The document tells a story about a rich merchant on his deathbed who asks each of his four wives to keep him company in death. His first three wives refuse, but his loyal first wife, who he had neglected, agrees to follow him. It then provides an allegory, saying we all have four "wives" - our body, possessions, family, and soul. While we lavish attention on our body, possessions, and family, it is our neglected soul that is the only thing that follows us after death. The conclusion encourages cultivating our soul now rather than lamenting its neglect on our deathbed.