← Back to Browse

Egyptian Book of the Dead

Chapter CXLIV
Ancient Egyptian trans. P. Le Page Renouf & E. Naville • c. c. 1550 BCE
1.
The first gate. He whose face is overturned, who has many attributes, is the name of the occupant of the first gate. The adjuster, is the name of the warden thereof, and he with the loud voice the name of the herald
2.
The second gate. He who raises his face, is the name of the occupant of the second gate; he with the revolving face is the name of the warden thereof; the consuming one is the name of the herald
3.
The third gate. He who eats his own filth, is the name of the occupant. The watchful, is the name of the warden thereof, the curser is the name of the herald
4.
The fourth gate. He who opposes garrulity, is the name of the occupant of the fourth gate; the attentive one is the name of the warden thereof, the great one who drives back the crocodile is the name of the herald
5.
The fifth gate. He who lives on worms, is the name of its occupant, the consuming flame, is the name of the warden thereof, the horn which strikes the furious, is the name of the herald
6.
The sixth gate. He who makes the loaves, with a thundering voice, is the name of its occupant; he who shows his face, is the name of the warden thereof, the stoneknife which belongs to the sky, is the name of the herald
7.
The seventh gate. He who takes possession of their knives, is the name of the occupant of the seventh gate; the high voice is the name of the warden thereof, he who drives back the enemies is the name of the herald
8.
O ye, these gates, who are the gates to Osiris, ye who guard their gates, ye who herald the things of the world to Osiris every day. Osiris N. knows you—he knows your names; for he is born in Restau, where all the glory of the horizon was given him. N. receives the investiture in Pu, like the purification of Osiris. N. receives the saying in Restau, when he leads the gods on the horizon with the ministrant, the protectors of Osiris. I am one of them in their leading. N. is the glorious one, the lord of the glorious, a glorious one who performs the rites. N. celebrates the festival of the first day of the month; he is the herald in the fifteenth day of the month. O thou who revolvest. N. carries the sacred flame to the hand of Thoth in the night when he sails through the sky as victor. N. passes on in peace, he navigates in the boat of Rā. The attributes of N. are the attributes of the boat of Rā. N. has a name greater than yours, mightier than you who are on the roads of Maāt. N. hates what is corrupt. The attributes of N. are the attributes of Horus, the firstborn of Rā, who accomplishes his will. N. is not fettered, he is not driven away from the gates of Osiris. N. is perfect, the lion god, the pure one who follows Osiris Khent Amenta every day. His domains are in Sechet hotepu among those who know the sacred rites, among those who perform the sacred rites to Osiris. N. is on the side of Thoth, among those who bring offerings. Anubis ordered to the bearers of offerings, that there should be offerings to N. of his own, and that they should not be taken from him by those who are in captivity. N. has come like Horus, when he adorns the horizon of heaven N. directs the march of Rā towards the gates of the horizon; therefore the gods rejoice in the presence of N. The divine scent is upon Osiris, the god with the lock will not reach him; the keepers of the gates will not be hostile to him. N. is the one whose face is hidden inside the palace, in the sanctuary of the god, the lord of Tuat. N. has reached it after Hathor. N. gathers his hosts; he brings Maāt to Rā, he drives away the Mighty One, Apepi. N. pierces the steel firmament, and repels the raging storm; he gives life to the seamen of Rā. N. carries offerings to the place where it (the boat) is. N. causes that the boat gives him a successful voyage. N. marches, and when he reaches it, the face of N. is like the Great One, and his back like the lofty one. N. is the lord of the mighty. N. is well pleased on the horizon. N. is valiant; he strikes you down; you wakers; he makes his way to your lord, Osiris
9.
This is on the copy which is in the books. It is written in yellow ink, on the sacred circle of gods in the boat of Rā, where offerings are made of victuals, geese, incense, in their presence, in order to revive the deceased, to make him powerful among the gods, and that he may not be repulsed nor driven back from the pylons of the Tuat. If thou readest it to the statue of this deceased in their presence, it causes him to have access to every hall of those which are in the books
10.
This is said at the entrance of every gate, of those which are in the books, and to each of them an offering is made of the haunch, the head, the heart, and the hoof of a red bull, and four vases of blood which does not come from the heart, and scent vases, and sixteen pointed white loaves, and eight round loaves, and eight chenfu loaves, and eight hebennu loaves, eight casks of beer, eight vases of dry corn, four tanks of earthenware filled with the milk of a white cow, fresh herbs, fresh olive oil, green eye paint, antimony, odoriferous oils, and burning incense. Said while putting on a clay seal twice
11.
After this copy has been read, if the fourth hour is going round in the day, beware of what is threatening in the sky; but if thou hast read this book without any human being seeing it, it will widen the steps of the deceased in heaven or earth, and in the Tuat; because this book exalts the deceased more than any ceremony performed to him, henceforth, from this day undeviatingly for times infinite