[5] His father, Ishme-Dagan, is credited with the restoration of Nippur, an ancient Sumerian city located in today's Iraq.

[5] Lipit-Ishtar himself is said to have restored peace and is praised for the establishment of a functioning legal system.

[4] It has a prologue, which justifies its legal authority, a main body which contains the civil and penal laws governing life and a concluding epilogue.

The gods An and Enlil are invoked and it is explained that they have invested Lipit-Ishtar as "the country’s prince" in order to "establish justice in the land, eradicate the cry for justice [...] [and] forcefully restrain crime and violence" so "that Sumer and Akkad [can] be happy".

[4] The prologue further informs the reader that Lipit-Ishtar has recently freed slaves from Nippur, Ur, and Isin.

[4] The academic Martha Roth summarizes the prologue as containing self-praise of Lipit-Ishtar, listing all Lower Mesopotamian cities under his rule, and emphasizing his success as a restorer of justice.

They are followed by provisions on agriculture, fugitive slaves, false testimony, foster care, apprenticeship, marriage and sexual relationships as well as rented oxen.

[7] The code contains, for example, a provision according to which false accusers have to bear the punishment for the crimes they have alleged.

[4][7] All extant provisions of the code are listed by Martha Roth[8] and Claus Wilcke [de].

[4] The remaining parts explain that Lipit-Ishtar executed a divine order and brought justice to his land:[4] I, Lipit-Ishtar […] silenced crime and violence, made tears, laments and cries for justice taboo, let probity and law shine, made Sumer and Akkad content.Furthermore, the erection of the stele is reported upon, and blessings are said to those who honour the stele and curses inflicted upon those who would venture to desecrate or destroy it.

§34 If a man rented an ox and injured the flesh at the nose ring, he shall pay one-third of its price.