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11
Faults to Avoid
Greed
If you want your conduct to be good, Deliver yourself from all evil. Fight greed in your heart on all occasions. Greed is the serious illness of the incurable. Curing it is impossible. Greed spreads unhappiness among mothers and fathers, And among the brothers of the mother. It divides husband and wife. Greed is a reunion for all sorts of evil, It is like a sack that contains everything that is hateful. Ptah-Hotep
The greedy man fails. What he meets is checkmate. There is no yesterday for the lazy, No friends for those deaf to righteousness, No feast days for the rapacious. Stories of the Oases
Acquiring things with greed is an evil that has no end. Ankh-Sheshonk
Desiring the goods of another is a form of madness. Merikare
Do not fill your heart with desire for the goods of others but rather concern yourself with what you have built up yourself. Ani
It is greed that leads to quarrels and fighting in a household and brings unhappiness to families. Ankh-Sheshonk
Do not be rapacious even when you have to act against someone who is himself rapacious. Stories of the Oases
The rewards of greed are as ash blown on the wind. Ankh-Sheshonk
Do not hold back a part of what should go to the temple, Do not be greedy, Do not turn a servant away from God. Kha-Keper-Re-Seneb
Vanity The vain man is lost by his own heart, Like a tree that grows too tall is pruned. Insinger Papyrus
He who spits at Heaven, His spit will fall back down on him. Ankh-Sheshonk Pettiness
The mean-spirited person will never get anywhere. The Loyalist Teaching
Malice
The goods of a wise man are lost if he gives way to spite. Insinger Papyrus
Keep your distance from those with hate in their hearts. Ankh-Sheshonk
Do not associate with wicked people because of their reputation. Insinger Papyrus
The death of an evil man is a cause for celebration for those he leaves behind. Ankh-Sheshonk
Violence and Excess
The man of excess does not practice righteousness. The man whose heart gets carried away Is not the man who is looked for when action is needed. Stories of the Oases
A storm that rages like a fire in straw: That is what the angry man is like. Keep away from him, leave him alone. God knows how to deal with him. Amenemope
Do not protest to those who provoke you, Do not reply to them. He who does evil, The land will reject him, And the flood will carry him away. Amenemope
Physical violence calls for retaliation, Everything it accomplishes will be caught up in this. Merikare
Do not steal from the unfortunate, Do not be violent towards the weak. Do not stretch out your hand to threaten the old, And do not speak impolitely to them. Amenemope
The hard man causes his own destruction, No descendant will honour him. The Loyalist Teaching
Let the quiet man become violent Only if the altars of the Gods are desecrated, Then God will act against those who rebel against the temple. Merikare
Theft
Do not steal, you will profit from this Amenemope
Do not move the boundary markers at the edge of a field, Do not change the position of the measuring line. Identify he who acts like this on the earth, Since he is an oppressor of the weak And an enemy dedicated to your destruction. Amenemope
Ignorance
As for the ignorant man who does not listen, He will accomplish nothing... He is like a dead man walking through daily life. Ptah-Hotep
Everyone can find the path to God, But the ignorant cannot. Ankh-Sheshonk
For the ignorant, the work of God is nothing but a joke. Ankh-Sheshonk
Stupidity
Advice given to the stupid weighs as little as the wind. Ankh-Sheshonk
The fool who lights a fire gets too close and burns him self. Ankh-Sheshonk
Keeping company with the stupid brings misfortune. Insinger Papyrus
It is better to have a serpent hanging around the house than a fool. Ankh-Sheshonk The wicked acts of an imbecile harm those closest to him. Ankh-Sheshonk You exhaust a donkey by loading it with bricks. Ankh-Sheshonk
Credulity Credulity leads to unhappiness. Merikare
Negligence If you neglect a problem it will bring a double load of difficulties. Stories of the Oases
Lies
When a lie emerges, It wanders and cannot cross in the ferry, It does not travel well. Those who become rich thanks to lies Will leave no descendants or heirs on this earth. Those who sail with a lie will find no berth, And their boat will not tie up in port. Stories of the Oases
Ingratitude
I have been generous to the poor, I have looked after the orphan, I have acted in a way which has brought riches t o those who possessed nothing as well as to those who were already rich, And it is he who has shared my food who has raised an army against me, And it is those to whom I have offered my hand who have brought terror.
Amenemhat I Chatter
Do not pour out your feelings to just anyone: You will lose all respect this way. Amenemope
A gossip is a disturbance in the community. Merikare
The man who knows how to respect will prosper, The humble man is worthy of praise. The tent is open to the silent. The seat of the calm man is spacious. Do not chatter, the knives are being sharpened for the unrighteous Kagemni
Slander
Do not speak against anyone, great or small: it's an insult to the soul (Ka). Ptah-Hotep
Do not repeat a slanderous rumour, Do not listen to it. It is a way of expressing oneself used by the intemperate. Let a slanderous rumour be thrown on the dust-heap. Do not speak about it. Ptah-Hotep
Materialism
The heart of he who listens to his stomach is weakened. He will provoke disdain rather than love. He who has a great heart has a gift from God, He who obeys his stomach obeys the enemy. Ptah-Hotep
Pampering Oneself
Do not pamper yourself when you are young. Otherwise when you are old you will be weak. Ankh-Sheshonk
Gluttony
Gluttony is contemptible, you should show it the door. A glass of water is enough to quench your thirst, A mouthful of vegetables will strengthen your heart. Unfortunate is he who still wants more when the meal is over. Kagemni
If your friends drink too much, tell them: No alcohol for me! If not, you will be found sprawled out on the ground as if you were a helpless child. Ani |
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