Man-ishtushu, king of Kish; Azuzu, his servant, dedicated this spear to the god Be'al-SI.SI.

Ititi, the overseer, son of Ininlaba, dedicated this stone plaque from the booty of Gasur Nuzi to the goddess Ishtar.

Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, protégé of the gods Nabû and Marduk, am I.

As for Imgur-Enlil, the great wall of Babylon, which had become weak and had collapsed before my time, I firmly set its foundations on its original socle. I built it anew using people mustered from my land and I surrounded Babylon on all four sides. I raised its superstructure just like the one in earlier times.

O wall, speak favorable things about me to the god Marduk, my lord.

Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, protégé of the gods Nabû and Marduk, I:

As for Imgur-Enlil, the great wall of Babylon, I sought out its original foundation from the bank of the Arahtu River on the north side, that of the gate of the goddess Ishtar, to the south side, that of the gate of the god Urash, and I built it in the same way for the god Marduk, my lord.

O wall, speak favorable things about me to the god Marduk.

Nabopolassar, king of justice, shepherd chosen by the god Marduk, creation of the goddess Ninmenna — the exalted princess, the queen of queens — protégé of the god Nabû and the goddess Tashmetu, beloved prince of the god Ninshiku.

When, during my childhood, although I was a son of a nobody, I constantly sought out the shrines of the gods Nabû and Marduk, my lords; my mind pondered about making their rites secure and properly administering their kidudû-rites; my attention was set on truth and justice.

The god Shazu, the lord who knows the hearts of the gods of heaven and earth, the one who constantly observes the ingenious behavior of the people, for me — the child who could not be found among the people — he observed my intentions and made me pre-eminent in the land where I was created.

He called my name for dominion over the land and people, made a good lamassu walk beside me, and allowed me to successfully undertake everything that I did. He made the god Nergal, the almighty one of the gods, march at my side; he killed my enemy and cut down my opponent.

As for the Assyrians, who had ruled over the land of Akkad because of the hatred of the gods and had made the people of the land suffer under its heavy yoke, I, the weak and powerless one who constantly seeks out the lord of lords Marduk, with the powerful strength of the gods Nabû and Marduk — my lords — I barred them lit: "their feet" from the land of Akkad and had the Babylonians cast off their yoke.

At that time, Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, the one who pleases the hearts of the gods Nabû and Marduk, I: As for Imgur-Enlil — the great wall of Babylon, the original boundary marker which has been manifest since the distant past, the firmly-founded ground plan that has endured for all eternity, the high mountain that rivals the heavens, the strong shield that bolts the entrance to the land of enemies, the wide courtyard of the Igigu gods, the broad forecourt of the Anunnaku gods, the stairway to the heavens, the ladder to the netherworld, the stations of the gods Lugal-girra and Meslamta'e, the cult niche of the goddess Ishtar — the great queen — the site of the bow of the god Dagan — the warrior — the camp enclosure of warrior — the god Ninurta —

the temple with the privileged status of the gods Anu and Enlil, the place of sophisticated designs of the god Ea — the lord of Eridu — the secluded ground of the great gods, whose foundations the Igigu and Anunnaku gods firmly established in the jubilation of their hearts, whose construction they had skillfully executed according to plan, and whose superstructure they had raised — a long time ago it became weak, collapsed, and, on account of heavy rains and downpours, its walls were carried away and its foundations had become a heap of ruins and was piled up like a tell.

I mustered the workmen of the gods Enlil, Shamash, and Marduk and then I made them carry hoes and imposed on them the carrying of baskets. From the bank of the Arahtu River on the upper side, at the gate of the goddess Ishtar, to the bank of the Arahtu River on the lower side, at the gate of the gate of the god Urash, I removed its heaped up earth. I examined and inspected its old foundation and then laid its brickwork on its original place. I firmly secured its foundation on the surface lit. "breast" of the netherworld. I surrounded the east bank with a strong lining.

Nabopolassar, the humble and submissive one who reveres the gods Nabû and Marduk, the shepherd who pleases the heart of the goddess Papnun-anki Zarpanitu, the one who examines the old foundation of Babylon, the one who discovers bricks of the past, the one who executes according to plan work on the original socle — which has existed for all eternity — the one who grasps the hoe of the Igigu gods, the one who carries the basket of the Anunnaku gods, the one who built Imgur-Enlil for the god Marduk — my lord — am I.

So that any future king does not have my carefully selected words removed and that no words come in existence that surpass my own command, I swore an oath bound by the god Marduk, my lord, and the god Shamash, my god: "My words are not lies, but are reliable statements!"

At that time, I found a statue of a king who came before me who had built that wall, and I firmly placed it in a secure place, in the great foundations, with my own statue, for eternity.

Any king in the future, either a son or grandson who comes after me, whom the god Marduk names for dominion over the land: Do not set your heart on feats of might and power, but rather constantly seek out the shrines of the gods Nabû and Marduk so that they may kill your opponents. The god Marduk, my lord, examines the mouth and observes the heart so whoever is true to the god Bel Marduk his foundations will endure and whoever is true to the god Son-of-Bel Nabû will live for ever.

When that wall becomes dilapidated and you repair its dilapidated sections, exactly like when I found an inscription of a king who came before me and did not change its location, find an inscription written in my name and place it with your inscribed objects. By the command of the god Marduk, the great lord whose command cannot be changed, may the fame of your name be established for ever.

Nabopolassar, strong king, king of Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Akkad, exalted ruler, the one who reveres the god Urash and the goddess Ishtar, true shepherd, protégé of the gods Nabû and Marduk, am I.

When the great gods called my exalted name for dominion over the land, entrusted me with a scepter — a present to constantly guide my people — and let my hands grasps an exalted staff to subjugate the insubmissive.

At that time, I imposed the carrying of baskets on all of my workforce and made them carry hoes and spades. As for the people of the upper and lower lands, whose lead-ropes the gods Nabû and Marduk placed in my hands, the god Erra — the ... lord ... who goes at my right side, the bailiff ..., the wise and great one — ... ... I mustered the extensive workmen of the gods Enlil, Shamash, and Marduk and ... on all four sides.

At that time, I built anew Nemetti-Enlil, its Babylon's outer wall and made it as bright as day for the god Marduk, my lord. I strengthened the protection of Esagil and Babylon and allowed the citizens of Babylon to live there in peace. I made Babylon, the cult center of the great lord — the god Marduk — worthy of praise, just like it was in earlier times.

0 Marduk, the Enlil of the gods, the one who directs the four quarters of the world, look with pleasure upon my good deeds and, by your exalted command, give to me as a gift to my royal majesty a just scepter, a firmly-founded throne, a dynasty lasting until the distant future, and the ability to march through the four quarters of the world, on high mountain peaks.

He the god Shazu made a good lamassu walk beside me, and allowed me to successfully undertake everything that I did. He made the god Nergal, the almighty one of the gods, march at my side; he killed my enemy and cut down my opponent.

As for the Assyrians, who from distant days had ruled over all of the people and had made the people of the land suffer under its heavy yoke, I, the weak and powerless one constantly seeks out the lord of lords Marduk, with the powerful strength of the gods Nabû and Marduk — my lords — I barred them lit: "their feet" from the land of Akkad and had the Babylonians cast off their yoke.

At that time, as for Nemetti-Enlil, the outer wall of Babylon, which an king of the past had ... ... not ... ... neglected ... and on the outside, the wall and outer wall ..., the powerless and reverent one who constantly seeks out the lord of lords Marduk, ... I examined and ... its original ... my extensive people, whose lead-ropes the gods Nabû and Marduk placed in my hands

For the god Marduk, the great lord, the Enlil of the gods, the proud one, the one who directs the Igigu gods, the one who controls the Anunnaku gods, the light of the gods — his fathers — the one who dwells in Esagil, the lord of Babylon, my lord:

Nabopolassar, governor of Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Akkad, pious prince, protégé of the gods Nabû and Marduk, the humble and respectful one who thoroughly understands how to revere god and goddess in his heart, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, the one who strives after the rites of the great gods, am I:

When, by the commands of the gods Nabû and Marduk, the beloved of my royal majesty, and with the strong weapon of the awesome god Erra, the one who constantly strikes my enemies with lightning, I killed the Subarean Assyrian and turned his land into a mound of ruins lit. "a mound and ruins", at that time, as for Etemenanki — the ziggurat of Babylon, which had become very weak and had been allowed to collapse before my time — the god Marduk — my lord — commanded me to firmly secure its foundation on the surface lit. "breast" of the netherworld and to have its summit rival the heavens.

I fashioned hoes, spades, and brickmolds made of elephant ivory, ebony, and musukkannu-wood, and then I made the vast number of workmen levied in my land carry them. I had them make mud bricks without number and mold baked bricks like countless drops of rain. I had the Arahtu River carry off refined and crude bitumen like a raging flood.

With the knowledge of the god Ea, with the perspicacity of the god Marduk, with the wisdom of the god Nabû and goddess Nisaba, with the vast mind that the god who created me had allowed me to attain, and with my great sense of reason, I deliberated matters and then I commissioned well-trained craftsmen and afterwards a survey team measured the dimensions using a measuring rod. Master builders stretched out the measuring ropes and firmly established the ground plan. I made inquiries through divination to the gods Shamash, Adad, and Marduk, and whenever my mind deliberated matters and took the dimensions into consideration, the great gods responded to me through the outcomes of divination.

Through the craft of the exorcist, the wisdom of the gods Ea and Marduk, I made that place pure and firmly set its foundations on its original socle. I laid out gold, silver, and stones from the mountains and sea in its foundations. I poured out glistening shapshu, fine oil, aromatics, and damatu-paste beneath the brickwork. I fashioned statues of my royal majesty carrying a basket and had them placed in the foundation.

I bowed my neck to the god Marduk, my lord, rolled up my garment, the ceremonial attire of my royal majesty, and carried mud bricks and mud on my head. I had baskets made from gold and silver and I made Nebuchadnezzar — my first-born child, the beloved of my heart — carry, with my workmen, mud that was mixed with wine, oil, and crushed aromatics. I made Nabû-shuma-lishir — his talimu-brother, a child who is my own offspring, his younger brother, my favorite — take up the hoe and spade. I imposed upon him a gold and silver basket and gave him as a gift to the god Marduk, my lord.

In joy and happiness, I built the temple as a replica of Esharra and I raised its superstructure up like a mountain. For the god Marduk, my lord, I made it suitable to be an object of wonder, just like it was in earlier times.

O Marduk, my lord, look with pleasure upon my good deeds and by your exalted command, which cannot be altered, may this construction, my handiwork, stay in good repair for ever. Like the bricks of Etemenanki, which are firmly in place for eternity, firmly secure the foundations of my throne until the distant future.

Etemenanki, pray on behalf of the king who renovated you! When the god Marduk takes up residence inside you in joy, O temple, speak favorable things about me to the god Marduk, my lord.

Nabopolassar, king of justice, shepherd chosen by the god Marduk, creation of the goddess Ninmenna — the exalted princess, the queen of queens — protégé of the god Nabû and the goddess Tashmetum, beloved prince of the god Ninshiku:

When, during my childhood, although I was a son of a nobody, I was constantly sought out the shrines of the gods Nabû and Marduk, my lords; my mind pondered about making their rites secure and properly administering their kidudû-rites; my attention was set on truth and justice.

The god Shazu, the lord who knows the hearts of the gods of heaven and netherworld, the one who constantly observes the ingenious behavior of the people, for me — the child who could not be found among the people — he observed my intentions and made me pre-eminent in the land where I was created.

He called my name for dominion over the land and people, made a good lamassu walk beside me, and allowed me to successfully undertake everything that I did. He made the god Nergal, the almighty one of the gods, march at my side; he killed my enemy and cut down my opponent.

As for the Assyrians, who from distant days had ruled over all of the people and had made the people of the land suffer under its heavy yoke, I, the weak and powerless one constantly seeks out the lord of lords Marduk, with the powerful strength of the gods Nabû and Marduk — my lords — I barred them lit: "their feet" from the land of Akkad and had the Babylonians cast off their yoke.

At that time, as for Ehursagtila, the temple of the god Ninurta that is inside Shuanna Babylon, which a former king before my time had had built, but had not finished its work, I set my mind to the renovation of that temple.

I mustered the workmen of the gods Enlil, Shamash, and Marduk and then I made them carry hoes and imposed on them the carrying of baskets. I finished the work on that unfinished temple. I roofed it with broad beams and installed immense doors in its gates. I made that temple shine like the sun and made it as bright as day for the god Ninurta, my lord.

Any king in the future, either a son or grandson who comes after me, whom the god Marduk names for dominion over the land: Do not set your heart on feats of might and power, but rather constantly seek out the shrines of the gods Nabû and Marduk so that they may kill your opponents. The god Marduk, my lord, examines the mouth and observes the heart so whoever is true to the god Bel Marduk his foundations will endure and whoever is true to the god Son-of-Bel Nabû will live for ever.

When that temple becomes dilapidated and you repair its dilapidated sections, find an inscription written in my name and place it with your inscribed objects. By the command of the god Marduk, the great lord whose command cannot be changed, may the fame of your name be established for ever.

For the god Marduk, his lord: Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, surrounded the wall of Babylon on the outside with an embankment of baked bricks. O embankment, speak favorable things about him to the god Marduk.

For the god Marduk, his lord: Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, surrounded the wall of Babylon on the outside with an embankment of baked bricks. O embankment, speak favorable things about him to the god Marduk.

For the god Marduk, his lord: Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, protégé of the gods Nabû and Marduk, surrounded the wall of Babylon on the outside with an embankment of baked bricks. O embankment, speak favorable things about him to the god Marduk.

Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, the protégé of the god Marduk who makes baked bricks, the one who built the embankment of the Arahtu River for the god Marduk, his lord.

Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, protégé of the gods Nabû and Marduk, the one who provides for Esagil and Babylon, the one who built the embankment of the Arahtu River for the god Marduk, his lord. O embankment, speak favorable things about him to the god Marduk.

Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, governor of the land of Sumer and Akkad, the one who makes the foundations of the land firm, am I.

When the god Marduk, the great lord, gave me the land and people to rule, he commanded me to plunder the land of my enemy.

At that time, I built Etemenanki anew and restored it to its proper place.

Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, protégé of the gods Nabû and Marduk, am I.

