Egyptian Literature/The Book of the Dead/The Negative Confession

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THE NEGATIVE CONFESSION

[From the Papyrus of Nebseni (British Museum No. 9,900, sheet 30).]

The scribe Nebseni, triumphant, saith:

1. “Hail, thou whose strides are long, who comest forth from Annu (Heliopolis), I have not done iniquity.

2. “Hail, thou who art embraced by flame, who comest forth from Kher-āba,^[1] I have not robbed with violence.

3. “Hail, thou divine Nose (Fenti), who comest forth from Khemennu (Hermopolis), I have not done violence [to any man].

4. “Hail, thou who eatest shades, who comest forth from the place where the Nile riseth,^[2] I have not committed theft.

5. “Hail, Neha-hau,^[3] who comest forth from Re-stau, I have not slain man or woman.

6. “Hail, thou double Lion-god, who comest forth from heaven, I have not made light the bushel.

7. “Hail, thou whose two eyes are like flint,^[4] who comest forth from Sekhem (Letopolis), I have not acted deceitfully.

8. “Hail, thou Flame, who comest forth as [thou] goest back, I have not purloined the things which belong unto God.

9. “Hail, thou Crusher of bones, who comest forth from Suten-henen (Heracleopolis), I have not uttered falsehood.

10. “Hail, thou who makest the flame to wax strong, who comest forth from Het-ka-Ptah (Memphis), I have not carried away food. 11. “Hail, Qerti, (i.e., the two sources of the Nile), who come forth from Amentet, I have not uttered evil words.

12. “Hail, thou whose teeth shine, who comest forth from Ta-she (i.e., the Fayyûm), I have attacked no man.

13. “Hail, thou who dost consume blood, who comest forth from the house of slaughter, I have not killed the beasts [which are the property of God].

14. “Hail, thou who dost consume the entrails, who comest forth from the mābet chamber, I have not acted deceitfully.

15. “Hail, thou god of Right and Truth, who comest forth from the city of double Maāti, I have not laid waste the lands which have been ploughed(?).

16. “Hail, thou who goest backward, who comest forth from the city of Bast (Bubastis), I have never pried into matters [to make mischief].

17. “Hail, Aati, who comest forth from Annu (Heliopolis), I have not set my mouth in motion [against any man].

18. “Hail, thou who art doubly evil, who comest forth from the nome of Ati,^[5] I have not given way to wrath concerning myself without a cause.

19. “Hail, thou serpent Uamemti, who comest forth from the house of slaughter, I have not defiled the wife of a man.

20. “Hail, thou who lookest upon what is brought to him, who comest forth from the Temple of Amsu, I have not committed any sin against purity.

21. “Hail, Chief of the divine Princes, who comest forth from the city of Nehatu,^[6] I have not struck fear [into any man].

22. “Hail, Khemiu (i.e., Destroyer), who comest forth from the Lake of Kaui, I have not encroached upon [sacred times and seasons].

23. “Hail, thou who orderest speech, who comest forth from Urit, I have not been a man of anger.

24. “Hail, thou Child, who comest forth from the Lake of Heq-at,^[7] I have not made myself deaf to the words of right and truth.

25. “Hail, thou disposer of speech, who comest forth from the city of Unes,^[8] I have not stirred up strife.

1. A city near Memphis.
2. The “Qerti,” or caverns out of which flowed the Nile, were thought to be situated between Aswan and Philae.
3. Variant, Neha-hra.
4. Variant, “like fire.”
5. I.e., the ninth nome of Lower Egypt, the capital of which was Per-Ausar or Busiris.
6. The “City of the Sycamore,” a name of a city of Upper Egypt.
7. The thirteenth nome of Lower Egypt.
8. The metropolis of the nineteenth nome of Upper Egypt.