The Egyptian Book of the Dead 71

Coming Forth by Day [From the Papyrus of Nebseni (British Museum No. 9,900, sheet 16).]

The Chapter of coming forth by day. The libationer, the lord of reverence, Nebseni, saith: “Hail, thou hawk who risest in heaven, thou lord of the goddess Meh-urt! Strengthen thou me according as thou hast strengthened thyself, and show thyself upon the earth, O thou that returnest and withdrawest thyself, and let thy will be done.”

“Behold the god of One Face is with me. [I am] the hawk which is within the shrine; and I open that which is upon the hangings thereof. Behold Horus, the son of Isis.”

“[Behold] Horus the son of Isis! Strengthen thou me, according as thou hast strengthened thyself, and show thyself upon earth, O thou that returnest and withdrawest thyself, and let thy will be done.”

“Behold, the god of One Face is with me. [I am] the hawk in the southern heaven, and [I am] Thoth in the northern heaven; I make peace with the raging fire and I bring Maat to him that loveth her.”

“Behold Thoth, even Thoth! Strengthen thou me according as thou hast strengthened thyself, and show thyself upon earth, O thou that returnest and withdrawest thyself, and let thy will be done.”

“Behold the god of One Face is with me. I am the Plant of the region where nothing sprouteth, and the Blossom of the hidden horizon.”

“Behold Osiris, yea Osiris! Strengthen thou me according as thou hast strengthened thyself, and show thyself upon earth, O thou that returnest and withdrawest thyself, and let thy will be done.”

“Behold, the god of One Face is with me. Hail, thou who [standest] upon thy legs, in thine hour,” or (as others say), “Hail, thou who art victorious upon thy legs in thine hour, thou lord of the two divine Tchafi, who livest [in] the two divine Tchafi, strengthen thou me according as thou hast strengthened thyself, and show thyself upon earth, O thou that returnest and withdrawest thyself, and let thy will be done.”

“Behold, the god of One Face is with me. Hail, thou Nekhen who art in thine egg, thou lord of the goddess Meh-urt, strengthen thou me according as thou hast strengthened thyself, and show thyself upon earth, O thou that returnest and withdrawest thyself, and let thy will be done.”

“Behold, the god of One Face is with me. The god Sebek hath stood up within his ground, and the goddess Neith hath stood up within her plantation, O thou that returnest and withdrawest thyself, show thyself upon earth and let thy will be done.”

“Behold, the god of One Face is with me. Hail, ye seven beings who make decrees, who support the Scales on the night of the judgment of the Utchat, who cut off heads, who hack necks in pieces, who take possession of hearts by violence and rend the places where hearts are fixed, who make slaughterings in the Lake of Fire, I know you and I know your names, therefore know ye me even as I know your names. I come forth to you, therefore come ye forth to me, for ye live in me and I would live in you. Make ye me to be vigorous by means of that which is in your hands, that is to say, by the rod of power which is in your hands. Decree ye for me life by [your] speech year by year; give me multitudes of years over and above my years of life, and multitudes of months over and above my months of life, and multitudes of days over and above my days of life, and multitudes of nights over and above my nights of life; and grant that I may come forth and shine upon my statue; and [grant me] air for my nose, and let my eyes have the power to see among those divine beings who dwell in the horizon on the day when evil-doing and wrong are justly assessed.”

If this chapter be recited for the deceased he shall be strong upon earth before Ra, and he shall have a comfortable burial (or tomb) with Osiris, and it shall be of great benefit to a man in the underworld. Sepulchral bread shall be given unto him, and he shall come forth into the presence [of Ra] day by day, and every day, regularly, and continually.