Great Throughts Treasury

"A man knows not what is in the heart of his fellow."

"According as I did to you, so also to me."

"At first the throne is set up for the liar, but at last his lies shall find him out, and they shall spit in his face."

"Do not chatter overmuch."

"The beauty of man is in his faithfulness, and his hatefulness is the lying of his lips."

"O my boy! thou hast been to me like a man who took a stone, and threw it up to heaven to stone his Lord with it. And the stone did not hit, and did not reach high enough, but it became the cause of guilt and sin. O my boy! if thou hadst honoured me and respected me and hadst listened to my words thou wouldst have been my heir and wouldst have reigned over my dominions."

"O my son! know thou that if the tail of the dog or the pig were ten cubits long it would not approach to the worth of the horse's even if it were like silk. O my boy! I thought that thou wouldst have been my heir at my death; and thou through thy envy and thy insolence didst desire to kill me. But the Lord delivered me from thy cunning."

"O my boy! he who doeth good shall meet with good; and he who doeth evil shall meet with evil, for the Lord requiteth a man according to the measure of his work. O my boy! what shall I say more to thee than these sayings? for the Lord knoweth what is hidden, and is acquainted with the mysteries and the secrets. And He will requite thee and will judge, betwixt me and thee, and will recompense thee according to thy desert."

"He who digs a pit for his brother shall fall into it; and he who sets up traps shall be caught in them."

"Then Ahikar said to the King, "Let my Ruler the King Live Forever! These are the Deeds of the Spiritual Children of the Devil, who now Rules the World: because God has Given it to him in Order to Test our Spirits. Indeed, I have Reared a Palm Tree so that I might Lean on it, and it Bent Sideways, and Threw me Down. But, O my Ruler, since I have Appeared in front of you, do not let my Care Oppress you." And the King said to him, "Blest is God, who showed Mercy to you, who Knew that you was wronged; and therefore, he Saved you and Delivered you from being Slain. But, go to the Warm Bath, and one of my Servants will Shave your Head with all of the Entangled Hairs, Cut your Nails, Change your Clothes, Feed you Fresh Sweet Fruits, and thus you can Amuse yourself for the Space of 40 Days, so that you might do Good to yourself, and Improve your Condition, so that the Color of your Face might come back to you." Then, after Ahikar had done all of those Things, the King Stripped Off his Costly Cloak, and put it on Ahikar, and Ahikar Thanked God and did Obeisance to the King, and Departed to his Dwelling, being Glad and Happy, Praising the Most High God. Likewise, the People of his Household also Rejoiced with him; and his Friends and every Person who Heard that he was Alive, also Rejoiced with him: because they Greatly Missed him; but, now he was Restored to them."