The first, mostly destroyed, section deals with the putting down of rebellion, the second with how to treat the king's subjects. The third section gives advice on how to run the army and religious services. The fourth describes the king's achievements and how to emulate them. Next, in contrast to the continual recycling of architectural blocks, the king is instructed to quarry new stone, not reuse old monuments; the reality of reuse is acknowledged, but the ideal of new work is commended. Similarly, the destruction of a sacred territory at
Abydos is recorded; the king expresses remorse, as if accepting responsibility for the unthinkable that must have recurred throughout history – sacrilege in the name of the ruling king, subject to divine retribution during a judgment of the dead. The importance of upholding
Maat, the right world order, is stressed. The last two sections contain a hymn to the creator god (who remains unnamed) and an exhortation to heed these instructions. The contrast between real and ideal make the composition a reflection on power unparalleled in Ancient Egyptian writing. ==Principal sources==