When the god Marduk, the great lord, issued his important order to me to provide for cult centers and renovate shrines, at that time, with regard to Sippar, the exalted, beloved cult center of the god Shamash and the goddess Aya, the Euphrates River withdrew from it and to purify their lordship its waters had become too distant to draw water from it.

As for me, Nabopolassar, the humble and respectful one who reveres the gods, I had the Euphrates River dug to Sippar and thereby I firmly established an abundance of pure water for the god Shamash, my lord.

I firmly secured the bank of that river with bitumen and baked bricks and thereby provided the god Shamash, my lord, with a secure embankment.

Nabopolassar, strong king, king of Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Akkad, the one who makes the foundations of the land firm, pious prince, protégé of the gods Nabû and Marduk, favorite of the god Shashu Shamash, beloved of the goddess Aya, the warrior of warriors whom the awesome god Erra allowed to attain his desire, the humble and respectful one who strives after the rites of the great gods, the king whose deeds surpass those of the kings, his ancestors, am I.

When the god Shashu Shamash, the great lord, came to my side and I killed the Subarean Assyrian and turned the land of my enemy into a mound of ruins lit. "a mound and ruins", at that time, I built anew Eedinna, the temple where she lit. "he" can relax, for the Divine Lady of Sippar — the exalted princess, my lady — and made it as bright as day.

On account of this, O Divine Lady of Sippar, supreme lady, whenever I complete this temple and you take up residence inside it, for me — Nabopolassar, the king who provides for you — prolong my kingship until the distant future like the bricks of Sippar and Babylon, which are firmly in place for eternity.

Amel-Marduk, king of Babylon, the one who renovates Esagil and Ezida, son of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon.

Palace of Amel-Marduk, king of Babylon, heir of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon.

One qa.

Palace of Amel-Marduk.

One seah, six and a half akalu belonging to the palace of Amel-Marduk, the king.

Two qa, ....

Palace of Amel-Marduk, king of Babylon, son of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon.

Three and one-third akalu.

Palace of Amel-Marduk, king of Babylon, son of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon.

Neriglissar, king of Babylon, pious prince, the favorite of the god Marduk, the humble and submissive one who reveres the lord of lords, the wise and pious one, the one who constantly seeks out the shrines of the god Nabû — his lord — the ruler who provides, the one who brings large gifts to Esagil and Ezida, the one who copiously supplies sattukku-offerings and ensures that their purification rites are carried out correctly, son of Bel-shum-ishkun, wise prince, the perfect warrior, the one who ensures the protection of Esagil and Babylon, the one who blocks the approach to the country like a strong wall, am I.

When the god Marduk, the Enlil of the gods, the prince who deliberates, the sage who knows the hearts of all of the Igigu gods, sought me out among his widespread people and properly provided for me since my youth, he gave me an appropriate name and indeed constantly guided me in places of well-being and health. For my righteousness, with which I always answer him, and for my submissiveness, through which I constantly strive after respect for his divinity, I plan daily to perform that which is pleasing to him.

He looked upon me and declared my gracious name to be king in the land. In order to shepherd his people for eternity, for my kingship, he indeed gave me a just scepter that widens the land; for my lordship, he indeed entrusted me with a legitimate rod that protects the people, let my hands grasp a staff that subdues enemies, made me wear a legitimate crown, and he did not bring about rivals or intimidators for my kingship.

I killed foes, slaughtered enemies, and suppressed all of the unsubmissive. I constantly established justice in the land and peacefully shepherded my widespread people.

At that time, I gave reverent attention to the god Marduk, the god who creates wisdom, whose words are supreme among the Igigu gods, whose lordship is the most outstanding among the Anunnaku gods.

As for the section of the enclosure wall of Esagil that faces north, an area in which the ramku- and kinishtu-priests of Esagil reside, whose foundations a former king had laid but whose superstructure he had not raised, which had become progressively lower due to terracing, and whose walls had become weak, its construction was no longer very stable, and its door-jambs were no longer secure.

To keep bursaggû-offerings clean, to arrange purification rites, to keep taklimu-offerings pure for the great lord, the god Marduk, to properly administer sattukku-offerings, and to prevent acts of omission and cultic mistakes from occurring, I examined and inspected its original foundation and then I secured its new foundations on its original foundations. I raised its high parts, making them as lofty as a mountain. I secured its door-jambs and set up doors in its gates. I surrounded it with a strong base using bitumen and baked bricks.

O Marduk, supreme lord, the pre-eminent one, the exalted one, the venerated one, the magnificent one, the light of the gods — his fathers — look with pleasure upon my precious handiwork and grant me a life of long days, the attainment of very old age, a firmly secured throne, and a long-lasting reign!

Through your firm command, which cannot be altered, may I, Neriglissar, be the king who provides and the one who constantly seeks out your shrines for eternity.

Neriglissar, king of Babylon, whom the god Marduk — the great lord and the god who created him — selected in his steadfast heart and then granted to him a widespread people and entrusted him with shepherding the black-headed people; in whose hands the god Nabû — the overseer of the totality of heaven and earth — let grasp a just scepter and legitimate rod in order to make his subjects prosper; to whom the god Erra — the majestic one of the gods — gave his weapons to kill enemies and conquer foes; whom the great gods in their assembly pronounced to act as the one who provides for them by taking care of Esagil, Ezida, and Emeslam — the exalted cult centers — and ... of the gods of Babylon; Neriglissar, king of Babylon, am I.

When the god Marduk, the great lord, ... an abundance of water in full spate, by the will of the deity Ninshiqa and through the wisdom granted by the god Ea, with the competence provided by the god Marduk, and the choice decision of the god Shamash, he makes me successful; former ..., to/for Borsippa, Ezida, the bit-gurshu, ... very plentiful gifts and offerings they entrust to me ... I provide for Esagil and Ezida, and keep the shrines of the gods in good order. I made inscriptions written in my name and placed them inside them the shrines.

At that time, Libil-hegalla, the eastern canal of Babylon, which a former king had had dug, but had not constructed its bank with bitumen and baked bricks: I had the canal redug and I properly reconstructed its bank and thereby I amassed an abundance of ceaseless water in the land.

As for me, the wise and pious one, the king who knows how to revere the gods, I had Libil-hegalla redug so that a plentitude of water can enter the land and I reconstructed its bank. I firmly established inside it an abundance of ceaseless water.

... reside in Babylon, in which I poured out an abundance of water, ... goodness in their hearts ... Neriglissar, king of Agade, ... the god Mar-biti ... legitimate ..., in an earlier time, in his heart ... an abundance of everlasting water, in ...

By the command of the god Marduk, the king of the gods, the god who created me, and the god Erra, the warrior of warriors, ... ... his morning meal, the day of ... ... ... may ... be firmly in place and ... good things before you. ... shepherdship; may he kill his enemies; may his appearance shine; may the black-headed people be happy about it like the moon when rising and the sun while shining; ... the god Nabû ... the kings of the regions of the entire inhabited world, who sit on ... strong ... for ... may it/they be placed in your mouth. For eternity ...

Collated.

Neriglissar, king of Babylon, the one who renovates Esagil and Ezida, the one who performs good deeds, about the exercise of whose everlasting kingship the great gods made a decision, whose fate the god Marduk — the foremost of the gods, the one who determines fates — determined to exercise authority over the lands, whose hands the god Nabû — the legitimate heir — let grasp a just scepter to perform the shepherdship over the black-headed people, to whom the god Erra — the majestic one of the gods — gave his weapons to save the people and spare the land, son of Bel-shum-ishkun, king of Babylon, am I.

When the god Marduk, the great lord, elevated me and gave me the land and people to rule, I myself was ever-present and unstinting towards Marduk. I provide for Esagil and Ezida, keep shrines in good order, and constantly strive after original rites.

As for the copper mushhushu-dragons, which are always stationed at the bases of the gates of Esagil together with the silver wild bulls of the door-jambs, a former king did not station them in the gates Ka-Utu-e, Ka-Lamma-arabi, Ka-hegal, and Ka-ude-babbar.

As for me, the humble and respectful one who knows how to revere the gods, I cast eight fierce mushhushu-dragons of copper that coat evil doers and enemies with deadly venom, covered them with a plating of shining silver, and stationed them on pedestals in the gates Ka-Utu-e, Ka-Lamma-arabi, Ka-hegal, and Ka-ude-babbar, at the bases of those gates, as it had been in ancient times, together with the silver wild bulls of the door-jambs, according to its Esagil's original appearance.

As for the Dais of Destinies, which is inside Ezida — which at the New Year, at the beginning of the year, during the akitu-festival, during the setting out of the Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk, the god Nabû, the legitimate heir, goes in procession into Shuanna Babylon, and on the fifth and eleventh days, when going and returning from Babylon, the god Nabû, the triumphant heir, takes up residence upon it — whose structure a former king had cast with silver, I covered it with shining gold and ornaments of brilliance.

As for the Euphrates River, the river of abundance, whose waters since its creation have flowed in full spate directly beside Esagil, but whose waters had withdrawn during the reign of a former king from the side of Esagil and had become too distant to draw water from it, but as for me, I sought out its original location and directed the course of its water beside Esagil, as it had been in ancient times.

As for the eastern canal, which a former king had had dug, but without constructing its bank, I had the canal redug and properly reconstructed its bank with bitumen and baked bricks. I firmly established for the land an abundance of water that does not cease.

I am constantly unstinting towards Esagil and Ezida, and I constantly strive to provision all of the cult centers of the gods.

At that time, as for the palace, which is the residence of my royal majesty, which is in the Ka-dingirra district — which is in Babylon, extending from Ay-ibur-shabû, the main street of Babylon, to the bank of the Euphrates River — which a former king had built and whose door-jambs he had installed inside it, it collapsed towards the outside of the palace onto the bank of the Euphrates river and its brickwork fell apart. I removed its collapsed walls until I reached the level of the water. With bitumen and baked bricks, I firmly secured its base against water, and then built it, completed it, and raised its superstructure. I spread out strong cedars to be its shipus, architraves, and roof.

O Marduk, the great lord, the Enlil of the gods, the resplendent one, the light of the gods — his fathers — by your exalted command, which cannot be altered, may I be sated with the charms of the palace that I built; may I reach extreme old age and attain very old age inside it; may I receive inside it, from the horizon to the zenith, wherever the sun rises, substantial tribute from the kings of the regions of the entire inhabited world; and inside it may my descendants rule over the black-headed people forever.

Neriglissar, king of Babylon, the one who renovates Esagil and Ezida, the one who performs good deeds.

Neriglissar, king of Babylon, pious prince, the desire of the god Marduk's heart, exalted ruler, beloved of the god Nabû, the one who deliberates and acquires wisdom, the one who is unceasingly mindful of provisioning Esagil, Ezida, and Emeslam — the cult centers of the great gods — ... ... ... ... ...

... the god Shamash ... extended his favorable protection over my army. Through pronouncement and divination, the god Shamash ... spoke unequivocally ... I gave reverent attention.

At the beginning of my gracious kingship, the ziggurat of Sippar, which a former king had built and whose brickwork rains and downpours had carried away, which a king of the past had restored, had put its brickwork in good order, had rebuilt its collapsed sections, had constructed it to a height of twenty-two cubits, but had not complete its superstructure:

As for me, the wise and pious one who knows how to revere the gods, through the wisdom that the god Ea granted to me, for the god Shamash ...

... through a pronouncement ....

wise prince, the one who daily through the support of his gods constantly strives after respect for the god Marduk — the great lord — and the god Nabû — his true heir — the one who strives to copiously supply sattukku-offerings ... to Esagil and Ezida and to perform daily that which is pleasing to the gods Nabû and Marduk, his lords, the one who fulfills their command, son of Bel-shum-ishkun, wise prince ..., the perfect warrior, the valiant warrior, ....

When the god Nabû, the exalted vizier, the one who speaks about my good deeds, spread word of my good deeds and elevated the head of my royal majesty, he looked upon me with his gracious face and granted me a just reign.

At his exalted command, I travelled enemy roads, ... mountain paths, ... lands ... ... ... hostile ... ... ... king ...

Two qa, one half akalu.

Palace of Neriglissar, king of Babylon.

Nabonidus, king of Babylon, attentive prince, the shepherd who provides, the one who is constantly attentive to the will of the gods, the wise and pious one, the one who constantly seeks out the shrines of the great gods, most befitting warrior, creation of the sage of the gods — the god Marduk — product of the goddess Erua — creator of all rulers — selected by the god Nabû — the heir of Esagil who controls cosmic harmony — creation of the god Ninshiku — the all-knowing creator of everything — chosen by the god Nannaru — the lord of the crown who makes astrological signs known — the one who strives every day to show devotion to the great gods and whose mind is focused on provisioning Esagil and Ezida, son of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, wise prince, am I.

I constantly seek out the city of Babylon for good deeds. I increase gifts to Esagil, the palace of the great gods; I abundantly supply everything to Ezida, the mountain of life; and I lavishly provide abundance to Emeslam, the temple of the hero of the gods.

At that time, with regard to Imgur-Enlil, the wall of Babylon, its foundations had become shaky, its walls had buckled, its superstructure was tottering, and it had no support.

In order to strengthen that wall and give it support, I removed the buckled sections of its wall lit. "its buckled walls". As for Imgur-Enlil, the wall of Babylon, the boundary with a length of 20 USh 7,200 m, the eternal boundary marker, the plan of stability, the firmly-founded border, the wide-stretching ground plan, the strong shield that bolts Babylon before enemies, the foremost cult center on which people rely, I strengthened its foundations, made them firm like mountains, and then I raised its high parts up like mountains, and made it as secure as a great mountain. I established it as an object of wonder.

As for an inscription bearing the name of a former king that I had discovered inside it, I firmly placed it inside it Imgur-Enlil forever with an inscription bearing my name.

O Enlil of the gods, Marduk, whose command is reliable, divine lord, sage of the gods, supreme hero, look with pleasure upon this work of mine so that whatever I have built stays in good repair and endures in your presence.

Prolong the days of my life so that I may be sated with old age. May I have no rival. Cut down my enemies so that I may exercise the shepherdship of all four quarters of the world and rule over the entirety of the black-headed people, all humankind; may I shepherd all of them for eternity.

As for the kings who sit on royal daises, wherever they drink spring water, may I impose my scepter upon them and exercise dominion over them.

The lord who reveres you will live for eternity and he will increase his vigor; his name will be important.

