In the days [lit.: years] of Sennacherib, king of Assyria and N[ineveh], I, Ahiqar, was the king's scribe. It was said to me in a vision that I would not have a son, but that "you will acquire much wealth." I took sixty wives, but did not have a son from any of them. So I built a great altar for myself, placed good aloe on it, and offered sacrificies to the Lord. I said: “Truly, Lord God, grant me a son, so that when I die, there will be an heir after [me]." And God Himself answered

and said to me: “Ahiqar, all that you have asked of Me I have given to you, and with My help everything has been easy to do for you. but I have left you without sons – [that] shall for suffice you. Do not be grieved or afflicted. Behold, Nadan, your sister’s son: take [lit.: make] him [as] your son. And when I heard these [words], I obeyed His command and took Nadan, my sister’s son. I provided him with eight wet nurses, fed (lit.: fatten) him with the best portions—honey and butter—and clothed him in fine linen and purple. He grew and shot up like a cedar. When he became older (lit.: grew), I taught him writing and wisdom. One day, King Sennacherib called me and said: “Ahiqar, wise scribe, you are very old. Who will serve or work for me after you?" And I replied and said: “May your kingdom last forever. I have a son, wise like myself and book-learned." The king said to me: “Go and bring him to me

so that I may see him. If he is able to serve me and can take your place, you may go to rest. So I guided my son Nadan and brought him before him [sc. the king]: When the king saw him, he said to me: “This day shall be a blessed day! Just as you have worked and served me and my father, I will reward him, your son Nadan, and you shall go to rest. He, Nadan, shall serve me!" And [I], Ahiqar, bowed before the king and said: “May your kingdom last forever! You know how much I have worked for you and for your father. May you also extend your patience to my son, that your favor [you] have shown me may be doubled toward him. And he, the king, gave me his right [hand] and affirmed that all was well. From then on, I did not rest–neither by day nor by night–from teaching my son Nadan, until I had filled him with knowledge—more than with bread and water. Thus, I would say to him: ‘Listen, my son Nadan, and understand me. Be mindful of my words, as [if they were] the speech of the gods.’

The teaching that he taught to Nadan: ‘My son Nadan, if you hear a word, let it die in your heart and do not reveal it to anyone, lest it become a hot coal in your mouth and burn you, and you bring a blemish on your body and provoke God.’ ‘My son, do not reveal all that you see, and do not tell all that you hear.’ ‘My son, do not loosen a knot that is sealed, and do not seal one that is loosened.’ ‘My son, words that are not yours should not be spoken by your lips.’ ‘My son, do not yearn for beauty, for beauty decays and fades, but a good name remains and endures.’ ‘My son, do not be enticed by a licentious woman with her words, for from her words spring poison and death; and you will be ensnared in a net and be caught by a snare.’ ‘My son, when you look upon a woman who is adorned and anointed with ointment, enriched and seduced in her soul—do not covet her in your heart. For if you give yourself to her, you will find nothing firm or worthy in her, but’

‘only receive punishment for sin and you provoke God to anger.’ ‘My son, do not be licentious like the almond tree, which is the first to sprout but whose fruit is last to be eaten. Be firm and wise like the mulberry tree, which is the last to sprout but whose fruit is eaten first.’ ‘My son, lower your eyes, soften your voice, be modest and not licentious. Do not raise your voice in pride, for if a house could be built by a loud voice, the donkey would build two houses in a day. If by sheer force [it] was guided, the plough would never be relieved from the shoulder of a camel.’ ‘My son, it is better to roll stones away with a wise man than to drink wine with a fool.’ ‘My son, it is better to pour out your wine on the graves of the righteous than to drink wine with wicked people.’ ‘My son, do not reveal a secret’

‘to fools, for they are not able to keep it. ’ ‘Do not praise anyone: test and then buy. ’ ‘My son, you will not corrupt your words with a wise [man], and with a depraved and foolish [man] you will not become wise.’ ‘My son, associate with the wise [man], that you may become wise like him; but do not cling to fools, lest you be counted and become like [him] in his doing.’ ‘My son, while you [still] have shoes on your feet, tread down the thorns and the thistle and make a path for your sons and for your sons’ sons.’ ‘My son, [when] the rich [man] eats a snake, people say: “He ate it as medicine"; but [when] the poor [man] eats [it], they say he ate it out of hunger.’ ‘My son, eat only your portion, and do not rush after what belongs to your friend.’ ‘My son, do not envy the excellence of your enemy, and do not rejoice in his wickedness.’ ‘My son, do ’

‘never speak with a licentious woman and do not draw near to one who has a loud voice.’ ‘My son, do not follow the beauty of a woman and do not forget the beauty of a woman. The beauty of a woman is her discipline, the word[s] of her mouth, and [her] sense. ’ ‘My son, the beauty of a woman corrupts the sense and the word. As a golden earring on the ear of a swine is the beauty of a woman.’ ‘My son, if your enemy encounters you with evil, meet him with virtue and speak to him cunningly.’ ‘My son, the wise [man] falls and rises; but the foolish [man] stumbles every day.’ ‘My son, do not withhold your son from stripes; for the beating of a boy is like manure to the land, and like a rope to an animal, and a bolt for the door.’ ‘My son, chastise your son and be at rest, and subdue his loins until he is a boy, lest he gain strength and rebel against you, and he torture you with his crimes, bring you shame, and make you bow your head in gath[erings]. ’ ‘My son, acquire an ox that lies down’

