Ancient Egyptian Sages
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN   Macroknow Library
     

   
Ancient Egyptian Literature: A Book of Readings. Volume II: The New Kingdom
.

THE GREAT HYMN TO THE ATEN

"O living Aten, creator of life! . . .
Who makes seed grow in women,
Who creates people from sperm; . . .
O Sole God beside whom there is none! . . .
You made millions of forms from yourself alone, . . .
There is no other who knows you,
Only your son . . ."
1a

VOTIVE STELA OF NEBRE WITH HYMN TO AMEN-RE

"Amen-Re, Lord of Thrones-of-the-Two-Lands, . . .
You are Amun, the Lord of the silent,
Who comes at the voice of the poor;
When I call to you in my distress,
You come to rescue me,
To give breath to him who is wretched,
To rescue me from bondage. . ."1b

THE JUDGMENT OF THE DEAD
THE DECLARATION TO THE FORTY-TWO GODS

"O Wide-of-stride who comes from On: I have not done evil.
. . . I have not robbed.
. . . I have not coveted.
. . . I have not stolen.
. . . I have not killed people.
. . . I have not trimmed the measure.
. . . I have not cheated.
. . . I have not told lies. . .
. . . I have not committed adultery.
. . . I have not copulated with a boy. . .
. . . I have not cursed a god. . ."
1c

THE INSTRUCTION OF ANY

"Behold, I give you these useful counsels, . . .
Wealth accrues to him who guards it; . . .
If wealth is placed where it bears interest,
It comes back to you redoubled; . . ."
1d

THE INSTRUCTION OF AMENEMOPE

"If you find a large debt against a poor man,
Make it into three parts;
Forgive two, let one stand. . ."
1e


Ancient Egyptian Literature: A Book of Readings. Volume III: The Late Period.

THE INSTRUCTION OF ANKHSHESHONQ

(12,6) "Do not do evil to a man and so cause another to do it to you."
(16,4) "Do not go to your brother when you are in distress; go to your friend."
(16,5) "Do not drink water in the house of a merchant; he will charge you for it."
(16,21) "Do not lend money at interest without obtaining a security."
(21,11) There is no one who deceives who is not deceived."
(22,19) "Give one loaf to your laborer, receive two from (the work of) his arms."
(24,10) Man is even more eager to copulate than a donkey; his purse is what restrains him."2a

THE INSTRUCTION OF PAPYRUS INSINGER

(6,24) "He who spends without an income must pay interest on interest."
(7,13) "There is one who lives on little so as to save, yet he becomes poor."
(7,14) "There is one who does not know, yet the fate gives (him) wealth."
(15,9) "Theft with greed brings a lawful killing."
(17,8) "He who loves to hoard wealth will die robbed of it."
2b


       
       

* Italics in the original.

1 Miriam Lichtheim (1914-2004). Ancient Egyptian Literature. Volume II: The New Kingdom. With a New Forward by Hans-W. Fischer-Elfert. The Regents of the University of California, 1976, 2006. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
PART II: Hymns, Prayers, and a Harper's Song
a
The Great Hymn to the Aten, at 96-100.
b
Votive Stela of Nebre with Hymn to Amen-Re, at 105-107.
PART III:
From the Book of the Dead

c
Chapter 125: The Judgment of the Dead. The Declaration to the Forty-two Gods, at 124-132.
PART IV: Instructions
d
The Instruction of Any, at 135-146.
e
The Instruction of Amenemope, 146-163.

2 Miriam Lichtheim. Ancient Egyptian Literature. Volume III: The Late Period. With a New Forward by Joseph G. Manning. The Regents of the University of California, 1980, 2006. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
IV Hymns and Lamentations
PART II: Demotic Literature

a The Instruction of Ankhsheshonq, at 159-184.
b
The Instruction of Papyrus Insinger, at 184-217.

MK-BOOKS-ANCIENT EGYPTIAN SAGES-20071012.