May I be the king who provides for you and the one who constantly seeks out your place of worship for eternity.

For the goddess Ishtar, supreme lady, beloved of the gods, most valiant, the goddess Inninni, goddess of battle, the one who wages war, radiant lady of all of the settlements, most exalted of the Igigu gods, princess of the Anunnaku gods, bearer of fear, lady whose brilliance covers the heavens and whose awe-inspiring radiance overwhelms the wide earth, the goddess Ishtar of Agade, the lady of battle who incites fighting, who dwells in Emashdari — which is inside Babylon — my lady:

Nabonidus, king of Babylon, protégé of the god Tutu, the humble and submissive one who reveres the great gods, the shepherd who provides, the one who is attentive to the will of the gods, the respectful governor who constantly follows the ways of the goddess Ishtar, the one who makes sattukku-offerings abundant and reconfirms nindabû-offerings, the one who strives all day long to improve the cult centers of the gods, the one who in Esagil — the palace of the gods — makes splendid gifts enter inside it, and who ensures that presents are regularly provided to all of the sanctuaries of the gods, son of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, wise prince, am I.

At that time, with regard to Emashdari, the temple of the goddess Ishtar of Agade, whose foundations had fallen to pieces and turned into ruins, whose brickwork alkali burned to ashes, whose site remained desolate, whose shrine was not standing lit. "built", whose cella was in ruins, and where incense-offerings had ceased, my heart pondered rebuilding this temple and my mind desired to carry it out.

I sought out the original site of this temple, examined its foundation platform, and checked its foundations, and thereby secured its brickwork. I built Emashdari anew inside Babylon.

On account of this, O Ishtar of Agade, goddess of battle, look with pleasure upon this temple, your beloved residence, and then proclaim good health for me. In the presence of the god Marduk, king of the gods, speak all day long about the prolongation of my days and the increasing of my years.

March at my side in the place of battle and war so that I can kill my foes and cut down my enemies.

who plotted evil to take away the people, his Sennacherib's heart thought about sin. He did not have mercy on the people of the land of Akkad. He approached Babylon with evil intent, laid waste to its sanctuaries, made its ground plans unrecognizable, destroyed its rituals, took the prince, the god Marduk, by the hand, and had him enter inside Baltil Ashur. He treated the land like the wrath of a god.

The prince, the god Marduk, did not assuage his divine wrath and for twenty-one years he took up residence inside Baltil Ashur. The days elapsed and the appointed time arrived. The wrath of the king of the gods, the lord of lords, relented and he remembered Esagil and Babylon, the residence of his lordly majesty.

As for the king of Subartu Assyria, who had brought about the ruination of the land through the wrath of the god Marduk, a son that was his own offspring, cut him down with the sword.

He Marduk gave him Nabopolassar support and allowed him to find an ally. He made a king of a barbarian horde the Medes, who had no opponents, submit to his command and made him come to his aid. Above and below, right and left, he overwhelmed Subartu like the Deluge. He avenged Babylon, he exacted vengeance.

The fearless king of a barbarian horde the Medes destroyed the sanctuaries of the gods of the land of Subartu Assyria, all of them. Moreover, as for the cities on the border of the land of Akkad that had become hostile towards the king of the land of Akkad and that had not come to his aid, he destroyed their cultic rites, spared no one, and laid waste to their cult centers even more severely than the Deluge.

The king of Babylon Nabopolassar, envoy of the god Marduk, to whom blasphemy is a taboo, did not lay his hands upon any of the rituals of the gods, wore matted hair as if in mourning, laid down on a bed on the ground,

... of their deities, the one who carries out their purification rites to perfection, whose name the god Marduk called to resettle the desolate cult centers of the gods, and in whose hands he placed the abandoned mounds that were the sanctuaries of the gods.

As for the goddess Ishtar of Uruk, the exalted princess who resides in an inner sanctum which is clad in gold, who harnesses seven lions, whose purification rites the people of Uruk had overturned, whose inner sanctum they had removed, and whose yoked team they had dismantled during the reign of the king Eriba-Marduk, who in anger had gone out from Eanna and who had dwelt in a place that was not her residence, and in whose shrine they had made a protective goddess who did not befit Eanna dwell —

he Nebuchadnezzar II brought the goddess Ishtar back safely, firmly reestablished her in her inner sanctum, reharnessed for her her seven lions, the insignia of her divinity, drove the unbefitting goddess out of Eanna, and returned the goddess Innina Ishtar to Eanna, her cella.

As for the goddess Ishtar, the lady of Elam, the princess who resides in Susa,

..., the most overpowering one of the gods, the one who resides in ..., which is inside ..., whom no one had seen since distant days — he firmly established his residence for him with alabaster, which is always as radiant as daylight, and reddish gold.

As for the goddess Anunitu who resides in Sippar-Anunitu, whose residence in the time of the enemy had been transferred into Arrapha and whose cultic rites the Gutian had destroyed — Neriglissar renovated her cult statue and clad her in a ceremonial garment befitting her divinity. Her temple was in ruins, so he had her take up residence in Sippar-Amnanu and reconfirmed her nindabû-offerings in that city.

After his days had elapsed and he had taken the road to his fate, Lâbâshi-Marduk, his young son who was untutored in proper behavior, ascended the royal throne against the will of the gods and

they brought me inside the palace, and all of them fell limp at my feet and then kissed my feet. They constantly blessed my being king.

By the word of the god Marduk, my lord, I was raised up to rule over the land and thus I achieve whatever I desire and have no rivals.

I am the strong envoy of Nebuchadnezzar II and Neriglissar, the kings who came before me. Their troops are entrusted to my hand. By their commands, I am not negligent and I please them.

Amel-Marduk, son of Nebuchadnezzar II, and Lâbâshi-Marduk, son of Neriglissar, ... their fathers ... and ... their ... they made void. Their words

I looked at them piously and prayed to them. I was concerned lit. "spoke with my heart" about the close approach of the Great Star Jupiter and the moon Sîn. A young man stood by my side and spoke to me, saying: "As for the close approach of the celestial bodies, there are no inauspicious signs."

In that same dream, Nebuchadnezzar II, a former king of the past, and a palace attendant were standing in a chariot. The palace attendant spoke to Nebuchadnezzar II, saying: "Speak with Nabonidus and he will report to you this dream of his that he had seen."

Nebuchadnezzar II heard him and said to me, saying: "Tell me, what are the good things that you have seen?"

I answered him and said to him, saying: "In my dream, the Great Star Jupiter, the moon Sîn, and the god Marduk were risen high in the heavens. As I looked piously at them, he called out to me by my name."

..., Venus, Saturn, ..., Boötes, ..., the great stars who reside in heaven, I established a large amount of strewn offerings for them and I prayed to them for a long life lit. "a life of long days", a firmly secured throne, a long reign, and making my words gain favor in the presence of the god Marduk, my lord.

I laid down and, during the night, I saw the goddess Nintinugga, the lady who brings the dead back to life and who gives distant life, and I prayed to her for preserving my life forever and showing me favor, and then she turned her attention towards me and looked steadfastly at me with her bright countenance.

The day became bright and I entered Eniggidrukalamasuma. In the presence of the god Nabû, the one who prolongs my reign and who lets my hands grasp a just scepter and legitimate rod that widen the land, I saw the seats of the goddesses Tashmetu and Gula, the one who gives life, and, for lengthening my life to distant days and cutting down would-be kings, she Nintinugga made my words gain favor in the presence of the god Marduk, my lord.

At that time, I was reverently attentive towards the god Marduk, my lord, and, with prayers and supplications, I frequently visited his places of worship.

I began a prayer to him and told him my thoughts lit. "the word of my heart", saying: "May I be the king who is the favorite of your heart, although the thought of being king was not originally in my heart. As for me, I did not know that you, O lord of lords, would place kingship into my hands and elevate me more than all of the other kings that you have called to be king and who have exercised lordship since the distant past. Prolong my days so that my years are long and that I perform the role of your provider."

... ... ... befitting his divinity, whose appearance is brightened with a selection of stones and gold — For the god Ea, my lord, the one who makes my kingship surpassing, the god Nabû, the overseer of the totality of heaven and earth and the one who prolongs the days of my life, and the goddess Tashmetu, the lady who safeguards my life, I made these garments fitting as ceremonial garments for their great divinity.

As a second gift for the god Ea, my lord, I made an arattû-throne of reddish gold, something that no king of the past had ever built, just like one in the past and I firmly established it as his seat in Ekarzagina, in his shrine.

I am the king who is constantly attentive to the provisioning of Esagil and Ezida, and who never stops even for a single day.

As for the wooden doors that are in the rooms of Ehalanki, the room of secrets of the god Marduk and the goddess Zarpanitu, as well as both doors of Dukisikil, those of the chapels of the main courtyard, and those of the Gate of the goddess Beltiya, on the procession street of the goddess Zarpanitu, the beloved of the god Marduk who made the foundations of the throne of my royal majesty secure, I had them clad in shiny silver.

As for Kagula, the gate leading to the main courtyard, whose doors, doors with covers, were made with just ordinary wood, I built anew its doors, magnificent doors of cedar. I inlaid them with eshmarû-metal and thereby made them as bright as daylight. I clad them with a covering according to their original appearances. I installed them back on the tracks of the goddess Namma, in their proper places.

As for the copper mushhushu-dragons, which are stationed at the bases of the main courtyard, and the copper goat-fish ...

I am the provider who brings large gifts to the great gods.

In the month Nisannu I, on the tenth day, when the king of the gods, the god Marduk, and the gods of heaven and earth take up residence in Esiskur, the house of blessing, the akitu-house of supreme power — as for me, as voluntary gifts, I had 100 talents and 21 minas of silver, 5 talents and 17 minas of gold in addition to the gifts for an entire year, which come from homage-gifts, the wealth of all of the lands, the yield of the mountain, the income from all of the settlements, the rich gifts of kings, the extensive possessions that the prince, the god Marduk had entrusted to me, brought into Esiskur for the gods Bel Marduk, Nabû, and Nergal, the great gods who love my reign and protect my life, for eternity.

To carry baskets, I gave to the gods Bel Marduk, Nabû, and Nergal, the gods who march at my side, 2,850 people from an enemy army, booty from the land Humê, which the lord, the god Marduk, had placed in my hands and thereby made me surpass the kings who came before me.

After I had performed the akitu-festival and had made the gods Bel Marduk and Son-of-Bel Nabû occupy their pleasant residences, I had splendid gifts brought inside them.

In the great cult centers, I prayed to the gods and goddesses. I went to Uruk, Larsa, and Ur and had silver, gold, and selected stones brought in before the deities Sîn, Shamash, and Ishtar. In Kesh, the city of the goddess Belet-ili, when I was passing by, ... sumptuous offerings, fattened bulls,

whose treasures had been carried off and who could no longer occupy their residences, the god Marduk, my lord, waited for me and he had the constant renewal of the cultic rites of the gods placed in my hands. With his pure mouth, he ordered the reconciliation of the angry gods and the reoccupation of their residence to take place during my reign.

With regard to the city Harran and Ehulhul, which have been in ruins for fifty-four years, whose sanctuaries had been laid to waste by the desecration wrought by a barbarian horde the Medes, with the consent of the gods, the appointed time for divine reconciliation drew near, the fifty-four years, when the god Sîn would return to his place.

Now, he returned to his place and the god Sîn, the lord of the crown, remembered his exalted residence. Moreover, as for the gods, as many as had gone out of his cella with him, it was the god Marduk, king of the gods, who had commanded that they be assembled together.

As for a seal made of valuable jasper, the stone of kingship, upon which Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria, had an image of the god Sîn conceived and made for his own fame, which he had the praise of the god Sîn written on that seal, and which he had firmly placed around the neck of the god Sîn, whose Sîn's features had been revealed in distant days, about which his Sîn's oracular decisions had not ceased on account of the desecration by the enemy, in Esagil, the temple that protects the life of the great gods,

... foot ... ... If the 'Finger' ubanu is intact, then the lord of the sacrifice will prosper and his days will be long.

If the 'Well-Being' shulmu of the 'Increment' shibtu ... the left side of the 'Increment' shibtu, then I will take something from the body of my enemy. If the 'Increment' shibtu is wide, then there will be happiness.

If the 'Weapon'-Mark kakku of the 'Increment' shibtu is raised on the left side, then my army will enjoy a share of the plundered goods of the army of the enemy. If there are two intertwined 'Weapon'-Marks kakku in front of the right 'Thickening' gipshu, then their name is 'Perniqqu' and those who hate each other will come to love each other, there will be peace in hostile territory, the gods Sîn and Shamash will march at the side of my army, I will conquer my enemy, and the angry gods will become reconciled with the man with whom they are angry.

If the 'eyes' of the Gall Bladder martu are on the right side, then ....

Check: If the 'Weapon'-Mark kakku is placed in front of the 'Station' mazzazu and abuts the 'Station' mazzazu, then ....

If the 'Thickening' gipshu straddles the right side of the Gall Bladder martu, then ....

If ... is between the 'Cap' kubshu of the lung and the 'Head Lifter' mukil reshi of the lung, then ....

If the 'Upper Part' elitu moves and a 'Foot'-Mark shepu indicating abandonment, then my military forces will be intact. If the same result, then a man will prevail against his adversary in a legal decision. If the 'Upper Part' elitu crosses over the back of the right lung and the breast-bone is pierced in its middle, then there is a deceiver in the army of the enemy and its main body will fall. If the 'Upper Part' elitu moves and the 'Cap' kubshu straddles the 'Outside' kiditu, then ...

If the 'Head Lifter' mukil reshi of the right side of the lung is swollen, then rejoicing for the heart of the army.

If the 'Well-Being' shulmu of the main part of the lung at the right side is present, then there is well-being for a whole year.

If the 'Finger' ubanu is extended, then ....

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... not ... the seed ...

... ... ... their ... ... the one who makes my omens favorable ...

... ... ... the god Mar-biti, who ...

... ... my city ... ... ... may I have no rivals ....

Nabonidus, the king who reveres the great gods, am I.

I am attentive to the gods and goddesses ... ...

As for the god Misharu and the goddess Sharrat-..., who reside in Ealtila — which is inside Esagil — who had been angry in the past,

... the god Nabû ... who in ... he sought out ... ... ...

... ... ... abundance ... the one who reconfirmed their ... ...

