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Chap . XXXIX. THE CHAPTER OF DRIVING BACK THE SERPEN'I' REREK IN THE UNDERWORLD . From the Papyrus of Mes-em-neter.

Vignette : The deceased spearing a serpent .

Text : (1) THE CHAPTER OF DRIVING BACK THE SERPENT
REREK IN THE UNDERWORLD . Osiris Mes-em-neter saith:

(2) "Get thee back, depart, retreat (?) from [me], O Aaapef,
"withdraw, or thou shalt be drowned at the Pool of Nu, at
"the place where thy father (3) bath ordered that thy slaughter
"shall be performed . Depart thou from the divine place of
"birth of Ra wherein is thy terror . I am' Ra who dwelleth in
"his terror . (4) Get thee back, Fiend, before the darts of his
"beams. Ra bath overthrown thy words, the gods have turned
"thy face backwards, the Lynx bath (5) torn open thy breast,
"the Scorpion bath cast fetters upon thee ; and Maat bath sent
"forth thy destruction . Those who are in (6) the ways have
"overthrown thee ; fall down and depart, O Apep, thou Enemy
"of Ra! O thou that passest over the region in the eastern part
"of heaven with the sound of the roaring thunder-cloud, (7) O
"Ra who openest the gates of the horizon straightway on thv
"appearance, [Apep] bath sunk helpless under [thy] gashings . I
"have performed thy will, O Ra, I have performed thy will ;
"I have done that which is fair, I have done that which is fair,
"I have laboured for the peace of (8) Ra . [I] have made to ad-
vance thy fetters, O Ra, and Apep bath fallen through thy
"drawing them tight . The gods of the south and of the north,
"of the west and of the (g) east have fastened chains upon him,
"and they have fettered him with fetters ; the god Rekes bath
`overthrown him and the god Hertit bath put him in chains.
"Ra setteth, Ra setteth ; Ra is strong at [his] (io) setting . Apep
"bath fallen, Apep, the enemy of Ra, departeth . Greater is the
"punishment [which bath been inflicted on] thee than the sting (?)
"which is in the Scorpion goddess, and mightily hath she, whose
"course is everlasting, worked it upon thee and with deadly effect .
"(it) Thou shalt never enjoy the delights of love, thou shalt
"never fulfil thy desire, O Apep, thou Enemy of Ra! He maketh
"thee to go back, O thou who art hateful to Ra ; he looketh
"upon thee, (12) get thee back! [He] pierceth [thy] head, [he]
"cutteth through thy face, [he] divideth [thy] head at the two
"sides of the ways, and it is crushed in his land ; thy bones
"are smashed in pieces, thy members are hacked off thee, and
"the god [A]ker bath condemned (13) thee, O Apep, thou enemy
"of Ra! Thy mariners are those who keep the reckoning for
"thee, [O Ra, as thou] advancest, and thou restest there wherein
"are the offerings made to thee . [As thou] advancest, [as thou]
"advancest towards the House (14) the advance which thou hast
"made towards the House is a prosperous advance ; let not any
"baleful obstacle proceed from thy mouth against me when thou
"workest on my behalf. I am Set who let loose the storm-clouds
"and the (15) thunder in the horizon of heaven even as [doth]
"the god Netcheb-ab-f."

"'Hail', saith the god Tem, `Make strong your faces, O soldiers
"of Ra, for I have driven back the god (16) Nentcha in the pre-
sence of the divine sovereign princes .' `Hail', saith the god Seb,
"`Make ye firm those who are upon their seats which are in the
"boat of Khepera, (17) take ye your ways, [grasping] your
"weapons of war in your hands .: 'Hail', saith Hathor, `Take ve
"your armour .' `Hail', saith Nut, `Come and repulse the god (18)
"Tcha who pursueth him that dwelleth in his shrine and who
"setteth out on his way alone, namely, Neb-er-tcher, who can-
"not be repulsed.' `Hail', say those gods who dwell in their (19)
"companies and who go round about the Turquoise Pool, `Come,
"O mighty One, we praise and we will deliver the Mighty One
"[who dwelleth in] the divine Shrine, from whom proceeds the
"company of the gods, (20) let commemorations be made for
"him, let praise be given to him, let words [of praise] be recited
"before him by you and by me' . `Hail', saith Nut to thy Sweet
"One. `Hail', say those who dwell among the gods, (21) `He
"cometh forth, he findeth [his] way, he maketh captives among
"the gods, he hath taken possession of the goddess Nut, and Seb
"standeth up .' Hail, thou terrible one, the company of the gods
"is on (22) the march . Hathor quaketh with terror, and Ra hath
"triumphed over Apep ."

The Source: The Book oDead, the Chapters of Coming Forth by Day
Translated into English by E. A. Wallis Budge, Litt.D., D.Lit
London, 1898.

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