The Oldest Book in the World
The Instruction of Ptahhotep is the oldest complete work of wisdom literature in human history. Composed during the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt (c. 2400 BCE) by the vizier Ptahhotep, who served under the pharaoh Djedkare Isesi, it is a collection of thirty-seven maxims on justice, humility, eloquence, friendship, obedience, and right conduct — addressed from a father to his son as a guide for living well in the world.
The text survives in several copies, the most complete being the Prisse Papyrus — a hieratic manuscript of approximately twenty-three feet in length, now preserved in the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris. The papyrus itself dates to the Middle Kingdom (Eleventh or Twelfth Dynasty), but the composition it preserves is far older. It was discovered in Thebes by the French Egyptologist Émile Prisse d'Avennes in 1847.
What makes the Instruction remarkable is not only its antiquity but its character. It contains no theology, no ritual, no prayer. It speaks instead of how to argue without pride, how to treat a wife with kindness, how to lead without fear, how to eat at another man's table. Its counsel is entirely practical, entirely human. The word "God" appears, but always generically — never a specific deity. Ptahhotep addresses the universal, not the local.
This translation is by Battiscombe G. Gunn, published in 1906 as part of the "Wisdom of the East" series (John Murray, London). Gunn worked directly from the Prisse Papyrus, producing the most faithful English rendering available at the time. The text was digitised by Project Gutenberg (EBook #30508).
Prologue
The Prefect, the Feudal Lord, Ptahhotep, said: O Prince, my Lord, the end of life is at hand; old age descendeth upon me; feebleness cometh, and childishness is renewed. He that is old lieth down in misery every day. The eyes are small; the ears are deaf. Energy is diminished, the heart hath no rest. The mouth is silent, and he speaketh no word; the heart is spent, and remembereth not yesterday. The bones are full of pain, and the good turneth to evil. The taste is gone; all that was is no more. When old age maketh the man wholly miserable, the nose is stopped, and he breatheth not for weakness. Whether he stand or sit, it is equally bad.
Let the servant be charged to make ready a staff of old age. Let my son be set in my place. Let me speak unto him the words of them that hearken to the counsel of the men of old time; those that hearkened unto the gods. Let the like be done for thee; let sorrow be cast out from among the people, and let the Two Lands serve thee.
Said the Majesty of the King: Instruct him, then, in the words of old time. Let him be a wonder unto the children of princes, that they may enter and hearken with him. Make straight all their hearts; and discourse with him, without causing weariness.
On the Limits of Skill
Be not proud because thou art learned; but discourse with the ignorant man, as with the sage. For no limit can be set to skill, neither is there any craftsman that possesseth full advantages. Fair speech is more rare than the emerald that is found by slave-maidens on the pebbles.
On Arguing with a Wiser Man
If thou find an arguer talking, one that is well disposed and wiser than thou, let thine arms fall, bend thy back; be not angry with him if he agree not with thee. Refrain from speaking evilly; oppose him not at any time when he speaketh. If he address thee as one ignorant of the matter, thine humbleness shall bear away his contentions.
On Arguing with an Equal
If thou find an arguer talking, thy fellow, one that is within thy reach, keep not silence when he saith aught that is evil; so shalt thou be wiser than he. Great will be the applause on the part of the listeners, and thy name shall be good in the knowledge of princes.
On Arguing with a Lesser Man
If thou find an arguer talking, a poor man, that is to say not thine equal, be not scornful toward him because he is lowly. Let him alone; then shall he confound himself. Question him not to please thine heart, neither pour out thy wrath upon him that is before thee; it is shameful to confuse a mean mind. If thou be about to do that which is in thine heart, overcome it as a thing that is rejected of princes.
On Leading Justly
If thou be a leader, as one directing the conduct of the multitude, endeavour always to be gracious, that thine own conduct be without defect. Great is Truth, and mighty above all things. It hath not been broken since the time of Osiris, and he that breaketh the laws is punished. It is a transgression even in the sight of the avaricious. Baseness may indeed seize riches, but the strength of Truth is that it endureth; and the man of just dealing shall say: It is the property of my father.
On Not Causing Fear
Cause not fear among men; for this the God punisheth likewise. For there is a man that saith: Life is therein; and he is bereft of the bread of his mouth. There is a man that saith: Power is therein; and he saith: I seize for myself that which I perceive. Thus a man speaketh, and is smitten down. It is another that attaineth by giving unto him that hath not; not he that maketh men to dread. For it happeneth that what the God hath commanded, even that thing cometh to pass. Live, therefore, in the house of kindliness, and men shall come and give gifts of themselves.
