"{The beginning of the Teaching made by the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Khety} for his son Merikare.
On Rebellion (P2 - P35)
(------)
01 May You be justified before the god, (P30)
02 that a man may say {even in} your {absence}
03 that You punish in accordance {with the offence} !
04 (A) good character is a man's heaven,
05 (but) the cursing of the {furious} of heart is painful.1
06 If You are skilled in speech, You will win. (P32)
07 The tongue is (---) and the sword of {the King}.
08 Speaking is stronger than any weapon.
09 No one can overcome the skillful heart.
10 {Teach} your {people} on the mat,
11 the wise is a {school} to the officials.
12 Those who know that he knows will not attack him,
13 no {misfortune} occurs when he is near.
14 Justice (or truth) comes to him distilled,
15 like the intentions of the sayings of the ancestors.
Dealing with officals & commoners (P35 - P68)
16 Copy your fathers, your ancestors, (P35)
17 work is done {successfully} with {their} knowledge.
18 Look, their words endure in writings !
19 Open, read and copy their knowledge !
20 He who is taught becomes skilled.
21 Do not be evil, kindness of heart is good.
22 Let your memorial last through love of You.
23 Increase {the corvee-workers}, befriend the town-folk,
24 (and) the god will be praised for the donations,2
25 (one will) watch over your (reputation),
26 praise your goodness,
27 (and) pray for your health (---).
28 Respect the officials, sustain your people, (P38)
29 strengthen your borders, your frontier patrols.
30 It is good to work for the future !
31 One respects the life of the foresighted,
32 while the trustful heart fails.
33 Make people come {to You} through your good nature.
34 A wretch is who desires the land {of his neighbours}.
35 A fool is who covets what others possess.
36 Life on Earth passes, it is not long.
37 Happy is he who is remembered.
38 A million men do not benefit the Lord of the Two Lands.
39 Is there {a man} who lives forever ?
40 He who comes with Osiris passes (by),
41 just as he leaves who indulged himself.3
42 Make your officials great, so that they act by your laws. (P42)
43 He who has wealth at home will not be partial,
44 (for) he is a rich man who lacks nothing.
45 The poor man does not speak justly.
46 One who says : 'I wish I had." is unrighteous,
47 (for) he inclines to him who will pay him.
48 Great is the man whose great men are great.
49 Strong is the King who has councillors.
50 Wealthy is he who is rich in his officials.
51 Speak truth in your house,
52 that the officials of the land may respect You.
53 Righteousnness of heart is proper for the Lord (of the Two Lands).
54 The front of the house puts awe in the back.4
55 Do justice, then You endure on Earth. (P46)
56 Calm the weeper, do not oppress the widow,
57 do not expel a man from his father's property,
58 do not reduce the officials in their possessions.
59 Beware of punishing wrongfully.
60 Do not kill, it does not serve You.
61 Punish with beatings, with detention,
62 thus will the land be well-ordered.
63 Except for the rebel, whose plans are found out,
64 for the god knows the malcontent of heart.
65 The god smites the rebels in blood.
66 He who is merciful {will increase his} lifetime.
67 Do not kill a man whose excellence You know,
68 with whom You used to chant the writings,
69 who was brought up {and recognized} before the god,
70 with free striding feet in the place of secrets !5
71 The Ba comes to the place it knows,
72 it does not miss its former path,
73 no kind of magic holds it back,
74 it comes to those who give it water.6
75 The court that judges the needy,7 (P53)
76 You know they are not lenient,
77 on the day of judging the miserable,
78 in the hour of doing their task !
79 It is painful when the accuser has knowledge ...
80 Let your heart not trust in length of years,
81 (for) they (re)view a lifetime in an hour !
82 When, after death, a man remains over,
83 his deeds are set beside him in a heap,
84 and being there lasts forever !
85 A fool is who does what they reprove !
86 He who reaches them without having done wrong,
87 will exist there like (a) god,
88 free-striding like the Lords of Eternity !8
Advice on raising troops and religious duties (P57 - P68)
089 Raise your young soldiers and the residence will love You. (P57)
090 Increase your supporters among the helpers.
091 See, your town is full of new growth.
092 These twenty years, the youth has been happy, following its heart.
093 The {helpers} are now going forth (once again),
094 {veterans} return to their children (---).
095 {Indeed they are the old men,}
097 I raised troops from on my accession.
098 Make your great ones great, and promote your {soldiers}.9
099 Increase the youth of your following,
100 equip with amounts,
101 endow with fields,
102 reward them with herds.
103 Do not prefer the wellborn to the commoner,
104 (but) choose a man on account of his skills,
105 then every work of craft will be done !