... he did not ... just as ... I reached ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

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... and installed doors plated with bands of silver in them. After I had inlaid the sides of these bulls as far as the vault and the wooden doors of the gate of the cella of the goddess Tashmetu with mountings of shining silver, I had two fierce wild bulls of copper, which ... to ... Elagabgid, ...

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king ... the god Bel Marduk ...

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... in the temple of ... ... ... ... ... did not alter ... their holding ... ... ...

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... ... ... the gods flew up to the heavens like birds, who in ... and ... thrived, to ... together with ... booty of the land ... I made enter the city .... The governor ...

... firmly established ... my ... ... ... ... seed

... before ... of the main courtyard of Ezida ... I installed. For the god Sîn ...

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... I inlaid ... ... ... ... ... enemy

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I made the ... of the god Marduk and the goddess Zarpanitu, my lords, glorious. I had two censers of reddish gold, whose weight is two talents and two minas, remade according to their original appearances. A statue of my royal majesty, shown as a pious person, ...

and ... temple of ..., which ... up to ... ... ... gate of ...

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For the goddess Ishtar, ... lady of ..., splendid princess, my lady: Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, the one who constantly seeks out her shrines, am I.

I inlaid a table of musukkannu-wood, a durable wood, with shiny silver and bright gold and placed it firmly before her.

O Ishtar, my lady, say good things about me all day long.

Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the one who renovates Esagil and Ezida, heir of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, wise prince.

Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the one nominated by the gods Nabû and Marduk, heir of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, wise prince, am I.

they Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal sought out the original foundations of Eulmash, but did not reach them. They put down in writing, saying: "I sought out the original foundations of Eulmash, but I did not reach them. I cut down poplars and martû-trees and then built a replacement Eulmash and gave it to the goddess Ishtar of Agade."

As for Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, son of Nabopolassar, a king who came before me, his heart prompted him to rebuild that temple and he sought out the original foundations, but did not find them and therefore did not rebuild Eulmash.

But as for me, Nabonidus, king of Babylon, I continuously strove to rebuild that temple. Inside Agade, I opened up the surface of its former location and then sought out its foundations.

During the seventh year of my legitimate reign, the goddess Ishtar of Agade, the great lady, through her love for my royal majesty, remembered her eternal dwelling, became reconciled towards this temple, and her mood relaxed.

The god Adad, canal inspector of heaven and earth ... ... and

... … ... its ground plan could not be found, its structure ... … before me ... during joyous celebrations.

... of that Eulmash, from the surface of the ground, I dug down ... and the original foundations of Naram-Sîn .... Then, I saw an inscription bearing his name and the work of that ... was not well constructed. ... of Naram-Sîn, I dug down a further three cubits and ... together with those of its two ziggurats, ... ... ...

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... foundations ... and ... an inscription bearing his name ... that ... was not well constructed ... foundations of Naram-Sîn ... a king who came before him ... I discovered. Then, my heart was happy and my face beamed. ... Naram-Sîn ... ....

..., the wise and pious one, ... ... that foundation, I became frightened, worried, and anxious, and then I raised my hands ... ... ...

Nabonidus, king of Babylon, prince who is the favorite of the god Marduk, shepherd chosen by the god Nabû, ... who provides for Esagil and Ezida, ... ...

... heart, whose neck is bowed down to pull their the gods' chariot pole, the one who drags their yoke, the one who constantly prays to the great gods to do whatever is pleasing to them, son of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, wise prince, am I.

When I strove to finish off the work on Ezida, I laid the foundations of the enclosure walls of E­ur­meiminanki and thereby secured their foundations. I built them anew and made each worthy of high praise.

To be an object of wonder for all of the people, I had it filled with splendor. As for the enclosure walls Ezida from the entrance gate of the goddess Nanaya to the river, those facing north and those facing west, both of which are adjacent to the Gattu River Euphrates, walls that Neriglissar, a king who came before me, had built but whose construction he had not completed — I did not change its original emplacement, but only raised its superstructure. I rebuilt it and made it surpass the previous one.

On account of this, O Nabû, true heir, exalted one, splendid one, light of the gods — his fathers — look with pleasure upon everything that I have done and grant me a long life lit. "a life of long days", the attainment of very old age, kingship over the world, dominion over all people, a firmly secured throne, and a long reign that lasts for ever.

Upon your reliable writing board, which firmly establishes the boundary of heaven and earth, have an entry concerning the lengthening of my days written out by your own hand.

May you be the shedu of my good fortune and send good words about me into the presence of the god Marduk and the goddess Erua.

who constantly ... ..., the one who never ceases provisioning Esagil and Ezida, the one who regularly ... for the great gods, the one who constantly strives to renovate the cult centers of the gods, son of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, wise prince, am I.

When the god Marduk, the great lord, called my name for ruling over the land, made the fame of my royal majesty great among all of the black-headed people, gave me the people of the four quarters of the world to shepherd, ... ... ... of his people, ... ... ... ... ... the four quarters of the world,

Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the attentive prince chosen by the god Marduk, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, the one who makes sattukku-offerings abundant, the exalted ruler who is entrusted with the care of all of the temples, the governor who provides, the one who abundantly provides for sanctuaries, the shepherd who deliberates and sets the people of his land on the right path,

the one whose name the god Marduk — the wisest of the gods, the one who ... the entirety of all of the lands — steadfastly called for kingship, the one whose lordship the god Nabû — the overseer of the totality of heaven and earth — made supreme among all of the kings who sit upon royal daises, the one at whose side the god Nergal — the almighty, the circumspect Enlil of the netherworld — marches into fierce war, on whose head the god Sîn and the goddess Ningal placed an eternal crown, and for whom the god Shamash and the goddess Aya opened the ways of justice,

whom the great gods magnificently blessed in their steadfast hearts, whose lordship they made great in the four quarters of the world, by whose command they made all of the settlements reside in peace, whose fate they determined to provision the cult centers and renew their sanctuaries, son of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, wise prince, am I.

At that time, with regard to Eamashkuga, the temple of the goddess Ningal — the pure lady of everything — the pure sheepfold that is inside the city Kissik, which a long time ago had become weak and whose walls had buckled, I removed its buckled walls that had become weak and then I examined and checked its original foundations and thereby secured its brickwork on top of its original foundations.

name ....

At that time, ... waited for me and ... in ... ... ....

O Ningal, ..., the pure lady of everything, ... when you are joyously dwelling in Emashkuga, which is inside the city Kissik, speak good things about Nabonidus, the king who provides for you and built your cella, all day long. Daily, make my deeds find acceptance in the presence of the god Sîn ..., your beloved, and speak good words about me.

Nabonidus, king of Babylon, shepherd chosen by the god Marduk, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, the one who makes sattukku-offerings abundant, the one who renovates the cult centers of the great gods, the one who has generously providing hands, the one who provides abundantly for all temples, the one who provides for the sanctuaries, the one who makes gifts splendid, the indefatigable envoy who succeeds in reaching high mountains, the shepherd who deliberates and sets the people of his land on the right path,

the one whose name the god Marduk — the Enlil of the gods — steadfastly called for kingship to provision the cult centers and renew their sanctuaries, the one whose lordship the god Nabû — the overseer of the totality of heaven and earth — made the greatest among all of the kings who sit upon royal daises, the one at whose side the god Nergal — the almighty, the circumspect Enlil of the netherworld — marches into battle and war, on whose head the god Sîn and the goddess Ningal placed an eternal crown, and for whom the god Shamash and the goddess Aya opened the ways of justice, whom the great gods magnificently choose in their steadfast hearts, whose name they made important, and whose lordship they made great, son of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, wise prince, am I.

When the god Shamash, the great lord of heaven and earth, shepherd of the black-headed people, lord of humankind, with regard to Larsa, his beloved city, and Ebabbar, the seat of his happiness, which had fallen to pieces and turned into ruins in distant days, and over which sand dunes and dust heaps, as well as massive piles of earth, were heaped, so that its ground plan could not be determined and its design could not be seen,

during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II, a former king, son of Nabopolassar, the sand dunes and piles of earth that were heaped over the city and that temple were removed and he discovered the foundations of the Ebabbar of Burna-Buriash, a former king who had come before him. He then sought out the foundations of an ancient king who came before Burna-Buriash, but did not find them.

On top of the foundations of Burna-Buriash that he had seen inside it, he rebuilt Ebabbar and had the god Shamash, the great lord, dwell therein.

As for that temple, its processional way was too tiny for the residence of the god Shamash, the great lord, and the goddess Aya, his beloved bride, and its construction was too small.

Now, during my tenth year, in the days of my favorable reign, during my eternal kingship, which the god Shamash loves, the god Shamash, the great lord, remembered his original residence.

With regard to the ziggurat, his Shamash' sacred building, his heart joyfully prompted him to raise up its superstructure higher than the one in the past and then he waited for me, Nabonidus, the king who provides for him, to return Ebabbar to its original place and to rebuild the seat of his happiness like it was in distant days.

By the command of the god Marduk, the great lord, their four winds, the great storms, rose up, and the sand dunes that were covering the city and that temple were removed and the foundations of Ebabbar, the awe-inspiring shrine, the urashu-building of singing, the residence of the god Shamash and the goddess Aya, and the ziggurat, his Shamash' exalted sacred building, the eternal cella, the chamber of their desire, their foundations became visible and their ground plans could be seen.

Inside of it Ebabbar, I discovered an inscription bearing the name of Hammu-rapi, an ancient king who had built Ebabbar and its ziggurat for the god Shamash on top of the original foundations 700 years before Burna-Buriash. I became frightened, worried, and anxious.

I spoke to my heart as follows, saying: "A king who came before me built this temple and had Shamash, the great lord, dwell therein."

But as for me, I raised my hands and beseeched the lord of lords to build that temple, the residence of the god Shamash and the goddess Aya, in the most befitting place, saying: "O Enlil of the gods, prince Marduk, without you no site can be laid out and its ground plans cannot be created. Who can do anything without you? O lord, at your exalted command, I will have whatever pleases you done."

I frequently visited the shrines of the gods Shamash, Adad, and Nergal with regard to rebuilding that temple and they the gods wrote out inside it a lamb an auspicious omen concerning the lengthening of my days and the building of that temple.

For a second time, I performed an extispicy lit. "I touched the lamb". They the gods made sure that a firm 'yes' regarding the success of my work was present in my extispicy.

I trusted in the word of the god Marduk, my supreme lord, and in the words of the gods Shamash and Adad, the lords of divination, and my heart rejoiced, my liver cheered up, I myself was happy, and my face beamed.

I mustered the workmen of the gods Shamash and Marduk — those who wield hoes, hold spades, and carry baskets — and I laid a great commission on them to rebuild Ebabbar, the awe-inspiring shrine, and the ziggurat, the exalted dais. I then made expert craftsmen confront its Ebabbar's site. They examined its foundation and surveyed its original appearance.

In a favorable month, on an auspicious day, with regard to Ebabbar, the beloved temple of the god Shamash and the goddess Aya, the cella and seat of their divinity, the chamber of their desire, I relaid their brickwork according to their original appearances, over the foundations of Hammu-rapi, an ancient king, and put their foundations back in their correct positions. I built that temple anew as it had been in ancient times and appropriately adorned its structure.

As for Eduranna, his beloved temple, I raised its superstructure just like the one of the distant past lit. "distant days". I built and completed Ebabbar for the god Shamash and the goddess Aya and then made its processional way beautiful.

As for the cella, the seat of their exalted divinity, whose foundations were set in place at the side of the ziggurat, to make it befit their great divinity, I made it as bright as day for the god Shamash and the goddess Aya, my lords, and raised it as high as a mountain.

That which the god Shamash, the great lord, had never granted any king, he granted to me, the king who reveres him, and he presented it into my hands.

I piously built Ebabbar for the god Shamash and the goddess Aya, my lords, as it had been in ancient times and returned it to its original place.

As for the alabaster tablet bearing the name of Hammu-rapi, an ancient king, that I had discovered inside of it, I placed it with an inscription bearing my name and firmly established it there for ever.

On this account, O Shamash, supreme lord, exalted one, lord of everything, king of heaven and earth, light of the lands, look with pleasure upon this temple and grant me a long life lit. "a life of long days", the attainment of very old age, a firmly secured throne, and a long reign.

By your exalted command, O Shamash, great lord, may this temple grow old in your presence for eternity. Make my hands conquer the black-headed people, as many as see your bright light, and make them bow down at my feet.

May the goddess Aya, the great bride, constantly say good thing about me to you in your exalted cella.

May the god Bunene, the vizier with whom you deliberate, reveal favorable signs for me daily.

The appointed time arrived and the days that the god Nannaru had commanded had elapsed. In the month Tashritu VII, on the seventeenth day, whose interpretation is "the day the god Sîn is favorable," the god Sîn, the lord of the gods, whose name on the first day is "the weapon of the god Anu," you who touch the sky and break the earth, the one who has gathered to himself all of the divine offices of highest rank, the one who has collected all of the divine offices of supreme power, the one who has taken for himself all of the divine offices of the role of the god Ea,

my path did not stop with the diviner or the dream-interpreter. I laid down and, during the night, my dream was frightening, until the word of the god .... The year elapsed. When the appointed time that the god Nannaru had commanded arrived, ... from the city Tema.

Babylon, my capital city, they saw my ... and ... their ...

No translation possible

the kings living close by came up to me and ...

Whoever you are, whom the gods Sîn and Shamash name for kingship and call "my son," when the sanctuary of the god Sîn, the one who resides in the heavens, whose command cannot be revoked and whose words are not said twice, ...

No translation possible

Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, the one who performs good deeds, son of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, perfect prince, am I.

When the god Marduk, the Enlil of the gods, the exalted one, the lord of everything, proclaimed a ruler to exercise lordship, named Nabonidus, the king, as the one who provides for the gods, and elevated him above all of the other kings, the great gods were happy about his commands regarding his Nabonidus' kingship.

The gods Anu and Enlil gave him a throne, crown, scepter, and staff, the eternal insignia of kingship; the god Ea, the creator of all things, gave him every type of wisdom; the goddess Belet-ili, the creator of everything, perfected his features; the god Nabû, the overseer of the totality of heaven and earth, gave him knowledge of scribal skills; the god Nannaru, the son of the prince, inspected his form;

the god Shamash, the light of the gods, loved his shepherdship and allowed Nabonidus to settle people through his Nabonidus' command; the god Erragal, the most powerful one among the gods, gave him power; the god Zababa, the noble one, made him supremely powerful; the god Nusku, the martial one, decorated him with the brilliance of kingship, became his shedu in order to give orders, hold counsel, and investigate matters, and sent the great gods to his aid so that he could exercise his leadership.