On Conduct at Table
If thou be among the guests of a man that is greater than thou, accept that which he giveth thee, putting it to thy lips. If thou look at him that is before thee, thine host, pierce him not with many glances. It is abhorred of the soul to stare at him. Speak not till he address thee; one knoweth not what may be evil in his opinion. Speak when he questioneth thee; so shall thy speech be good in his opinion. The noble who sitteth before food divideth it as his soul moveth him; he giveth unto him that he would favour — it is the custom of the evening meal. It is his soul that guideth his hand. It is the noble that bestoweth, not the underling that attaineth. Thus the eating of bread is under the providence of the God; he is an ignorant man that disputeth it.
On Faithfulness as a Messenger
If thou be an emissary sent from one noble to another, be exact after the manner of him that sent thee; give the message as he said it. Guard against making evil with words, setting one noble against the other by perverting truth. Overstep it not, neither repeat that which any man, be he prince or peasant, saith in opening the heart; it is abhorrent to the soul.
On the Fruit of Labour
If thou have ploughed, gather thine harvest in the field, and the God shall make it great under thine hand. Fill not thy mouth at any neighbour's table. If a craftsman be in debt, it is by reason of his excess. A little of that which the crafty man desireth is better than a great deal treasured up. A wretch is he who seizeth the portion of another.
On Serving the Wise
If thou be lowly, serve a wise man, that all thine actions may be good before the God. If thou have known a man of none account, that hath been advanced in rank, be not haughty toward him on account of that which thou knowest of him; but honour him that hath been advanced, according to that which he hath become. Behold, riches come not of themselves; it is their rule for him that desireth them. If he bestir himself and collect them himself, the God shall make him prosperous; but He shall punish him, if he be slothful.
On Following the Heart
Follow thine heart during thy lifetime; do not more than is commanded thee. Diminish not the time of following the heart; it is abhorred of the soul, that its time of ease be taken away. Shorten not the daytime more than is needful to maintain thine house. When riches are gained, follow the heart; for riches are of no avail if one be weary.
On Fathering a Son
If thou wouldest be a wise man, beget a son for the pleasing of the God. If he make straight his course after thine example, if he arrange thine affairs in due order, do unto him all that is good, for thy son is he, whom thine own soul hath begotten for thee. Sunder not thine heart from him, or thine own begotten shall curse thee. If he be heedless, and trespass thy rules of conduct, and is violent, and if every speech that cometh from his mouth be a vile word, then beat thou him, that his talk may be fitting. Keep him from those that make of him an equal, for it is they that make him rebel. He that is guided goeth not astray, but he that loseth his bearings is lost.
On Conduct in Council
If thou be in the chamber of council, act always according to the steps enjoined on thee at the beginning of the day. Be not absent, or thou shalt be turned out; swift is the speech when the heart is hurt. For an official that is questioned, it is not fitting that he speak until one have reached his level. He that dispenseth justice to all that sue, the hall of judgment shall be in fair order. It is an abomination of the God to show favour on one side.
On Making Friends
If thou be among people, make for thyself love, the beginning and end of the heart. One that knoweth not his course shall say in himself — seeing that he is known to all others — He is a fool. His heart is matched with his tongue. His lips are correct when he speaketh; his eyes are keen; his ears are opened to hear. The advantage of his son is aught that is profitable; his followers follow the good. A man of mark is he.
On Reporting Without Concealment
Report thine actions without concealment; discover thy conduct when in council with thine overlord. It is not evil for the envoy that his report be not answered: Yea, I know it, by the prince; for that which he knoweth includeth not this. If the noble thinks that he will oppose him on account of it, he thinketh: He will be silent, because I have spoken.
On Being a Just Leader
If thou be a leader, cause that the rules that thou hast enjoined be carried out; and do all things as one that remembereth the days coming after, when speech availeth not. Be not lavish of favours; it leadeth to servility, producing slackness.
On Hearing Petitioners
If thou be a leader, be gracious when thou hearkenest unto the speech of a petitioner. Let him not hesitate to deliver himself of that which he hath thought to tell thee; but be desirous of removing his injury. Let him speak freely, that the thing for which he hath come to thee may be done. If he hesitate to open his heart, it is said: Is it because he, the judge, doeth the wrong, that no entreaties are made to him? But a well-taught heart hearkeneth readily.
