Three men stood before the gods in the Hall of Two Truths, awaiting their final judgment. The first man was called forth, and Tehuti inquired of the man, “Have you anything to say for yourself?”

The man responded, “I have hundreds of servants and have been granted positions of great authority. I say to my serv-ant ‘go and do this’ and it is done. I order a man to be impris-oned and he is put in jail. I have brought 100 ushabti (servants) to perform chores in Paradise. Indeed, I am second in power only to the pharaoh himself!”

Anpu then weighed the man’s heart against a feather on the sacred scales of Ma’at. As the man’s heavy heart tipped the scales, Tehuti announced the verdict: “O wicked man! No mortal man has authority here, and the power you have among mortals will not save you when you stand before the gods. Your heart betrays you—you have accused innocent men and caused unrest among Amun-Ra’s people with your lies! Ammit, you may devour this sinner’s heart.”

Ammit then leapt up and swallowed the man’s heart.

Then Tehuti called the second man forth and asked him, “Have you anything to say for yourself?”

The second man responded, “I own many cattle on my vast farms where I harvest more grain than anyone else in the world. If the gods grant me passage to the Aaru, I shall give them half of all that I own. I have brought 100 head of my finest cattle with me that I may farm in Paradise. I am second in riches only to the pharaoh himself!”

Anpu then weighed the man’s heart against a feather on the sacred scales of Ma’at. As the man’s heavy heart tipped the scales, Tehuti proclaimed the verdict of the gods: “O evil man! Your earthly riches help you not in the domain of the gods. No man can bribe the gods with material possessions to which the gods already lay claim. Your heart betrays you—you have stolen cattle which were not yours and harvested crops from land which did not belong to you! Ammit, you may devour this sinner’s heart.”

Ammit then leapt up and devoured the man’s heart.

Tehuti then called the third man to step forward, and he asked the man “Have you anything to say for yourself?”

The third man replied, “I am but a poor man. I have no power, no servants, and no cattle. I sacrifice to the gods and have raised my children to exalt them. I respect the laws of the gods and man, and I live my life according to the principles of Ma’at.”

Anpu weighed the man’s heart against a feather on the sacred scales of Ma’at. The man’s pure heart was lighter than Ma’at’s feather. Tehuti said: “Know you that neither mortal power nor earthly riches will help the wicked man achieve eternal life in Aaru. No mortal man has authority within the domain of the gods, and the gods have decreed that only the righteous man shall enter Paradise.”

Tehuti then took the man’s heart from the scales and handed it to Ausar, as he proclaimed the final judgement: “This man is one of Ausar’s righteous. The first man’s servants and the second man’s cattle shall be given to this virtuous man. May he live eternally in peace in Ausar’s Paradise, the Aaru.”