At that time, Nabonidus, king of Babylon, attentive prince, the capable shepherd who reveres the great gods, the governor who provides, the one who is attentive to the will of the gods, the one who is constantly seeks out the sanctuaries of the gods and goddesses daily, son of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, wise prince, am I.

When the god Marduk, the great lord, called my name for ruling over the land and the son of the prince — the god Nabû — made the fame of my kingship surpassing, I spoke daily, showing devotion to their divinity, and I constantly strove to do whatever was pleasing to them.

I am foremost in provisioning Esagil and Ezida: I send the best of everything into their Marduk and Nabû's presence. Constantly and without interruption, I constantly seek out their places of worship. I make their great cult centers worthy of high praise and make their fame great among the people of the inhabited world.

For the god Shamash, the great judge of the gods, the exalted one, lord of Sippar: As for Ebabbar, the pure cella, his original dwelling whose ancient foundations he had never revealed to any former king, the god Shamash, the great lord, waited for me to build it and I secured its new foundations on top of the original foundations of Naram-Sîn.

As for the wall Ugal-amaru, the wall of Cutha, I raised up its superstructure. As for the wall Melem-kurkurra-dulla, the wall of Kish, I raised it as high as a mountain.

For the god Urash, the most powerful lord, I built the akitu-house of his rest anew as it had been in ancient times.

As for the city Ubassu, which is between Babylon and Borsippa, I raised up its superstructure with bitumen and baked bricks and then had the goddess Nanaya, the supreme goddess, enter her cella.

For the god Sîn, the great lord, the one who resides in Ekishnugal, which is inside Ur, I lavishly provided his sattukku-offerings and made his nindabû-offerings plentiful. I constantly sought out his places of worship and beseeched his lordship.

At the request that he Sîn made of me, I became frightened, but I was attentive and did not deny his request and consented to his command. I elevated my daughter, my own offspring, to the office of entu-priestess and then I named her En-nigaldi-Nanna, as her new, official name, and had her enter the Egipar.

My heart dearly wanted me to provide for all of the cult centers of the great gods.

At that time, I was attentive to the god Lugal-Marda, the noble warrior, the exalted warrior who is perfect in strength, the fierce storm whose onslaught cannot be withstood, the one who storms over hostile lands and plunders the lands of his foes, the one who resides in Eigikalama, my lord.

As for the chariot, the vehicle of his divinity, the insignia of his heroism that plunders the lands of his foes, which is well suited for battle, which no former king had built since distant days, its stone ornaments and its equipment became visible in the foundations of Eigikalama. I then built that chariot anew with shiny silver, bright gold, and precious stones. I magnificently decorated it and had it sent into his presence.

As for Eigikalama, his temple, which a former king had built and had raised up its superstructure, but without surrounding it with its own outside wall and thereby failing to strengthen its protection — its site was in ruins and its door-jambs were not joined together. I removed its buckled piles of earth. I examined and checked its original foundations and then I laid its new foundations on top of the original foundations. I built its outer wall and thereby strengthened its protection. I built the outer wall anew and raised up its superstructure.

O Lugal-Marda, supreme lord, mighty warrior, when you joyfully enter this temple and look with pleasure upon everything that I have done for you, speak good things about me in the presence of the god Marduk, king of heaven and earth, daily so that the days of my life are long and I am sated with old age. With your fierce weapons, cut down my enemies and destroy all of my foes.

... of the god Sîn, ..., son of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, wise prince.

When the gods Anu and Enlil had commanded the renovation of Sippar

... they had them reside in a good shrine, a suitable place.

I spoke to the people of my land, ....

This is what they said me: "Its original emplacement had not been sought out. It was not rebuilt on its true site. The god Shamash, the great lord, ... Ebabbar."

My heart was afraid at the thought of removing that temple; I was worried. In my night bed, I did not get enough good sleep. I raised my hands and beseeched the Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk.

With regard to rebuilding Ebabbar, I frequently visited the shrines of the gods Shamash and Adad, the lords of divination, and the gods Shamash and Adad answered me with a firm 'yes.' ... they had ... written in ....

the one who makes sattukku-offerings abun­dant and nindabû-offerings splendid, son of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, wise prince, am I.

When the god Marduk, the Enlil of the gods, entrusted me to rule over his land, I constantly strove to show devotion to his divinity and I was speaking daily about doing whatever is pleasing to him. So that there would be no cultic mistakes, I was constantly foremost in everything I did and I was constantly praying devoutly to the great gods.

At that time, with regard to Ebabbar, the awe-inspiring shrine, the residence of the god Shamash, the judge, which is inside Sippar, which a king of the past had built and raised its superstructure, forty-five years had not yet elapsed and its walls had buckled.

The ramku-priests of Ebabbar told me: "The temple had buckled." I did not believe their report, but nevertheless I was worried.

I sent citizens of Babylon and Borsippa, skilled men

"He has entrusted you with building it on its true site."

My heart was afraid at the thought of removing Ebabbar; I was worried. In my night bed, I did not get enough good sleep. ... I raised my hands and beseeched the Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk.

With regard to rebuilding Ebabbar, I frequently visited the shrines of the gods Shamash and Adad, the lords of divination, and ...

No translation possible

hoes ... I ... ... I ... ... In a favorable month, ... I tore down ... I mustered the workmen of the gods Shamash and Marduk and

When the gods Anu and Enlil had commanded the renovation of the city, Sippar, and their firmly appointed time to rebuild Ebabbar had arrived, the god Shamash, the great lord, remembered his original residence.

Their hearts prompted them with pleasure to raise the superstructure of the ziggurat, his raised temple, higher than the previous one and they nominated Nabonidus, the king who provides for and pleases their hearts.

The submissive shepherd who constantly seeks out the shrines of the great gods, the capable governor who is constantly attentive to the will of the gods, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, the one who renovates the shrines of the gods and goddesses, the one who makes sattukku-offerings abundant and nindabû-offerings splendid, son of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, wise prince, am I.

When the god Marduk entrusted me to rule over his land ... the god Nabû ... nominated me

So that there would be no cultic mistakes, ... ... praying to them and I was constantly praying devoutly to the great gods.

At that time, with regard to Ebabbar, the awe-inspiring shrine, the residence of the god Shamash and the goddess Aya that is inside Sippar, which a king of the past had built and raised its superstructure, forty-five years had not yet elapsed and its walls had buckled.

The ramku-priests of Ebabbar told me: "The temple had buckled." I did not believe their report, but nevertheless I was worried.

I sent citizens of Babylon and Borsippa, skilled men who know every task, to Sippar and had them enter Ebabbar. Then, they saw that the walls of that temple had buckled, that the structure of its gates were falling apart, and that the beams of its roof were stripped away and protruding inside the temple. They saw this and they filled me with fear.

They led the god Shamash and the goddess Aya out of that temple by the hand and had them reside in a good shrine, a suitable place.

I spoke to the people of my land, saying: "What has happened to it so that it buckled?"

This is what they said me: "Its original emplacement had not been sought out. It was not rebuilt on its true site and its location was changed. The god Shamash, the great lord, has waited for you to rebuild Ebabbar. Therefore, make its construction beautiful! He has entrusted you with building it on its true site."

My heart was afraid at the thought of removing Ebabbar; I was worried. In my night bed, I did not get enough good sleep. I raised my hands and beseeched the Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk.

With regard to rebuilding Ebabbar, I frequently visited the shrines of the gods Shamash and Adad, the lords of divination, and I performed extispicies. The gods Shamash and Adad always answered me with a firm 'yes.'

I repeated and checked the extispicy and

I mustered the workmen of the gods Shamash and Marduk — those who wield hoes, hold spades, and carry baskets.

From the surface of the ground, they dug down eighteen cubits and I saw the original foundations of Naram-Sîn, a king of the past, and then found tablets of gold, lapis lazuli, and carnelian concerning the construction of Ebabbar. I did not alter their original places and I returned them to their proper places. I firmly placed my own inscriptions with them forever.

I indeed firmly established its boundary markers precisely on its original foundations, not even a fingerbreadth outside or inside of them.

I did not withhold anything needed to rebuild that temple, but had all of those things brought inside it.

For the temple, whose roof a king of the past had built with beams of date palms, I carried strong cedars from Mount Lebanon, the bright forest, and indeed had 1,050 cedars for rebuilding Ebabbar brought inside.

For its shipu, I set bright cedars in place. At each gate and room, I securely fastened crossbeams, architraves, gishkanakkus, and sikkuru shaqilu locks of bright cedar.

Just like when the god Shamash, the supreme lord, rises up from the Cedar Mountain, I built a roof over it with strong cedars.

I made the scent of the place where he Shamash resides as pleasing as a forest of hashuru-trees.

At each of its gates, I securely fastened doors of cedar and musukkannu-wood. As for the temples in the vicinity of Ebabbar, I built their roofs with beams of thick pine-trees.

So that anger, curse, and cultic mistake are not brought into existence inside it nor placed in the mouths of the workmen executing its construction, but instead that blessings of good fortune are placed in their mouths, I copiously supplied them with bread, beer, meat, and an abundance of wine, lavishly anointed their bodies with ritually-pure oil, and had their heads drenched with a perfume of sweet-smelling oil.

Joyously, I cheered up their hearts. ... their hearts and ... ... ... in his place ... me.

For the god Shamash, the great lord, the one who makes my signs favorable, I magnificently built for him a temple — one that none of the kings among the kings of the past had built like me, but as for me, the one that I had it built well for the god Shamash and the goddess Aya, my lords — and completed its construction.

O Shamash, great lord of heaven and earth, when you enter this temple with pleasure and gladly occupy your pure, original residence, bless me, Nabonidus, the king who provides, with blessings of good fortune and grant me a long life lit. "a life of long days" so that I stay in good health for eternity. Give me dominion over the black-headed people so that I may shepherd all of them.

May the goddess Aya, your beloved spouse, say good things about me to you.

In divine pronouncements and extispicy, whenever I raise up my hands to you, answer me unequivocally. Make my good deeds constantly find acceptance in the presence of the god Marduk, king of heaven and earth.

Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the reliable warrior who is attentive towards the will of the gods, the humble and submissive one who reveres the great gods, the wise prince who understands everything there is, the exalted ruler who renovates all of the cult centers, the capable ruler who completes sanctuaries and makes sattukku-offerings abundant,

the shepherd of a widespread people, the one who loves justice and establishes truth, the splendid stag, the most pre-eminent one of kings, the creature of the hands of the gods Nabû and Marduk, the one who draws out the designs of the temples of the gods and firmly establishes their ground plans, the quick messenger of the great gods, the one who fully carries out every task, the one who pleases their hearts, son of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, the brave governor who reveres gods and goddesses, I am.

To the god Shamash, lord of the upper and lower worlds, chief judge of heaven and earth, the exalted judge of the great gods who render decisions, inspects the hearts of people who perform extispicies, the one who loves my royal majesty, the one who protects my life, the conqueror of my enemies, the destroyer of my foes, the one who resides in Ebabbar, which is in Sippar, the great lord, my lord: In the contentedness of my steadfast heart, I reverently and devoutly prayed, and constantly sought out the shrines of his great divinity.

With regard to Ebabbar, his temple which is in Sippar, the exalted inner sanctum, the embodiment of his divinity, the pure cella, the dwelling of rest, the residence of his lordly majesty, whose foundations were thoroughly destroyed for a long time and whose ground plans were in ruins —

a king of the past looked for its original foundations, but he did not find them. On his own, he had a new temple for the god Shamash built, but it was not splendid enough for his lordly majesty, nor was it befitting enough to be the embodiment of his divinity.

Prematurely lit. "out of its appointed time", the superstructure of that temple sagged down and its high parts crumbled. As for me, I looked at it and then became frightened and worried.

With regard to firmly securing the foundations, perfectly executing the designs of his Shamash' temple, rebuilding the cella and throne platforms as the embodiment of his divinity, I prayed to him daily and, on account of this, I made an offering to him and then I made a decision about it.

The god Shamash, the exalted lord, had waited for me since distant days.

The gods Shamash and Adad had a favorable 'yes,' a firm decision about the completion of my work and making those sanctuaries endure, placed in my extispicy.

I completely trusted in their firm decision, which cannot be changed, and took the god Shamash by the hand and had him reside in the "House of the First Day" for an entire year.

I dug pits to the right and left, in front of and behind the cella, as well as inside the throne platforms and then I gathered city elders, citizens of Babylon, architects, and skilled men who reside in the bit-mummu, protect the secret lore of the great gods, and maintain the rites of kingship, and I sent them a message about making a decision.

I spoke to them as follows: "Search for the original foundations and look for the cella of the god Shamash, the judge, so that I can build a lasting temple for the god Shamash and the goddess Aya, my lords."

Through prayers to the god Shamash, my lord, and through supplications to the great gods, the assembly of craftsmen saw the original foundations and examined the old cella and throne platforms. They immediately returned and spoke with me.

I indeed saw the original foundations of Naram-Sîn, a king of the distant past, the cella of the god Shamash, the permanent residence of his divinity. My heart rejoiced and my face lit up. I inspected the cella of his lordly majesty and the throne platforms, and then during joyous celebrations, I laid its foundations on top of its original foundations.

I strengthened its foundations and I raised its superstructure up like a high mountain. As for Ebabbar, his Shamash' temple that had been built for his lordly majesty to be the embodiment of his divinity, I had it built anew for the god Shamash, my lord, and I made it shine like daylight, just like its name.

For the shipus, crossbeams, the architraves, the gishakanakkus, and the roof of the temple, I put in place 1,050 thick cedars, without number, tall pine-trees, cypress-trees, beautiful trees, and musukkannu-trees, a hard-wood tree, and I made its scent as pleasing as a forest of hashuru-trees.

At each of its gates, I installed immense doors of cedar with strong copper nukushû-fittings and splendid bolts and I reinforced the structure of the temple like a mountain pass.

For the residence of his divinity, I clad the cella of his lordly majesty with an awesome radiance. I decorated the utensils of the temple with silver and gold and filled it with splendor to be an object of wonder for the people. I securely placed an inscription of mine and an image of my royal majesty inside it for eternity.