On Friendship
If thou desire to continue friendship in any abode wherein thou enterest, be it as master, as brother, or as friend, wheresoever thou goest, beware of consorting with women. No place prospereth wherein that is done. Nor is it prudent to take part therein; a thousand men have been ruined for the pleasure of a little time short as a dream. Even death is reached thereby; it is a wretched thing. As for the evil liver, one leaveth him for what he doeth, and he is avoided. If his desires be not gratified, he regardeth no laws.
On Covetousness
Be not covetous as touching shares, in seizing that which is not thine own. Be not covetous toward thy kindred; greater is the claim of the gentle than of the strong. He that spoileth others' goods shall find loss himself. Though evil may get riches, yet Truth endureth. When the end cometh, righteousness lasteth.
On Marriage
If thou wouldest be wise, provide for thine house, and love thy wife that is in thine arms. Fill her body, clothe her back; oil is the remedy of her limbs. Gladden her heart during thy lifetime, for she is a goodly field for her lord. Be not harsh; gentleness mastereth her more than strength. Give to her; that for which she signeth, and that toward which her eye looketh; so shalt thou keep her in thy house.
On Paying Servants Fairly
Satisfy thine hired servants out of such things as thou hast; it is the duty of one that hath been favoured of the God. In sooth, it is hard to satisfy hired servants. For one saith: He is a lavish man; one knoweth not that which may come from him. But on the morrow he thinketh: He is a man of exactness. When there cometh the necessity of showing favour, it is the wise that will be content. If satisfied, there is a fair measure. Thy hired servants work therein; the saying thereof is worth more than the giving of five hundred deben in the manner of him that is without a home.
On Discretion in Speech
Repeat not extravagant speech, neither listen thereto; it is the utterance of a body heated by wrath. When such speech is repeated to thee, hearken not thereto, look to the ground. Speak not regarding it, that he that is before thee may know wisdom. If thou be commanded to do a theft, bring it to pass that the command be taken off thee, for it is a thing hateful according to law. That which destroyeth a vision is the veil over it.
On Prudence in Council
If thou wouldest be a wise man, and one sitting in council with his overlord, apply thine heart unto perfection. Silence is more profitable to thee than abundance of speech. Consider how thou may be opposed by an expert that speaketh in council. It is a foolish thing to speak on every kind of work, for he that disputeth thy words shall put them unto proof.
On Knowledge and Gentleness
If thou be powerful, make thyself to be honoured for knowledge and for gentleness. Speak with authority; that is, not as if following injunctions, for he that is humble, when he hath erred, faileth to meet the opportunity. Exalt not thine heart above thy neighbours. Guard thyself against being humbled.
On Respect for Officers
Let not a prince be hindered when he is occupied; neither oppress the heart of him that is already laden. For he shall be hostile toward one that delayeth him, but shall bare his soul unto one that loveth him. The disposal of souls is with the God, and that which He loveth is His creation.
On Instructing the Willing
Instruct a noble in such things as be profitable unto him; cause him to be received among men. Let his satisfaction fall on his master, for thy provision is under thy lord. The sustenance of the body is under the command of the God, and he hath what he desireth. Thy face is straightened by thy leader. Good is the teaching of a man in the matters of his household.
On Dignity as an Emissary
If thou be the son of a man of the priesthood, and an envoy to conciliate the multitude, speak thou without favouring one side. Let it not be said: His conduct is that of the nobles, favouring one side in his speech. Turn thine aim toward exact judgments.
On Forgiving
If thou have been gracious at a former time, having forgiven a man to guide him aright, shun him, remind him not after the first day that he hath been silent to thee concerning it.
On Humility After Rise
If thou be great, after being of none account, and hast gotten riches after squalor, being foremost in these in the city, and hast knowledge concerning useful matters, so that promotion is come unto thee, then swathe not thine heart in thine hoard, for thou art become the steward of the endowments of the God. Thou art not the last; another shall be thine equal, and to him shall come the like fortune.
On Obedience to One's Superior
Bend thy back unto thy chief, thine overseer in the King's palace; for thine house dependeth upon his substance, and thy wages in their season. How evil it is when one disputeth with his chief, for one liveth only while he is gracious. Plunder not the houses of tenants; steal not the things of a friend, lest he accuse thee in thine hearing, for a quarreller is a mindless person.
On Continence
If thou wouldest seek out the nature of a friend, ask it not of any companion of his; but pass a time with him alone, that thou injure not his affairs. Debate with him after a season; test his heart in an occasion of speech. When he hath told thee his past life, he hath made an opportunity that thou may either be ashamed for him or be familiar with him. Be not reserved with him when he openeth speech, neither answer him after a scornful manner; withdraw not thyself from him, neither interrupt him in the midst of that which he hath said; but be watchful toward him.
