Babylonian Proverbs

If I put anything down it is snatched away; if I do more than is expected, who will repay me?

The face of a toiling ox you shall not strike with a goad.

You shall not do evil, that life eternal you may obtain.

The gift of the king is the nobility of the exalted; the gift of the king is the favor of governors.

His ass I am; I am harnessed to a mule – a wagon I draw, to seek reeds and fodder I go forth.

Upon a glad heart oil is poured out of which no one knows.

A hostile act you shall not perform, that fear of vengeance shall not consume you.

The tall grain thrives, but what do we understand of it? The meager grain thrives, but what do we understand of it?