‘[and] a hoofed donkey.’ ‘My son, neither get an escaping slave nor a thievish maid, because when you entrust your possessions to them, they will destroy everything you have. ’ ‘My son, do not bring upon yourself the curse of your father and mother, lest you do not rejoice in the blessings of your children. Whoever reviles his father and mother will die and anger God; but whoever honours his father and mother, his life will be multiplied on earth and his years will be fulfilled with excellence and honour.’ ‘My son, do not walk in the way unarmed, because you do not know where you encounter your enemy. Take care on the way, because there the enemies and robbers are much that lie in wait therein.’ ‘My son, a tree is fair in its fruit and a mountain is crowded in its trees, so is a man fair in his wife and children; a man that has not sons and brethren, is despised and contemptible before his enemies in the world. ’ ‘My son,’

‘do not say, “My lord was a fool, and I am wise," [while] others do [not] praise you. ’ ‘My son, do not lie in your words before your lord, lest you be convicted.’ ‘My son, do not curse God in the day of your calamity, lest when He hears your word[s], He became angry with you.’ ‘My son, do not love your slave in the presence of your friend; for you do not know which of them you will need in the end.’ ‘My son, sweeten your tongue and improve your eloquence, for the tail of a dog gave him bread, but his mouth [brings] him [ ] and blows.’ ‘My son, do not let your neighbour tread on your foot, lest he also tread on your neck. ’ ‘My son, if you send a wise [man] on a journey, do not multiply instructions; but if you send a fool, go yourself [rather] and do not send him.’ ‘My son, teach your knowledge and discipline, instruct him ’

‘in order, and then you can leave your goods and possessions in his hands.’ ‘My son, leave a wedding at first and do not stay to be anointed [with] pleasant ointments, lest there you suffer bruises on your head.’ ‘My son, for what trouble, what bruises, what woe? It is for those who linger in wine and drink wine excessively, and for those who seek [where] to drink.’ ‘My son, the one whose hand is full is called wise and excellent in the world; but the one whose hand is empty and possesses nothing is called poor and wretched, and people do not honour him.’ ‘My son, I have eaten from bitterness and swallowed viscous liquid, but I have not seen anything more bitter than poverty.’ ‘My son, I have carried iron and removed [and] carried lead; but nothing was heavier for me than a person who settles in his father-in-law’s house and laughs.’

‘My son, teach hunger and thirst to your son, so that according to what his eye sees, he may govern his house.’ ‘My son, it is bet[te]r [for a man] to be blind in the eye than to be blind in his heart, for he who is blind in the eye quickly changes the way and walks; but he who is blind in heart leaves the right path and goes astray.’ ‘My son, better is a friend who is near than a brother who is far away.’ ‘My son, death is better for a man who has no rest.’ ‘My son, better [is] the sound of wailing in the ea[rs] of one who has understanding than the sound of singing and joy.’ ‘Better [is] a shank in your hand than a goose in another's pot.’ ‘And better is a sheep that is near than an ox that is far away; and better is one sparrow in your h[and] than a thousand on the wing. Better is poverty that gathers than wealth that scatters; better is a living fox than a dead lion.’ ‘My son, [keep] a word in your heart, and it shall be well with you; and do not reveal the secret of your friend, for when you have given away your word, you have lost your friend,’

‘and he who reveals a secret is a fool. ’ ‘My son, do not let a w[ord] go forth from your mouth until you have taken counsel in your heart, bec[ause] it is better for a man to stumble with his foot than for one to stumble with his tongue.’ ‘My son, do not stay among those who contend, for f[rom] laughter arises strife, and from strife arises a fi[ght], and from a fight arises murder.’ ‘Do [not] stand up in a dispute against one who is stronger than you; [and] set the word aside and cut the evil off; vanquish evil with good [conduct].’ ‘My son, attain a hu[mble] heart, patience, endurance, [and] goodwill, and the end of this life and rest will be yours.’ ‘My son, honour everyone who is older than you, and stand up before him; and when he does [not] reward you, God will reward you.’ ‘My son, keep your tongue from lying and your hand [from] theft, and you will be called wise.’ ‘My son, do not act as a mediator in the espousal of a woman, for’

‘if it goes well with her, she will not remember you, and if it goes badly with her, she will curse you.’ ‘My son, everyone who is elegant in his dress is also elegant in his speech, and he who is contemptible in his dress is also contemptible in his speech.’ ‘My son, strike with all stones the dog who has left the house of his first masters and followed after you, because he [did not] dwell [with you].’ ‘My son, let the wise man strike you with many blows, and let not the fool anoint you with sweet perfume.’ ‘My son, care for your friend before the ruler and the people; do all you can to support his greatness.’ ‘My son, the eye of a man is like a fountain of water – it is not satisfied with riches until it is filled with dust.’