On Cheerfulness
Let thy face be bright what time thou livest. That which goeth into the storehouse must come out therefrom; and bread is to be shared. He that is grasping in entertainment shall himself have an empty belly; he that causeth strife cometh himself to sorrow. Take not such an one for thy companion. It is a man's kindly acts that are remembered of him in the years after his life.
On Knowing Thy Merchants
Know well thy merchants; for when thine affairs are in evil case, thy good repute among thy friends is a channel which is filled. It is more important than the dignities of a man; and the wealth of one passeth to another. The good repute of a man's son is a glory unto him; and a good character is for remembrance.
On Correction
Correct chiefly; instruct conformably therewith. Vice must be drawn out that virtue may remain. Nor is this a matter of misfortune, for one that is a quarreller goeth astray in all his designs.
On Chastity
If thou wouldest make friendship last in a house to which thou hast admitted thee as master, as a brother, or as a friend, into any place where thou mightest enter, beware of approaching the women. Unhappy is the place where this is done. Unwelcome is he that intrudeth on them. A thousand men are turned away from their good: a short moment of pleasures like a dream, then death cometh from having known them. It is a vile thing, conceived by an enemy; one cometh to it from being shot at. As for him who faileth by reason of lusting after them, no affair of his shall prosper.
On Obedient Sons
The son that receiveth the word of his father shall reach old age on account of it. He that is obedient when directed by the God, he is one that is obedient when directed by his father. He shall rest in it, and it shall become an ordinance with him. His flesh shall flourish, and his days shall be multiplied. The obedient son gathereth twofold.
On Hearkening
Let a son receive the word of his father, not being heedless of any rule of his. Say unto him, What the wise teacheth his son: Hearken unto all that is profitable, and establish it in thine heart. He that hearkeneth is an advantage unto him that hearkeneth; and hearkening is better than all else, for a good hearing is born.
On the Fool
As for the fool devoid of obedience, he doeth nothing. Knowledge he regardeth as ignorance, profitable things as hurtful. He doeth all that is detestable, so that he is complained of each day. He liveth in death therewith. It is his food. At chattering speech he marvelleth, as at the wisdom of princes, living in death each day. He is shunned because of his misfortunes, by reason of the multitude of afflictions that cometh upon him each day.
On the Reward of Hearkening
A son that hearkeneth is as a Follower of Horus. He is good after he hearkeneth; he groweth old, he reacheth honour and reverence. He transmitteth the same manner to his children, renewing the instruction of his father. Every man teacheth as he hath acted. He transmitteth speech to his children, and they speak unto their children. Raise up thy sons to be an example of right character; if they be blameless, thy vigilance worketh great things.
On Restraint of Speech
Be thine heart overflowing; but refrain thy mouth. Let thy conduct be ordered aright in the sight of thy servants; the man of upstanding character is one that is sheltered behind his shield. He is great that is chief of his qualities.
On the Meaning of Obedience
Carry out the behest of thy lord to thee. How good is the teaching of his father, of whom he is the issue, even he that uttereth it unto his children. There is no heir that shall advance his landmarks; speak unto thy children, then, of obedience: not that it shall be received submissively, but that it shall be thought beautiful, and that it shall be reflected upon.
Epilogue
If a good example is set by him that leadeth, he shall be beneficent for ever, and his wisdom shall be for all time. The wise man feedeth his soul with that which endureth, so that it is happy with him upon earth. The wise is known by his wisdom, the noble by his good actions; his heart matcheth his tongue, and his lips are straight when he speaketh. He hath eyes that see, and his ears are opened; the counsellor of him that acteth not asketh counsel.
A son must answer well when his father speaketh, reaching him with the arms of life; his heart being pleased, as he telleth it, even to the end of the story. In the sight of the princes of the earth, that which his father speaketh is good; his son shall be praised for that which he doeth.
Thus is it completed, from the beginning thereof unto the end, even as found in writing.
Colophon
The Instruction of Ptahhotep — the oldest complete work of didactic literature in human history, composed by the vizier Ptahhotep during the reign of Djedkare Isesi in the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt (c. 2400 BCE). The text is preserved in the Prisse Papyrus, a hieratic manuscript dating to the Middle Kingdom, now held in the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Translated from the Egyptian by Battiscombe G. Gunn. Published in The Instruction of Ptah-Hotep and the Instruction of Ke'Gemni: The Oldest Books in the World (London: John Murray, 1906), in the "Wisdom of the East" series, edited by L. Cranmer-Byng and Dr. S. A. Kapadia. Digitised text verified against Project Gutenberg EBook #30508.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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