The prophecy is written on the obverse of a hieratic papyrus kept in the State Hermitage (No. 1116B). This is a relatively late copy (15th century BC) of a work created at the end of the Middle Kingdom (mid-18th century BC).
It happened: there was [his] majesty the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Snefru, deceased, an excellent king in all this country. One of these days the officials of the capital came to the Pharaoh - may he be alive, unharmed, healthy! - to greet [him], and left after they [him] greeted in accordance with their daily custom. And His Majesty said - may he be alive, unharmed, healthy! - to the treasurer, who was next to him: "Go and bring me the officials of the capital who left here today after greeting!" And they were brought immediately. And they again lay on their stomachs before his majesty, may he be alive, unharmed, healthy! And His Majesty said to them, may he be alive, unharmed, healthy !: “People, look, I told you to call you so that you would find for me the name of your son, who would be wise, or your brother, who would be reasonable,or your friend, showing (?) good deeds, who will tell me a few kind words and selected sayings - then my majesty will have fun listening to him! " And they again lay down on their bellies in front of His Majesty, may he be alive, unharmed, healthy!
And they told His Majesty, may he be alive, unharmed, healthy! - “There is a great magician of the soul of Isis, sovereign, our lord, his name is Neferti. He is nude, strong in his hand, he is a scribe, excellent with his fingers, he is a noble man who has more things than people like him, he is the lord of sayings … may his majesty see him!"
And His Majesty said, “May he be alive, unharmed, healthy!”: “Go and bring him to me!” Then they brought him to him. And he was lying on his stomach in front of His Majesty, may he be alive, unharmed, healthy! And His Majesty said to him, may he be alive, unharmed, healthy !: “Come, Neferti, my friend. May you tell me a few kind words and selected sayings - my Majesty will have fun listening to this. " And the magician said to Neferti: "[What to talk about]: about what is happening, or about what will happen, sir, my lord?" And His Majesty said, may he be alive, unharmed, healthy !: "About what will happen - the thing is happening today, bypassing itself." Then he stretched out his hand to the casket with the henchman [for writing] and took a scroll and a writing instrument. And he wrote down what the magician Neferti - the sage of the East, belonging to the "soul of Isis", in her east, said,a native of the Heliopolis nome.
He is grieving about what will happen in the country. He remembers the storm from the East, when the Asians come in their strength, when they harden the hearts of those who will be in the harvest, when they take the teams from the plowing. He said, “My heart is trembling. Yes, you [king] weep for this country from which you came. Silence is evil! Look, what I have to say about her [country] deserves attention. Look, the nobles will be defeated in the country from which you came.
Be strong. Look, it's in front of your face. Be resistant to what is in front of you. Look, the nobles will be like the country: something will happen that has never been done. The day will begin with crime; the country will perish without a trace, without a record of its fate left.
The country will be harmed, but they will not grieve for it, they will not speak, they will not cry. What will this country be like when the sun closes and does not shine for people to watch? They will not live covered by clouds, and all [people] will not heed without him. I'll talk about what I see. I don't have the habit of predicting things that won't come.
The [Nile] River will become the dry land of Egypt. They will cross the water on foot and will not look for water for the ship to let it sail, for its path will become the coast, and the coast will become water … The southern winds will repel the northern ones. There will be no sky with one wind. A strange bird will be born in the marshes of Lower Egypt, after it turns into a swamp in the vicinity of the townspeople. People will bring her closer because of the lack [of food].
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Then the good of fish ponds, which were full of gutting, overflowing with fish and birds, will perish. All goodness will disappear. The country will be plunged into misery due to [lack of] food. Asians are nomads and enemies will arise in the east. The Asians will descend to Egypt due to the lack of fortifications and the foreigner will be near. The army will not hear (?). Will linger in the gate (?) At night. They will enter the fortifications (?). Is it not a dream (?) Is it in my eyes? Am I not asleep, saying that I am awake?
Wild beasts will drink from the stream of Egypt. They will chill unhindered on the banks. This country [Egypt] will be grabbed and carried away, and will not be aware of the invasion that is coming. This (?) Is hidden in speech. What does it mean to hear while being deaf? - [it's like] silence in the face. I am showing you a country undergoing a disease - what did not happen will happen. They will seize military weapons and the country will live in rebellion.
They will make arrows of copper. They will need bread, [being] in blood, they will mock (?) Suffering. They will not mourn the dead. They will not sleep, hungry because of death, since a person will only worry about himself. They will not grow their hair [as a sign of sadness] even for one day. The heart weakens (?) In the face of all this. A man will live while he bends his back. One will kill the other. I show you my son as an enemy, my brother as an enemy; The man will kill his father.
All lips will be full: "Have pity on me!" All goodness will disappear, so the country will perish. Laws will be established that will be constantly violated by acts. They will devastate [everything] that they find. It will come true that [never] happened. They will take away things from a person and give them to those on the street. I show you the owner who has lost his property and the outsider satisfied. The one who [did nothing] - he will be full, and the one who did - empty. They will hate the townspeople to silence them. They will answer the speech, the hand will come out with a stick.
If they say: "Don't kill him!", Then speech will be perceived as fire. Will not tolerate what comes out of my mouth. The country will be small, and its leaders will be numerous; she will be devastated, although her income is great. The grain will be small, but the measure will be large, and they will measure it in surplus. The sun will move away from people. It will shine for one hour. They will not know when it is noon. His shadow will not be distinguished. They will not be blinded by looking at him. Eyes will not be wet from water, since it [the sun] will be like the moon in the sky, although it will not miss the usual time, and its rays will be seen as usual since the time of their ancestors …
I am showing you a country in disease. The weak hand will be the owner of the hand. Will greet the one who greeted. I show you the bottom with the top. [Everyone] will roll over after the coup. (?) People will live in the cemetery, and the poor will make [themselves] wealth more than … to exist. The poor will eat bread and the servants will be exalted. Heliopolis will not be the seat of any god [king].
This means: the king will come - a southerner. Named, righteous, his name, the son of a woman from the Front Country, a native of Upper Egypt. He will take the white crown and place the red crown. He will connect the double crown. He will placate Horus and Set with what they love. He will go around the field, grabbing the oar in the shape of a god (?).
Rejoice, people of his time! The husband's son will immortalize his name … Those who plot the rebellion will abandon their speeches out of fear of him. Asians will fall in terror in front of him. Libyans will fall before its flames. The rebels [are] for his fury (?), The intruders for his greatness, since the uray on his brow will pacify the intruders.
The walls will be built "The Lord, may he be alive, unharmed, healthy!" in order to prevent the Asians from descending into Egypt. May they [Asians] ask for water, as usual, to water their livestock. Truth will come to its place, and untruth will be eliminated. Rejoice he who sees, he who follows the king. The sage will make a sacrifice to me when he sees that what I am talking about is happening.
It came in the world. Scribe [Fur] …
Translated from the publication: Golénischeff W. Les papyrus hiératiques No. 1115, 1116A et 1116B de l'Ermitage Imperial a St. Petersbourg. St. Petersbourg, 1913, Pis. XXIII-XXV. Translation and comments by Petrovsky N. S.