be glad.

You know that through the iron sword of Aššur and my gods you had that entire land consumed by fire, so that the land has retreated, been subjugated, and turned its face once again towards me. And now life has become narrow for him.

All the work that you have done since those days — behold, now [...] it is time for you to keep him under watch, and lest he escape, you are to seize all his roads. In all the roads, just as sieves are placed at the outlets of gutters in order to filter away splinters, litter and trash, in like manner you are to filter and examine all the roads.

Maybe he will change his looks to get out like a thief; do not let anyone pass uninterrogated, even if he should pass with a disfigured face!

Whoever keeps his hands off him, I will delete his posterity; but if one takes him prisoner and brings him into my presence, even if he should kill him, just as my grandfather on account of Šuzubu placed Adad-barakka on scales, and weighed out and cast him his weight of silver, so I will now place on scales whomever takes him prisoner, even if he should kill him, and weigh out and give him his weight of gold.

What else, what else?

Now then I am writing to you: be cautious, considering that since life has become narrow for him, he is seeking ways to get out and escape.