Through the craft of the god Kulla, I renovated the bed chamber of his desires, the cellas, and throne platforms and provided it with a shining façade. Then, I firmly established inside it an eternal residence for the great judge of the gods. For the god Shamash and the goddess Aya, my lords, I had a glorious house built.

I lavishly provided the finest oil for the door-jambs, door bolts, bolts, and doors and, in the entryways of their exalted divinity, I filled the appurtenances of the temple with a sweet scent. When the god Shamash, my lord, enters the temple, its gates are thrown wide open and filled with joy.

O Shamash, exalted lord, when you enter Ebabbar, the residence where you rest, may the gates, entrances, cellas, and throne platforms be happy in your presence. May they exult over you as over an ayyaru.

When you are sitting in the cella of your lordly majesty, the residence where you preside as judge, may the gods of your city and temple appease your mind and may the great gods please your heart. May the goddess Aya, the great bride who resides in Ekinu, constantly make your face shine and say good things about me to you.

With your bright countenance, your happy face, look with pleasure upon my precious handiwork, my good deeds, my inscriptions, and images of my royal majesty, and may good things about me be set upon your lips. Call my name for eternity. Make the temple that I have built for him last for a long time so that your residence endures inside it.

May the gods of the temple, the utensils of the temple, the crossbeams, the architraves, the gishakanakkus, the door-jambs, door bolts, the thresholds of the temples, and the doors guard the routes and keep the accessway in good repair. In your presence, may they hold my good deeds in high esteem and speak good things about me day and night.

By your exalted command, which cannot be changed, and the word of your great divinity, which cannot be overturned, may the deities Kittu, Misharu and Dayyanu, the gods who sit in your presence, have the path of well-being and riches and the road of truth and justice placed at my feet.

May your exalted vizier, the one who stands before you, the god Bunene, whose advice is good, the one who rides in a chariot and sits on its floor-boards, whose onslaught cannot be opposed, the one who harnesses valiant mules, whose knees do not become tried while marching and returning, and who goes out in procession before you, make people speak well of me in every street. May he constantly advise you about the prolongation of the days of my kingship. May he assist you in your precious work.

Make the fearsome brilliance of your luminosity, the appearance of lordship, and the awesome radiance of kingship march at my side to plunder the lands of my enemies so that I can devastate the land of my foes, kill those hostile to me, consume the booty of my enemies, and bring the possessions of all lands into my land.

May I be the king who provides, renovates cult centers, and completes sanctuaries forever.

May all of my enemies quiver and quake at the mere mention of my important name. May they bow down at my feet, pull my yoke until far-off days, and bring their heavy tribute into my city, Babylon, into my presence.

May my residence be firmly inside Babylon and may I be sated walking about in its streets. May I grow old standing in Esagil and Ezida, which I love.

In the presence of the gods Bel, Nabû, and Nergal, my gods, and the gods of the perimeter of the akitu-house of the Enlil of the gods, Marduk, may I be constantly concerned with the proper procedures for sacrificial offerings and mashhatu-flour offerings, providing for Edadihegal, and praying to the lord of lords Marduk for eternity.

Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, the attentive prince who constantly seeks out the shrines of the great gods, the one who has generously providing hands and whose mind is focused daily on revering the gods, the one who has a reverent heart that is constantly and greatly attentive to the words of the gods and goddesses, the humble and submissive one who shows reverence and constantly beseeches the gods and goddesses, who takes hold of the hem of the gods to avoid cultic mistakes and thereby constantly strives after life, whose heart is reverent and honors the words of the gods, who prays to the great gods in order to avoid deviating from the rites of the gods, who checks through expisticy the circumstances of everything he does or strives to do, who serves the gods with supplications and prayers, who prays wholeheartedly to the gods Bel Marduk and the Son-of-Bel Nabû, whose neck is bent down to pull their chariot poles, who holds their names in high esteem, the one who shows reverence for the great gods, son of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, wise prince, am I.

When the god Marduk, the great lord, entrusted me to rule over his land, placed in my hands the responsibility of providing for the cult centers and renovating sanctuaries, I have never ceased provisioning Esagil and Ezida. I constantly send the best of everything into them, constantly bring them precious gifts, and copiously supply every lavish thing there is into their midst, together with the normal provisioning of Esagil, Ezida, and the sanctuaries of the great gods.

With regard to Ebabbar, the temple of the god Shamash that is inside Sippar, which a king of the past had built, but whose walls had not been properly supported, that temple buckled and its superstructure was tottering. With regard to rebuilding that temple, the great lord, the god Marduk, had waited for me.

I removed its buckled walls, cleared away the rubble from its interior, and then dug down eighteen cubits into the earth. I saw the original foundations of Naram-Sîn, a king of the past, and laid its brickwork directly on its original foundations.

That which no king among the kings of the past had built since distant days and which no king of the past had built a temple for the god Shamash so beautifully decorated, I magnificently rebuilt Ebabbar for the god Shamash, my lord.

I did not withhold anything needed for Ebabbar, but had all of those things brought inside it. I had beams of strong cedars, thick pine-trees, and large musukkannu-trees brought inside it.

At that time, as for the god Shamash, the great lord, the exalted judge of heaven and earth, the one who resides in Ebabbar that is inside Sippar, my lord — as for a crown of gold, the embodiment of his divinity that he wears on his head, that is adorned with his insignia, and that is beautifully decorated with zarinnu, that is securely attached every year, for which there is no replacement, no king who came before me had made a replacement for that crown. My heart was afraid at the thought of making a new crown of gold; I was terrified.

I gathered the citizens of Babylon and Borsippa, skilled men who have sufficient experience, and they said to me "Let it be made exactly as it had been in ancient times."

I frequently visited the shrines of the gods Shamash and Adad, the lords of divination, and the gods Shamash and Adad repeatedly answered me 'no' in their extispicies regarding the making of a crown without zarinnu. I double checked and they answered me with a 'no.' I did it a third time and an unfavorable omen was placed in my extispicy.

I performed an extispicy again regarding the making of a crown without zarinnu and frequently visited the shrines of the gods Shamash and Adad. In response to if it was pleasing to their divinity and to the god Marduk, the one who resides in Esagil, my lord, the gods Shamash and Adad had a firm 'yes' placed in my extispicy:

If the 'Station' mazzazu is long, then the days of the ruler will be long. If the 'Path' padanu reaches its 'dwellings,' then the ways of man are in harmony with the god and the god will give food to the man or increase his water. If the 'Well-Being' shulmu is present, then there is well-being of life. If the base of the Gall Bladder martu is firm on the right and torn out on the left, then the foundation of my army is firm and the foundation of my enemy is torn out.

If the left side of the Gall Bladder martu is split, then he will separate his enemy from his forces and the army of the ruler will enjoy a share of the booty. If the 'Finger' ubanu is intact, then the lord of the sacrifice will prosper and his days will be long. If the 'Increment' shibtu is wide, then there will be happiness. If the 'Upper Part' elitu moves and 'Foot'-Mark shepu indicating abandonment. If the same result, then a man will prevail against his adversary in a legal decision.

If the base of the 'Middle Finger' uban hashî qablitu of the lung is loose, then my troops will enjoy a share of the booty. If the Coils of the Colon are fourteen and are on the favorable side of the exta, then conquest by my hand, the aims of my army will be achieved, and my troops who go on campaign will enjoy a share of the booty.

I recognized the auspicious meaning of this omen on the first day and concerning what was pleasing to the god Marduk, my lord, I repeated and checked the extispicy. A favorable omen regarding the making of that crown exactly as it had been in ancient times was placed into my extispicy:

If the 'Station' mazzazu is long, then the days of the ruler will be long. If the 'Path' padanu is two in number and they are placed on the right, then the gods will go at my side. If the 'Well-Being' shulmu is doubled, then there will be firm foundations and peaceful abodes in the land. If the 'Path' padanu on the right side of the Gall Bladder martu is obliterated, but the Gall Bladder is nonetheless there, then your army will reach its destination and turn safely.

If the Gall Bladder martu is long, then the days of the ruler will be long. If the left side of the Gall Bladder is bound and 'Foot'-Mark shepu of the magical constraint of the enemy. If there is a 'Weapon'-Mark kakku placed in the middle of the back of the 'Middle Finger' ubanu qablitu and it faces downwards, then the weapon of the goddess Ishtar is my helper and the onslaught of the enemy will be repelled; alternatively, the name of the weapon is "my thruster."

If the 'Upper Part' elitu crosses over the back of the right lung and the breast-bone is pierced in its middle, then there is a deceiver in the army of the enemy and its main body will fall. If the 'Cap' kubshu rides on the exterior part, then there will be divine protection over man and an angry god will become reconciled with the man with whom he is angry.

I saw this extispicy and immediately trusted in the words of the gods Shamash and Adad, the lords of divination. Then, through the craft of the deities Kusibanda and Ninzadim, I created anew the crown of gold exactly as it had been in ancient times with zarinnu in which alabaster and husigu-stone have been set and perfected with precious stones. I made it shine like daylight and firmly placed it in the presence of the god Shamash, my lord.

O Shamash, great lord, look with pleasure upon everything that I have done and grant me, Nabonidus, the king who provides for you, a long life lit. "a life of long days" and the attainment of very old age.

Annually, may I have the wealth of the four quarters of the world, the abundance of the seas, and the yield of the mountains and of all lands brought into Esagil, the palace of heaven and earth.

May I be the king who provides for and renovates the sanctuaries of the great gods forever.

Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the true shepherd who is the handiwork of the god Ea, the resplendent warrior who is the creation of the goddess Ninmena, the king without rival who is the favorite of the gods Bel and Marduk, the capable ruler chosen by the gods Sîn and Shamash, the circumspect prince who reveres the gods and goddesses,

the indefatigable governor who pleases the hearts of the great gods, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, the one who renovates the cult centers and completes sanctuaries, the exalted ruler who makes sattukku-offerings abundant, the one who is always concerned about revering the gods and who is not negligent night or day, son of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, wise prince, am I.

I devoutly prayed to the god Shamash, the great lord, my lord, and to the goddess Aya, his bride, the great lady, my lady, and I had Ebabbar, their temple that is inside of Sippar, rebuilt anew on the foundations of Naram-Sîn, a king of the distant past, and made it worthy of high praise.

I securely fastened strong date palms for its shipu. I put in place thick cedars, which were grown on Mount Amanus and Mount Lebanon, for its roof and the doors of its gates.

I decorated its utensils with silver and gold and filled it with splendor to be an object of wonder. I placed an inscription of mine, together with an inscription of Naram-Sîn, a former king, inside it.

As for the temple of the god Shamash and the goddess Aya, my lords, I made it shine like daylight on the right and left.

Then, for the god Bunene, my lord, I rebuilt anew Ekurra, the temple of Bunene that is inside Sippar, purified it with purification ritual, made it suitable as a temple of his divinity, and made its façade radiant as daylight.

I had the perimeter walls of Ebabbar, at the outer gate, rebuilt and reinforced more than the previous ones. I securely placed an inscription of mine and an image of my royal majesty in the presence of the god Shamash and the goddess Aya, my lords, for eternity.

O Shamash, the exalted lord who loves my life, when you exit and enter Ebabbar, your bright temple, look with pleasure upon my good deeds, my inscription, and the image of my royal majesty so that good things about me are present before you forever and a command about the prolongation of the days of my kingship is placed in your mouth so that I may grow old walking in your bright light and that my reign may be firmly established for eternity.

O Aya, great bride, beloved of the god Shamash, when you are sitting with pleasure in Ekinu, your shining temple, make my prayers gain favor in the presence of the god Shamash, the light of the gods, and prolong the days of my life.

O Vizier who advises the god Amna Shamash, the god Bunene, and whose advice is good, in the presence of the god Shamash and the goddess Aya, ... when you joyously ... and exit in exultation, when you stand triumphantly in the presence of the god Shamash, the lord of everything, may favorable words about me be continually placed in your mouth. Walk about safely in its Ekurra's exalted interior.

May I keep the throne of my royal majesty for a long time, until the attainment of very old age. O gods of Sippar and Ebabbar, make my deeds pleasing in the presence of the god Shamash and the goddess Aya. May I be the eternal king who provides so that I can offer tribute to them from all four quarters of the world.

In the presence of the deities Marduk, Zarpanitu, Nabû, and Nergal, my gods, and all of the gods who reside in the perimeter of the akitu-house of the king of the gods, the exalted one, the lord of lords Marduk, may I be constantly concerned with the proper procedures for the zagmukku-festival at the beginning of the year, for the akitu-festival, for offerings, for sacrificial offerings and mashhatu-flour offerings, providing for Edadihegal, and praying to the lord of lords Marduk for eternity. May they exult my reign, ..., and constantly bless my kingship.

With regard to Ebabbar, the temple of the god Shamash of Sippar, which Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, a king of the past, had removed and whose original foundations he did not reach, he rebuilt that Ebabbar anyway and gave it to the god Shamash, his lord. In only fifty-two years, the walls of that temple buckled and became old.

As for me, Nabonidus, the king of Babylon who provides for Esagil and Ezida, during my legitimate reign that the gods Sîn and Shamash love, I removed that Ebabbar and dug pits in it. I found its original foundations that Sargon of Agade, a king of the past, had made, and I laid its foundations precisely on the foundations that Sargon had made, not even a fingerbreadth outside or inside of them, and thereby secured its brickwork.

I had immense beams of cedar, which were grown on Mount Amanus, stretched out for its roof. I had doors of white cedar, whose scent is sweet, clad with pure silver and bright copper and installed at each of its gates.

I completed the construction of that Ebabbar and made it shine like daylight. For the preservation of my life and to overwhelm my enemies, I indeed gave it to the god Shamash, my lord.

O Shamash, great lord, may good things about Esagil, Ezida, Ekishnugal, Ebabbar, Eanna, and Eulmash, the residences of your great divinity, be placed on your lips daily and without ceasing in the presence of the god Sîn, the father who engendered you. May their foundations be as firm as those of the heavens. Moreover, have reverence for the god Sîn, lord of the gods and goddesses, placed from the heavens in the hearts of his Nabonidus' people so that they do not commit any sin. May their foundations be firm.

As for me, Nabonidus, the king of Babylon who reveres your great divinity, may I be sated with happiness in life. Moreover, with regard to Belshazzar, my first-born son, my own offspring, prolong his days. May he not commit any sin.

