si, the son of Meru,
the steward, sent instructions to the governor of [the Oasis of]
Sekhet-hemat to supply the wife of the peasant with daily rations, and
there were given unto her regularly the bread-cakes that were made from
three measures of corn.

Then this peasant came a second time to lay his complaint [before
Rensi], and he found him as he was coming out from the ..., and he said,
"O steward, my lord, the greatest of the great, thou richest of the
rich, whose greatness is true greatness, whose riches are true riches,
thou rudder of heaven, thou pole of the earth, thou measuring rope for
heavy weights (?)! O rudder, slip not, O pole, topple not, O measuring
rope, make no mistake in measuring! The great lord taketh away from her
that hath no master (or owner), and stealeth from him that is alone [in
the world]. Thy rations are in thy house--a pot of beer and three
bread-cakes. What dost thou spend in satisfying those who depend upon
thee? Shall he who must die die with his people? Wilt thou be a man of
eternity (_i.e._ wilt thou live for ever?) Behold, are not these things
evils, namely, the balance that leaneth side-ways, the pointer of the
balance that doth not show the correct weight, and an upright and just
man who departeth from his path of integrity? Observe! the truth goeth
badly with thee, being driven out of her proper place, and the officials
commit acts of injustice. He who ought to estimate a case correctly
giveth a wrong decision. He who ought to keep himself from stealing
committeth an act of robbery. He who should be strenuous to arrest the
man who breaketh the word (_i.e._ Law) in its smallest point, is himself
guilty of departing therefrom. He who should give breath stifleth him
that could breathe. The land that ought to give repose driveth repose
away. He who should divide in fairness hath become a robber. He who
should blot out the oppressor giveth him the command to turn the town
into a waste of water. He who should drive away evil himself committeth
acts of injustice."

Then Rensi, the son of Meru, the steward, said [to the peasant], "Doth
thy case appear in thy heart so serious that I must have my servant
[Tchutinekht] seized on thy account?" This peasant said, "He who
measureth the heaps of corn filcheth from them for himself, and he who
filleth [the measure] for others robbeth his neighbours. Since he who
should carry out the behests of the Law giveth the order to rob, who is
to repress