... And it was said to me, There will be no son to thee. And I had much wealth; I wedded me sixty wives, and built me sixty castles: and from none of these women had I a son. Then I built me a great altar of incense [for GOD's sake] and vowed a vow, and said, O Lord GOD, give me a male child, that when I shall die he may cast dust on my eyes. Thereupon there was heard by me this voice saying, "O Ahikar, vex not thyself overmuch; there is no son for thee; but behold Nadan thy sister's son; make him thy son; so that as he grows up, thou mayest be able to teach him everything." Then when I heard this, I took Nadan my sister's son, and he became my son. And on this wise I was saying to him:

1 Hear my teaching, my son Nadan; and come to my understanding, and be mindful of my words, according to the following sayings: and thereupon Ahikar began to teach Nadan his sister's son, and answered and said to him:

2 My son, if thou hast heard a word, let it die in thy heart; and reveal it to no man; lest it should become a hot coal in thy mouth, and burn thee; and thou shalt lay blemish on thy soul, and shalt be hated on earth, and be angered against GOD.

3 My son, do not tell all that thou seest, and do not disclose all that thou hearest.

4 My son, do not loose a knot that is sealed; and do not seal one which is loosed.

5 My son, sweeten thy tongue, and make savoury the opening of thy mouth; because the tail of the dog gives him bread, and his mouth gets him blows.

6 My son, the eye of man is a fountain, and is not satisfied with riches until filled with dust.

7 My son, if thou lift up thine eyes and behold a woman bedizened and beautified, covet her not in thy heart; for if thou shouldest give her all that thou hast, advantage in her thou wilt not find; and thou wilt be guilty of sin before GOD.

8 My son, stand not in the house of those that are at strife: because from a word there comes a quarrel, and from a quarrel is stirred up vexation; and from vexedness springs murder.

9 My son, if a house were built by loudness of voice, the ass would build two houses in a single day: and if by sheer force the plough was directed, the plough-share would never be worn away under the shoulder of the camel.

10 Better to remove stones with the wise man than to drink wine with the fool.

11 My son, in the company of the wise thou wilt not be depraved; and in the company of the depraved thou wilt not become wise.

12 My son, make a companion of the wise person, and thou wilt become wise like him; and make not a companion of the foolish person, lest thou be reckoned like him.

13 While there are shoes on thy feet, tread down the thorns and make a path for thy sons and thy sons' sons.

14 My son, the rich man eats a snake, and they say, For his medicine he ate it: the poor man eats it, and they say, Because of his hunger he ate it.

15 My son, eat thy portion, and stretch not out thy hand over that of thy neighbour.

16 My son, do not eat bread with a man that is shameless.

17 My son, if thou seest thine enemy fallen, do not mock at him; lest he should rise up and repay thee.

18 My son, be not envious at the good fortune of thine enemy; and do not rejoice at his misfortune.

19 My son, do not approach a woman who is hateful and talkative, and one whose voice is high. For the beauty of a woman is her good sense and the word of her mouth is her adornment.

20 My son, if thine enemy meet thee with evil, meet thou him with good.

21 My son, if thou seest a man who is stronger than thyself, rise up before him...