Instruction of Amenemope
6th Century BCE
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Acquire Wisdom
Sons, heed the discipline of a father;
Listen and learn discernment,
For I give you good instruction;
Do not forsake my teaching.
Once I was a son to my father,
The tender darling of my mother.…
Avoid Another Man’s Wife and Find a Wife of Your Own
My son, listen to my wisdom;
Incline your ear to my insight,
That you may have foresight,
While your lips hold fast to knowledge.
For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey;
Her mouth is…
Adultery Kills
My son, keep your father’s commandment;
Do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
Tie them over your heart always;
Bind them around your throat.
When you walk it will lead you;
When you lie down…
From “The Proverbs of Solomon”
Better a dry crust with peace
Than a house full of feasting with strife.
A capable servant will dominate an incompetent son
And share the inheritance with the brothers.
For silver—the crucible;
Fo…
The Words of the Sages: The Thirty Maxims
Incline your ear and listen to the words of the sages;Pay attention to my wisdom.It is good that you store them inside you,And that all of them be constantly on your lips,That you may…
The Ideal Wife
What a rare find is a capable wife!
Her worth is far beyond that of rubies.
Her husband puts his confidence in her,
And lacks no good thing.
She is good to him, never bad,
All the days of her…