The ethical conceptions of "truth," "order," and "cosmic balance" are encompassed in the Kemetic term ma'at, and the personification of those principles is the goddess Ma'at. The goddess represented the divine harmony and balance of the universe, including the unending cycles of the rising and setting sun, the inundation of the Nile River, the resulting fertility of the land, and the enduring office of kingship; she considered to be the force that kept chaos(isfet), the antithesis of order, from overwhelming the world. Hence ma'at was a complex, intertwined, and interdependent sense of ethics that tied personal behavior-such as speaking truthfully, dealing fairly in the market place, and especially sustaining obedience to parents, the king, and his agents-to maintenance of universal order. To transgress one aspect of ma'at threatened to encourage chaos and overwhelm order. To live according to ma'at was also fundamental to personal existence. The Instruction of Ptahhotep(sixth dynasty) vowed: "There is no punishment for him who passes over its [ma'at's] laws." The Instructions for Merikare(ninth dynasty) said: "Do ma'at so that you may endure upon Earth."

One of the primary duties of the king was to maintain the order of the cosmos, effected by upholding the principle of ma'at through correct and just rule and through service to the gods. In turn, the people of Kemet had an obligation to uphold ma'at through obedience to the king, who served as the intermediary between the divine and profane spheres. The Instructions of Kagemni record "do ma'at for the king, for ma'at is what the king loves"; the negative confession that was recited by the deceased, as his or her soul was judged against ma'at, included the profession "I have not disputed the king."

Source: The Ancient Gods Speak: A Guide to Egyptian Religion edited by Donald B. Redford