That which is written upon on a monument from Sippar.

With regard to Ebabbar, the temple of the god Shamash of Larsa — which in distant days the god Sîn, king of the gods, lord of the gods and goddesses who reside in heaven and on earth, had become angry with the city and that temple and over which massive sand dunes were heaped so that its cellas could not be seen — during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, a king of the past who came before me, son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, by the command of the gods Sîn and Shamash, his lords, the four winds, the great storms, rose up and the sand dunes that were covering the city and that temple were removed.

He Nebuchadnezzar dug pits and saw the foundations of Ebabbar that Burna-Buriash, a former king who had come before him, had made and then he laid the new foundations of that Ebabbar precisely on the foundations of Burna-Buriash, not even a fingerbreadth outside or inside of them. For the residence of the god Shamash, the great lord, and the goddess Aya, his beloved bride, he built the temple and completed its construction. He made the god Shamash, the great lord, take up residence inside it.

As for me, Nabonidus, the king of Babylon who provides for Esagil and Ezida — now, during the tenth year of my legitimate reign, which the gods Sîn and Shamash love, the god Shamash, the great lord, remembered his original residence.

In dreams that I had seen and that the people had seen about me, with regard to the original foundations of that Ebabbar, he Shamash commissioned me to restore Ebabbar, the seat of his happiness, to its original place.

I discovered the upper facing of the ziggurat and then I had many people mustered. I dug up the environs of that ziggurat, on the right and left, before and behind it, and I eventually found the original Ebabbar, as far as its perimeter. I discovered inside it an inscription of Hammu-rapi, a king of the past who came before me, who for the god Shamash had built Ebabbar and the ziggurat precisely on the original foundations 700 years before Burna-Buriash. Then, my heart was happy and my face beamed.

I laid the foundations of Ebabbar precisely on the foundations of Hammu-rapi, a king of the past, not even a fingerbreadth outside or inside of them, and thereby secured its brickwork. I built Ebabbar anew and completed its construction.

I had immense beams of cedar, which were grown on Mount Amanus, stretched out for its roof. I had doors of white cedar, whose scent is sweet, installed at each of its gates.

I rebuilt that temple and made it shine like daylight. For the preservation of my life and to overwhelm my enemies, I indeed built it for the god Shamash, the great lord, my lord.

O Shamash, great lord, may good things about Esagil, Ezida, Ekishnugal, Ebabbar, Eanna, and Eulmash, the residences of your great divinity, be placed on your lips daily, at sunrise and sunset, and without ceasing, in the presence of the god Sîn, the father who engendered you. May their foundations be as firm as those of the heavens.

As for me, Nabonidus, the king of Babylon who reveres your great divinity, may I be sated with happiness in life. Moreover, with regard to Belshazzar, my first-born son, my own offspring, prolong his days. May he not commit any sin.

That which is written upon on a monument from Larsa.

With regard to the foundations Eulmash of Agade — which had not been seen from the time of Sargon, king of Babylon, and Naram-Sîn, his grandson, kings of the past, up to the reign of Nabonidus, king of Babylon — Kurigalzu, king of Babylon, a king of the past, had sought them out, but he did not reach the original foundations of Eulmash. Thus, he put down in writing, saying: "I searched day and night for the original foundations of Eulmash, but I did not reach them."

Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, and Ashurbanipal, his son, to whom the god Sîn, king of the gods, granted the totality of all lands, sought out the original foundations of Eulmash, but did not reach them. They put down in writing, saying: "I sought out the original foundations of that Eulmash, but I did not reach them. I cut down poplars and mashtû-trees and then built a replacement Eulmash and gave it to the goddess Ishtar of Agade, great lady, my lady."

Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, son of Nabopolassar, a king of the past, mustered his numerous workmen, sought out the original foundations of that Eulmash day and night, although he had dug deep, he still did not reach the original foundations of Eulmash.

But as for me, Nabonidus, the king of Babylon who provides for Esagil and Ezida, during my legitimate reign, out of reverence for the goddess Ishtar of Agade, my lady, I performed extispicies and the gods Shamash and Adad answered me with a firm 'yes,' with regard to reaching the original foundations of that Eulmash, they placed a favorable omen in my extispicy.

I instructed many of my people to search for the original foundations of that Eulmash. For three years, I dug out the pits of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, and I sought them out on the right and left, before and behind them, but I did not reach the original foundations.

Thus, they spoke to me, saying: "We sought out those foundations, but we did not find them. There was a downpour of heavy rain and we saw the gully that it had made." Then, I said to them, saying: "Dig a pit in that gully until you find the original foundations in that gully."

They dug in that gully and they reached the original foundations of Eulmash of Naram-Sîn — a king of the past — the residence of the goddesses Ishtar of Agade, Nanaya, and Anunitu, and the gods of that Eulmash and they told me about it.

My heart was happy and my face beamed. I laid these new foundations of Eulmash, those of its throne platforms and daises, together with those of its two ziggurats, precisely on the original foundations of that Eulmash, not even a fingerbreadth outside or inside of them, and thereby secured its brickwork.

I filled it in with an infill and placed it the new temple at ground level so that the original foundations of Eulmash will never be forgotten. I rebuilt Eulmash and completed its construction.

I had immense beams of cedar, which were grown on Mount Amanus, stretched out for its roof. I indeed had doors of white cedar, whose scent is sweet, erected in its gates.

I made that temple shine like daylight. For the preservation of my life and to overwhelm my enemies, I indeed built it for the goddess Ishtar of Agade, the great lady, my lady.

O Ishtar of Agade, great lady, my lady, may good things about Esagil, Ezida, Ekishnugal, Ebabbar, Eanna, and Eulmash, the residences of your great divinity, be placed on your lips in the presence of the god Sîn, the father who engendered you. May their foundations be as firm as those of the heavens.

As for me, Nabonidus, the king of Babylon who reveres your great divinity, may I be sated with happiness in life. With regard to Belshazzar, my first-born son, my own offspring, prolong his days. May he not commit any sin.

That which is written upon on a monument from Agade.

With regard to Eulmash of Sippar-Anunitu — which the god Sîn, king of the gods, had become angry with the city and that temple and then he incited Sennacherib, king of Assyria, the bitter enemy, so that he Sennacherib turned the city and that temple into ruins —

Now, as for me, Nabonidus, the king of Babylon who provides for Esagil and Ezida — during my legitimate reign that gods Sîn and Shamash love, the goddess Anunitu, the great lady, my lady, the one who resides in Eulmash, by the command of the god Sîn, king of the gods, the father who engendered her, became reconciled with the city and that temple. In a dream during the night, she made me see a dream regarding the rebuilding of Eulmash.

My heart was happy and my face beamed. I had many workmen mustered. I dug out the foundations of that Eulmash and I found an image with an inscription of Shagarakti-Shuriash, king of Babylon, a king of the past, in that pit.

This is what his inscription written over the image says: "Shagarakti-Shuriash, true shepherd, the attentive prince who is the favorite of the god Shamash and the goddess Anunitu, am I."

"When the god Shamash and the goddess Anunitu called my name for ruling over the land and placed the lead-rope of all of the people in my hands — at that time, I tore down the walls of Ebabbar, the temple of the god Shamash of Sippar, my lord, and Eulmash, the temple of the goddess Anunitu of Sippar-Anunitu, my lady, whose walls had buckled owing to the long time that had elapsed since the time of Sabûm. I opened up their foundation pits and removed their earth. I kept their daises safe and kept their ground plans intact. I had their foundation pits filled in and I returned the earth from outside. I made their walls shine in their original places, and made their structures larger than before."

On account of this, O Shamash and Anunitu, may your hearts be happy with my precious deeds so that my days are long. May they renew my life and grant me days of joy, months of delight, and years of abundance. May they command for me true and just decisions. May they always allow peace to exist."

This is the wording of the inscription of Shagarakti-Shuriash, king of Babylon, a king of the past who had built Eulmash of Sippar-Anunitu.

I discovered its original foundations and then I laid its foundations precisely on the original foundations, not even a fingerbreadth outside or inside of them, and thereby secured its brickwork. As for Eulmash, I completed its construction and made it shine like daylight. For the preservation of my life and to overwhelm my enemies, I indeed built it for the goddess Anunitu, the great lady, my lady.

O Anunitu, great lady, may good things about Esagil, Ezida, Ekishnugal, Ebabbar, Eanna, and Eulmash, the residences of your great divinity, be placed on your lips in the presence of the god Sîn, the father who engendered you. May their foundations be as firm as those of the heavens. Moreover, have reverence for the god Sîn, lord of the gods and goddesses, placed from the heavens in the hearts of his Nabonidus' people so that they do not commit any sin. May their foundations be firm.

As for me, Nabonidus, the king of Babylon who reveres your great divinity, may I enjoy happiness in life. Moreover, with regard to Belshazzar, my first-born son, my own offspring, prolong his days. May he not commit any sin.

That which is written upon on a monument from Sippar-Anunitu.

These are the deeds of the Sîn, lord of the gods and goddesses who reside in heaven and on earth, that I had written on monuments of stone so that people of a later generation can hear about them.

I am Nabonidus, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Babylon, king of the four quarters of the world, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, whose fate the god Sîn and the goddess Ningal determined as a royal lot while he was still in his mother's womb, son of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, wise prince, the one who reveres the great gods, am I.

With regard to Ehulhul, the temple of the god Sîn, which is inside the city Harran, in which the god Sîn, the great lord, has occupied the residence of his happiness since distant days: His Sîn's heart became angry with the city and that temple and he raised up a barbarian horde the Medes, and it destroyed that temple and turned it into ruins.

During my legitimate reign, the god Sîn, the great lord, out of love for my royal majesty, became reconciled towards the city and that temple and had mercy. At the beginning of my eternal kingship, he showed me a dream. The god Marduk, the great lord, and the god Sîn, the light of heaven and earth, were both standing and the god Marduk spoke with me, saying: "Nabonidus, king of Babylon, carry bricks using the horses of your royal vehicle, rebuild Ehulhul, and enable the god Sîn, the great lord, to take up residence in his dwelling place inside it."

I spoke reverently to the Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk: "As for that temple whose rebuilding you have commanded, a barbarian horde the Medes is all around it and its forces are powerful." The god Marduk spoke with me, saying: "As for the barbarian horde the Medes that you spoke of, it, its land, and the kings who march at its side will not exist."

When my third year arrived, they had Cyrus II, king of the land Anshan, a young servant of his Astyages', rise up against him Astyages, and he Cyrus scattered the extensive barbarian horde the Medes with his small body of troops. He seized Astyages Ishtumegu, king of the barbarian horde the Medes, and took him to his land as a captive.

The word of the great divine lord, the god Marduk, and the god Sîn, the light of heaven and earth, whose commands cannot be changed — by their exalted command, I became frightened, worried, and anxious, and my face was haggard.

I was not lazy, negligent, or careless. I raised up my extensive troops from the land of the city Gaza on the border of Egypt and the Upper Sea on the other bank of the Euphrates River to the Lower Sea — kings, nobles, governors, and my extensive troops, whom the deities Sîn, Shamash, and Ishtar, my lords, had entrusted to me — to rebuild Ehulhul, the temple of the god Sîn, my lord, the one who marches at my side, which is inside the city Harran, which Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria, son of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, a ruler who came before me, had built.

In a favorable month, on an auspicious day that the gods Shamash and Adad had revealed to me through divination, using the wisdom of the gods Ea and Asalluhi, through the craft of the incantation priest, and with the craft of the god Kulla, the lord of foundations and brickwork, during joyous celebrations, I laid its foundations in silver, gold, a selection of precious stones, and crushed pieces of wood and cedar aromatics, precisely on the foundations of Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria, who had seen the foundations of Shalmaneser III, son of Ashurnasirpal II, and thereby I secured its brickwork.

I blended its shallaru-plaster with beer, wine, oil, and honey, and mixed it into its revetment. I made its structure stronger than that of the kings, my ancestors, and had its construction more expertly executed. I built that temple anew from its foundations to its crenellations and completed its construction.

I had immense beams of cedar, which were grown on Mount Amanus, stretched out over it for its roof. I had doors of cedar, whose scent is sweet, installed in its gates. I had its walls clad with silver and gold and made them radiate like the sun.

I stationed a wild bull of shiny zahalû-metal, which aggressively gores my foes to death, in his Sîn's inner sanctum. I firmly planted two long-haired heroes of eshmarû-metal, who overwhelm my enemies, in the Gate of the Rising Sun, on the right and left.

I took the deities Sîn, Ningal, Nusku, and Sadarnunna, my lords, by the hand, leading them out of Shuanna Babylon, the city of my royal majesty, and I had them reside inside the residence of their happiness during joyous celebrations.

I offered pure, sumptuous offerings before them and presented them with my gifts. I filled Ehulhul with joy and then made the radiance of the city Harran, to its full extent, shine like the appearance of the moon.

O Sîn, king of the gods of heaven and earth, without whom no city or land can be founded or restored lit. "returned to its place", when you enter Ehulhul, the temple that is the residence you desired, may good things about the city and that temple be placed on your lips.

May the gods who reside in heaven and on earth constantly bless the temple of the god Sîn, the father who created them.

As for me, Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the one who completed this temple, may the god Sîn, king of the gods of heaven and earth, look with pleasure upon me with his favorable glance and monthly, at sunrise and sunset, make my signs auspicious. May he lengthen my days, increase my years, and make my reign endure. May he conquer my enemies, cut down those hostile to me, and flatten my foes.

May the goddess Ningal, mother of the great gods, speak laudatory words about me in the presence of the god Sîn, her beloved.

May the god Shamash and the goddess Ishtar, his bright offspring, say good things about me to the god Sîn, the father who created them. May the god Nusku, the exalted vizier, hear my prayers and intercede on my behalf.

I found an inscribed object bearing the name of Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria, and I did not change its position. I anointed it with oil, made an offering, placed it with my own inscribed object, and returned it to its place.

For the god Shamash, judge of heaven and earth: With regard to Ebabbar, his temple that is inside Sippar, which Nebuchadnezzar II, a king of the past had built and whose original foundations he had sought out but did not find — he Nebuchadnezzar built it anyway and, in only forty-five years, the walls of that temple buckled.

