One of the best-known sections of the Book of the Coming Forth by Day (The Book of the Dead) in the Papyrus of Ani is the Negative Confession. The forty-two Gods and Goddesses of the Nomes of Egypt conduct this initiatory test of the soul before the scale of Ma’at. In this translation by pioneering Egyptologist E. A. Wallis Budge, we hear the initiate’s assertion of blamelessness before the Court of Osiris. For clarity, divine names and city names in parentheses have been added to the 1895 text of Chapter 125 from Budge’s 1913 edition.
1. Ani saith: “Hail, thou whose strides are long (Usekh-nemmt), who comest forth from Annu (Heliopolis), I have not done iniquity.”
2. “Hail, thou who art embraced by flame (Hept-khet), who comest forth from Kheraba, I have not robbed with violence.”
3. “Hail, Fentiu, who comest forth from Khemennu (Hermopolis), I have not stolen.”
4. “Hail, Devourer of the Shade (Amkhaibit), who comest forth from Qernet, I have done no murder; I have done no harm.”
5. “Hail, Nehau, who comest forth from Re-stau, I have not defrauded offerings.”
6. “Hail, god in the form of two lions (Ruruti), who comest forth from heaven, I have not minished oblations.”
7. “Hail, thou whose eyes are of fire (Arfiem-khet), who comest forth from Saut (Asyut), I have not plundered the god.”
8. “Hail, thou Flame (Neba), which comest and goest, I have spoken no lies.”
9. “Hail, Crusher of bones (Set-qesu), who comest forth from Suten-henen (Herakleopolis), I have not snatched away food.”
10. “Hail, thou who shootest forth the Flame (Utu-nesert), who comest forth from Het-Ptah-ka (Memphis), I have not caused pain.”
11. “Hail, Qerer, who comest forth from Amentet, I have not committed fornication.”
12. “Hail, thou whose face is turned back (Herf-ha-f), who comest forth from thy hiding place, I have not caused shedding of tears.”
13. “Hail, Bast, who comest forth from the secret place (Bubastis), I have not dealt deceitfully.”
14. “Hail, thou whose legs are of fire (Ta-retiu), who comest forth out of the darkness, I have not transgressed.”
15. “Hail, Devourer of Blood (Unemsnef), who comest forth from the block of slaughter, I have not acted guilefully.”
16. “Hail, Devourer of the inward parts (Unem-besek), who comest forth from Mabet, I have not laid waste the ploughed land.”
17. “Hail, Lord of Right and Truth (NebMa’at), who comest forth from the city of Right and Truth (Ma’ati), I have not been an eavesdropper.”
18. “Hail, thou who dost stride backwards (Tenemiu), who comest forth from the city of Bast, I have not set my lips in motion against any one.”
19. “Hail, Sertiu, who comest forth from Annu (Heliopolis), I have not been angry and wrathful except for a just cause.”
20. “Hail, thou being of two-fold wickedness (Tutu), who comest forth from Ati (the Busirite Nome), I have not defiled the wife of any man.” E. A. Wallis Budge Page 13
21. “Hail, thou two-headed serpent (Uamemti), who comest forth from the torture-chamber, I have not defiled the wife of any man.”
22. “Hail, thou who dost regard what is brought unto thee (Maa-antuf), who comest forth from Pa-Amsu (Panopolis), I have not defiled myself.”
23. “Hail, thou Chief of the mighty (Heruru) who comest forth from Amentet (Nehatu), I have not caused terror.”
24. “Hail, thou Destroyer (Khemiu), who comest forth from Kesiu, I have not transgressed (the law).”
25. “Hail, thou who orderest speech (Shet-kheru), who comest forth from Urit, I have not burned with rage.”
26. “Hail, thou Babe (Nekhenu), who comest forth from Uab (Heqat), I have not stopped my ears against the words of Right and Truth.”
27. “Hail, Kenemti, who comest forth from Kenemet, I have not worked grief.”
28. “Hail, thou who bringest thy offering (An-hetep-f), I have not acted with insolence.”
29. “Hail, thou who orderest speech (Sera-kheru), who comest forth from Unaset, I have not stirred up strife.”
30. “Hail, Lord of faces (Neb-heru), who comest forth from Netchfet, I have not judged hastily.”
31. “Hail, Sekheriu, who comest forth from Utten, I have not been an eavesdropper.”
32. “Hail, Lord of the two horns (Neb-abui), who comest forth from Saïs, I have not multiplied words exceedingly.”
33. “Hail, Nefer-Tmu, who comest forth from Het-Ptah-ka (Memphis), I have done neither harm nor ill.”
34. “Hail, Tmu in thine hour, who comest forth from Tattu (Busiris), I have never cursed the king.”
35. “Hail, thou who workest with thy will (Ari-em-ab-f ), who comest forth from Tebu, I have never fouled the water.”
36. “Hail, thou bearer of the sistrum (Ahi), who comest forth from Nu, I have not spoken scornfully.”
37. “Hail, thou who makest humanity to flourish (Uatch-rekhit), who comest forth from Saïs, I have never cursed God.”
38. “Hail, Neheb-ka, who comest forth from thy hiding place, I have not stolen.”
39. “Hail, Neheb-nefert, who comest forth from thy hiding place, I have not defrauded the offerings of the gods.”
40. “Hail, thou who dost set in order the head (Tcheser-tep), who comest forth from thy shrine, I have not plundered the offerings to the blessed dead.”
41. “Hail, thou who bringest thy arm (An-af), who comest forth from the city of Ma’ati, I have not filched the food of the infant, neither have I sinned against the god of my native town.”
42. “Hail, thou whose teeth are white (Hetch-abhu), who comest forth from Ta-she (the Fayyum), I have not slaughtered with evil intent the cattle of the god.” “. . . I have tried thee. . . Advance thou, in very truth thou hast been tested.”
Cf. Religion and Culture, Christopher Dawson, New York: Meridian, 1958, 121.