106 Guard your borders, secure your forts,
107 troops are useful to their Lord.
108 Make {many} monuments for the god, (P63)
109 this keeps alive their maker's name.
110 A man should do what profits his Ba :
111 perform the monthly service, wear the white sandals,
112 visit the temple, {be discreet} concerning the secrets,10
113 enter the shrine, eat bread in the house of the god,
114 proffer libations, multiply the loaves,
115 make ample the daily offerings.
116 It is good for him who does it.11
117 Endow your monuments according to your wealth.
118 Even one day gives to eternity,
119 (and) an hour contributes to the future.
120 The god knows the man who works for him,
121 (even) when your statues are brought to far foreign countries,
122 who do not give them their listed offerings.
The historical section (P68 - P108)
123 Diseased and deprived is he who imprisons the evil gang (of rebels), (P68)
124 (for) the enemy cannot be calm within Egypt.
125 Troops will fight troops,
126 as the ancestors foretold.
127 Egypt fought in the necropolis,
128 destroying tombs in vengeful destruction.
129 I did the like, and the like happened,
130 as is done to one who strays from the path of the god ...12
131 Do not deal evilly with the Southland, (P71)
132 You know what the residence foretold about it.
133 {As this happened so that may happen.}
134 (But) they have not transgressed like they said !
135 I attacked Thinis and Maki, opposite its southern border at Tawet.
136 I engulfed it like a flood !
137 King Mer(ib)re, the justified, had not done this,
138 (so) be merciful on account of this {to the encumbered}.
139 {Make peace}, renew the treaties.
140 No river lets itself be hidden.
141 It is good to work for the future.
142 You stand well with the Southland, (P75)
143 they come to You bearing tribute, with gifts.
144 I have acted like the forefathers :
145 if one has no grain to give,
146 be kind, since they are humble before You.
147 Be sated with your bread, your beer ...
148 Granite comes to You unhindered.
149 Do not despoil the monuments of another,
150 but quarry stone in Tura.
151 Do not build your tomb out of ruins,
152 (using) what had been made for what is to be made.
153 Behold, the King is the Lord of Joy ! (P79)
154 May You rest, sleep in your strength,
155 follow your heart, through what I have done :
156 there is no foe within your borders.
157 I arose as Lord of the City,
158 whose heart was sad because of the Northland.
159 From Hetshenu to {Sembaqa, and its southern border at Two-Fish Channel.}13
160 I pacified the entire West as far as the coast of the Lake.14
161 It pays taxes, it gives cedar wood.
162 One sees juniper wood which they give us.
163 The East abounds in bowmen,
164 and their labour-dues {arrive}.
165 The middle islands are turned back,15
166 and every man from amongst them.
167 The temples say : 'You are greater than I !'
168 Look, the land they had ravaged has been made into nomes, (P85)
169 (and) all kinds of large towns {are in it}.
170 What was ruled by one is in the hands of ten,
171 officials are appointed, (and) tax-{lists drawn up}.
172 When free men are given land,
173 they work for You like a single team.
174 No rebellious heart will arise among them,
175 and Hapy will not fail to come.16
176 The dues of the Northlands are in your hand,
177 for the mooring-post is staked in the destrict I made in the East,
178 from Hebenu to The Ways of Horus.17
179 It is settled with towns, filled with people,
180 of the best in the whole land,
181 to repel attacks against them.
182 May I see a brave man who will do the like,
183 who will add to what I have done.
184 (For) a vile heir would {disgrace} me.
185 But this should be said to the bowmen : (P91)
186 "The miserable Asiatic,
187 is wretched because of the place he is in :
188 short of water, bare of wood,
189 its paths are many and painful because of mountains.
190 He does not dwell in one place, (and)
191 food propels his legs.
192 He fights since the time of Horus,
193 not conquering nor being conquered,
194 he does not announce the day of combat,
195 like a thief who hides for a (united) group."
196 But as I live and shall be what I am, (P94-95)
197 these bowmen were a sealed wall.
198 I breached {their strongholds},
199 I made Lower Egypt attack them,
200 I captured their inhabitants,
201 I seized their cattle,
202 until the Asiatics abhorred Egypt.
203 Do not concern yourself with him,
204 (for) the Asiatic is a crocodile on its shore :
205 it snatches from a lonely road,
206 (but) it cannot seize from a populous town !
207 Medenyt has been restored to its nome, (P98-99)
208 its one side is irrigated as far as Kem-Wer.18
209 It is the {defense} against the bowmen.
210 Its walls are warlike, its soldiers many,
211 its serfs know how to bear arms,
212 apart from the free men within.
213 The region of Memphis totals ten thousand men,
214 free citizens who are not taxed.
215 Officials are in it since the time it was residence,
216 the borders are firm, the garrisons valiant.
217 Many northerners irrigate it as far as the Northland,
218 taxed with grain in the manner of free men.
219 For those who do this, this is the way to surpass me.
220 Look, it is the gateway of the Northland !
221 It has acted as a dyke as far as Heracleopolis !19
222 Abundant citizens are the support of the heart.
223 Beware of being surrounded by the serfs of the foe.
224 Caution prolongs life.
225 If your southern border is attacked, (P106)
226 (it means) the bowmen have put on the war belt !
227 Build buildings in the Northland !
228 As the name of a man is not made small by his actions,
229 so a settled town is not harmed.
230 Build {a temple for your statue.}
231 The foe loves grieving the heart and vile deeds.
The glory of kingship (P109 - P123)
232 King Khety, the justified, laid down in teaching :
233 "He who is silent of heart towards violence diminishes the offerings.
234 The god will attack the rebel for the sake of the temples."
235 He will be overcome for what he has done,
236 he will be sated with what he planned to gain,
237 one will not bring him on one's water on the day of woe.20
238 Enrich the offering tables ! Revere the god !
239 Do not say : "It is weakness of heart !", and do not slacken your actions.
240 He who opposes You disturbs the sky.
241 The monuments are sound for a hundred years.
242 If the foe understood this, he would not attack them.
243 (But) there is no one who has no enemy.
244 The Lord of the Two Shores is one who knows, (P115)
245 (and) the King, the Lord of Courtiers, is not foolish,
246 (for) as one (who is) wise did he come from the womb !
247 From a million men, the god singled him out ...
248 A goodly office is kingship,
249 it has no son, no brother to maintain its memorial.
250 But one man provides for the other :
251 a man acts for him who was before him,
252 so that what he has done is preserved by his successor.
253 Look, a shameful deed occured in my time : (P119)
254 the nome of Thinis was ravaged !
255 Though it happened through my doing,
256 I learned it after it was done.
257 There was retribution for what I had done.
258 For it is evil to destroy,
259 useless to restore what one has damaged,
260 (or) to rebuild what one has demolished.
261 Beware of it ! With its like, a blow is repaid,
262 (and) to every action there is a response.
divine justice (P123 - P130)
263 Generation succeeds generation,
264 (while) the god, who knows (their) characters, has hidden himself.
265 One cannot resist the Lord of the Hand,21
266 (for) he reaches all that the eyes can see ...
267 One should revere the god on his path,
268 made of costly stones, fashioned of bronze.22
269 As watercourse is replaced by watercourse,
270 so no river allows itself to be concealed,
271 (and) it breaks the channel in which it was hidden.
272 So also, the Ba goes to the place it knows, (P127)
273 and strays not from its former path.
274 Make worthy your house of the West,
275 make firm your station in the necropolis,
276 by being upright, by doing justice,
277 upon which the hearts of men rely.
278 The loaf of the upright is preferred
279 to the ox of the evildoer.
280 Work for the god, he will also work for You :
281 with offerings that make the altar flourish,
282 with cravings that proclaim your name.
283 The god thinks of him who works for him !23
hymn to the creator-god (P130 - P138)
284 Well tended is mankind - the cattle of the god : (P130-131)
285 he made sky and earth for their sake,
286 he subdued the water monster,24
287 he made breath for their noses to live.
288 They are his images, who came from his body.
289 He shines in the sky for their sake.
290 He made for them plants and cattle,
291 fowl and fish to feed them.
292 He slew his foes, reduced his children,
293 when they thought of making rebellion.25
294 He makes daylight for their sake,
295 he sails by to see them.
296 He has built his shrine around them,
297 when they weep he hears.
298 He made for them rulers in the egg,
299 leaders to raise the back of the weak.
300 He made for them magic as weapons,
301 to ward off the blow of events,
302 watching over them by day and by night.
303 He has slain the traitors among them,
304 as a man beats his son for the sake of his brother.
305 For the god knows every name.
epilogue (P138)
306 Do no ill (against) my speech,
307 which lays down all the laws of kingship,
308 which instructs You, that You may rule the land !
309 And may You reach me with none to accuse You !
310 Do not kill one who is close to You,
311 whom You have favored, the god knows him.
312 He is one of the fortunate ones on Earth ...
313 (for) divine are they who follow the King !26
314 Make yourself loved by everyone,
315 (for) a good character is remembered.
316 {When time} has passed,
317 may You be called : 'He who ended the time of trouble'
318 by those who come after the House of Khety,
319 {in thinking} of what has come today.27
320 Look, I have told You the best of my thoughts !
321 Act by what is set before You !"
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