I became worried, afraid, and anxious, and my face was haggard. While I had the god Shamash brought out of it Ebabbar and had him reside in another temple, I removed that temple and sought out its original foundations. Then, I dug down eighteen cubits into the earth and the foundations of Naram-Sîn, grandson of Sargon, which for 3,200 years none of the kings who came before me had found — the god Shamash, the great lord, revealed to me the original Ebabbar, the temple that is the residence of his happiness.

In the month Tashritu VII, in a favorable month, on an auspicious day that the gods Shamash and Adad had revealed to me through divination, during joyous celebrations, I secured its brickwork in silver, gold, a selection of precious stones, and crushed pieces of wood and cedar aromatics, precisely on the foundations of Naram-Sîn, grandson of Sargon, not even a fingerbreadth outside or inside of them.

I had 5,000 strong cedars stretched out for its roof. I installed immense doors of cedar, threshold slabs, and nukushû-fittings in its gates.

I built anew Ebabbar, together with E­kun­an­kuga, its ziggurat, and completed its construction. I took the god Shamash, my lord, by the hand and had him reside inside it, the residence of his happiness, during joyous celebrations.

I found an inscription of Naram-Sîn, grand­son of Sargon, and I did not change its position. I anointed it with oil, made an offering, placed it with my own inscribed object, and returned it to its place.

O Shamash, great lord of heaven and earth, light of the gods, his fathers, offspring of the god Sîn and the goddess Ningal, when you enter Ebabbar, your beloved temple, and when you occupy your eternal dais — as for me, Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the prince who provides for you, the one who pleases your heart, the one who built your exalted cella — look with pleasure upon my good deeds and daily, at sunrise and sunset, make my signs auspicious in heaven and on earth. Receive my prayers and accept my petitions so that I may rule forever with the scepter and legitimate rod that you had let my hands grasp.

For the goddess Anunitu, the lady of battle who carries bow and quiver, the one who fully carries out the commands of the god Enlil, her father, the one who overwhelms enemies and destroys the wicked, the one who marches at front of the gods, and who make my signs auspicious at sunrise and sunset —

With regard to Eulmash, her temple that is in Sippar-Anunitu, which no king had built in 800 years, from the time of Shagarakti-Shuriash, king of Babylon, son of Kudur-Enlil, I dug out its original foundations, examined and checked them, and then I laid its foundations precisely on the foundations of Shagarakti-Shuriash, son of Kudur-Enlil, and thereby I secured its brickwork. I built that temple anew and completed its construction.

I had the goddess Anunitu, the lady of battle who fully carries out the commands of the god Enlil, her father, the one who overwhelms enemies and destroys the wicked, and the one who marches at front of the gods, dwell in her residence. I made sattukku-offerings and nindabû-offerings more plentiful than before and reconfirmed them in her presence.

You, O Anunitu, great lady, when you enter this temple with pleasure, look with pleasure upon my good deeds and, monthly, at sunrise and sunset, petition the god Sîn, the father who engendered you, about good things for me.

Whoever you are, whom the gods Sîn and Shamash name to be king and during whose reign that temple becomes dilapidated and who builds it anew, may he find an inscribed object bearing my name and not change its position. May he anoint it with oil, make an offering, place it with an inscribed object bearing his own name, and return it to its place.

Then, may the god Shamash and the goddess Anunitu hear his prayers, accept his requests, march at his side, cut down his foes, and say good things about him daily to the god Sîn, the father who created them.

has occupied the residence of his happiness: His Sîn's heart became angry with the city and that temple and he raised up a barbarian horde the Medes, and it destroyed that temple and turned it into ruins.

During my legitimate reign, the god Sîn, the great lord, out of love for my royal majesty, became reconciled towards the city and that temple and had mercy. At the beginning of my eternal kingship, he showed me a dream.

… … a barbarian horde the Medes is all around it and its forces are powerful." The god Marduk spoke with me, saying: "As for the barbarian horde the Medes that you spoke of, it, its land, and the kings who march at its side will not exist."

When my third year arrived, they had Cyrus II, king of the land Anshan, a young servant of his Astyages', rise up against him Astyages, and he Cyrus scattered the extensive barbarian horde the Medes with his small body of troops. He seized Astyages Ishtumegu, king of the barbarian horde the Medes, and took him to his land as a captive.

The word of the great divine lord, the god Marduk, and the god Sîn, the light of heaven and earth, whose commands cannot be changed — by their exalted command, I became frightened, worried, and anxious, and my face was haggard.

I was not lazy, negligent, or careless. I raised up my extensive troops from the land of the city Gaza on the border of Egypt and the Upper Sea on the other bank of the Euphrates River to the Lower Sea — kings, nobles, governors, and my extensive troops, whom the deities Sîn, Shamash, and Ishtar, my lords, had entrusted to me — to rebuild Ehulhul, the temple of the god Sîn, my lord, the one who marches at my side, which is inside the city Harran, which Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria, son of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, a ruler who came before me, had built.

In a favorable month, on an auspicious day that the gods Shamash and Adad had revealed to me through divination, using the wisdom of the gods Ea and Asalluhi, through the craft of the incantation priest, and with the craft of the god Kulla, the lord of foundations and brickwork, during joyous celebrations, I laid its foundations in silver, gold, a selection of precious stones, and crushed pieces of wood and cedar aromatics, precisely on the foundations of Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria, who had seen the foundations of Shalmaneser III, son of Ashurnasirpal II, and thereby I secured its brickwork.

I blended its shallaru-plaster with beer, wine, oil, and honey, and mixed it into its revetment. I made its structure stronger than that of the kings, my ancestors, and had its construction more expertly executed. I built that temple anew from its foundations to its crenellations and completed its construction.

I had immense beams of cedar, which were grown on Mount Amanus, stretched out over it for its roof. I had doors of cedar, whose scent is sweet, installed in its gates. I had its walls clad with silver and gold and made them radiate like the sun.

I stationed a wild bull of shiny zahalû-metal, which aggressively gores my foes to death, in his Sîn's inner sanctum. I firmly planted two long-haired heroes of eshmarû-metal, who overwhelm my enemies, in the Gate of the Rising Sun, on the right and left.

I took the deities Sîn, Ningal, Nusku, and Sadarnunna, my lords, by the hand, leading them out of Shuanna Babylon, the city of my royal majesty, and I had them reside inside the residence of their happines during joyous celebrations.

I offered pure, sumptuous offerings before them and presented them with my gifts. I filled Ehulhul with joy and then made the radiance of the city Harran, to its full extent, shine like the appearance of the moon.

O Sîn, king of the gods of heaven and earth, without whom no city or land can be founded or restored lit. "returned to its place", when you enter Ehulhul, the temple that is the residence you desired, may good things about the city and that temple be placed on your lips.

May the gods who reside in heaven and on earth constantly bless the temple of the god Sîn, the father who created them.

As for me, Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the one who completed this temple, may the god Sîn, king of the gods of heaven and earth, look with pleasure upon me with his favorable glance and monthly, at sunrise and sunset, make my signs auspicious. May he lengthen my days, increase my years, and make my reign endure. May he conquer my enemies, cut down those hostile to me, and flatten my foes.

May the goddess Ningal, mother of the great gods, speak laudatory words about me in the presence of the god Sîn, her beloved.

May the god Shamash and the goddess Ishtar, his bright offspring, say good things about me to the god Sîn, the father who created them. May the god Nusku, the exalted vizier, hear my prayers and intercede on my behalf.

I found an inscribed object bearing the name of Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria, and I did not change its position. I anointed it with oil, made an offering, placed it with my own inscribed object, and returned it to its place.

For the god Shamash, judge of heaven and earth: With regard to Ebabbar, his temple that is inside Sippar, which Nebuchadnezzar II, a king of the past had built and whose original foundations he had sought out but did not find — he Nebuchadnezzar built it anyway and, in only forty-five years, the walls of that temple buckled.

I became worried, afraid, and anxious, and my face was haggard. While I had the god Shamash brought out of it Ebabbar and had him reside in another temple, I removed that temple and sought out its original foundations. Then, I dug down eighteen cubits into the earth and the foundations of Naram-Sîn, grandson of Sargon, which for 3,200 years none of the kings who came before me had found — the god Shamash, the great lord, revealed to me the original Ebabbar, the temple that is the residence of his happiness.

In the month Tashritu VII, in a favorable month, on an auspicious day that the gods Shamash and Adad had revealed to me through divination, during joyous celebrations, I secured its brickwork in silver, gold, a selection of precious stones, and crushed pieces of wood and cedar aromatics, precisely on the foundations of Naram-Sîn, grandson of Sargon, not even a fingerbreadth outside or inside of them.

I had 5,000 strong cedars stretched out for its roof. I installed immense doors of cedar, threshold slabs, and nukushû-fittings in its gates.

I built anew Ebabbar, together with E­kun­an­kuga, its ziggurat, and completed its construction. I took the god Shamash, my lord, by the hand and had him reside inside it, the residence of his happiness, during joyous celebrations.

I found an inscription of Naram-Sîn, grand­son of Sargon, and I did not change its position. I anointed it with oil, made an offering, placed it with my own inscribed object, and returned it to its place.

O Shamash, great lord of heaven and earth, light of the gods, his fathers, offspring of the god Sîn and the goddess Ningal, when you enter Ebabbar, your beloved temple, and when you occupy your eternal dais — as for me, Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the prince who provides for you, the one who pleases your heart, the one who built your exalted cella — look with pleasure upon my good deeds and daily, at sunrise and sunset, make my signs auspicious in heaven and on earth. Receive my prayers and accept my petitions so that I may rule forever with the scepter and legitimate rod that you had let my hands grasp.

For the goddess Ishtar of Agade, lady of the gods, ... the lady of battle who fully carries out the commands of the god Enlil, her father, the one who overwhelms enemies and destroys the wicked, the one who marches at front of the gods, the one during/in ... ...

No translation possible

its original foundations ... ... ... I saw the foundations of Naram-Sîn, ..., its original, eternal foundation, and ... precisely on those foundations, not even a fingerbreadth outside or inside of them. I rebuilt that temple anew and ...

I had the goddess Ishtar of Agade, great lady, the lady of battle who fully carries out the commands of the god Enlil, her father, the one who overwhelms enemies and destroys the wicked, the one who marches at front of the gods, dwell in her residence. I made sattukku-offerings and nindabû-offerings more plentiful than before and reconfirmed them in her presence.

You, O Ishtar of Agade, great lady, when you enter this temple with pleasure, look with pleasure upon my good deeds and, monthly, at sunrise and sunset, petition the god Sîn, the father who engendered you, about good things for me.

O Anunitu, exalted lady, speak good things about me in the presence of the god Enlil daily.

Whoever you are, whom the gods Sîn and Shamash name to be king and during whose reign that temple becomes dilapidated and who builds it anew, may he find an inscribed object bearing my name and not change its position. May he anoint it with oil, make an offering, place it with an inscribed object bearing his own name, and return it to its place.

Then, may the goddesses Ishtar of Agade and Anunitu hear his prayers, accept his requests, march at his side, and say good things about him daily to the god Sîn, the father who created them.

... ... ...

I was attentive to the god Shamash, the great lord, my lord, and I built anew Ebabbar, his temple that is inside Sippar, on the original foundations of Naram-Sîn, a king of the past. I had strong cedars stretched out for its roof. At each of its rooms and its gates, I securely fastened ..., architraves, gishkanakkus, and doors of immense cedars.

O Shamash, exalted lord, when you enter this temple with pleasure, look with pleasure upon my good deeds and ... ... ...

Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida.

Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, the one who reveres the great gods, am I.

With regard to Elugalgalgasisa, the ziggurat of Ekishnugal, which is inside Ur, which Ur-Namma, a king of former times, had built, but had not completed, Shulgi, his son, completed its construction.

I read in the inscriptions of Ur-Namma and Shulgi, his son, that Ur-Namma had built that ziggurat, but had not completed it, and that Shulgi, his son, completed its Elugalgalgasisa's construction.

Now, that ziggurat had become old so, on top of the original foundations that Ur-Namma and Shulgi, his son, had built, I repaired the damage of that ziggurat with bitumen and baked bricks, as it had been in ancient times.

For the god Sîn, lord of the gods of heaven and earth, king of the gods, god of the gods, the one who resides in the great heavens, lord of Ekishnugal — which is inside Ur — my lord, I renovated and rebuilt it.

O Sîn, lord of the gods, king of the gods of heaven and earth, god of the gods, the one who resides in the great heavens, when you joyfully enter this temple, may good things about Esagil, Ezida, and Ekishnugal, the temples of your great divinity, be set upon your lips. Moreover, have the fear of your great divinity placed in the hearts of his people so that they do not sin against your great divinity.

May their the temples' foundations be as firm as those of the heavens.

As for me, Nabonidus, king of Babylon, save me from sinning against your great divinity and grant me a long life lit. "a life of long days".

Moreover, with regard to Belshazzar, my first-born son, my own offspring, have the fear of your great divinity placed in his heart so that he does not commit any sin. May he be sated with happiness in life.

Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, the one who reveres the great gods, am I.

With regard to Elugalgalgasisa, the ziggurat of Ekishnugal, which is inside Ur, which Ur-Namma, a king of former times, had built, but had not completed, Shulgi, his son, completed its construction.

I read in the inscriptions of Ur-Namma and Shulgi, his son, that Ur-Namma had built that ziggurat, but had not completed it,

... its ... I ... stretched out ... I made that temple shine like daylight.

For the god Sîn, lord of the gods of heaven and earth, king of the gods and goddesses of heaven and earth, the one who resides in the great heavens, lord of Ekishnugal — which is inside Ur — my lord, I renovated and rebuilt it.

O Sîn, lord of the gods, king of the gods of heaven and earth, god of the gods and goddesses, the one who resides in the great heavens, when you joyfully enter this temple, may good things about Esagil,

Moreover, with regard to Belshazzar, my first-born son, my own offspring, have the fear of your great divinity placed in his heart so that he does not commit any sin. May he be sated with happiness in life.

When the god Nannaru desired an entu-priestess, the son of the prince the god Marduk revealed his sign to the world and the god Namra-Shit made his firm decision manifest.

The god Nannaru, the lord of the crown who bears portents for settlements, made his sign regarding his desire for an entu-priestess known to Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, the reverent shepherd who constantly seeks out the shrines of the great gods.

"The Fruit" the god Sîn became eclipsed in the month Ululu VI, on the thirteenth day of the month of "the work of the goddesses" and set while he was eclipsed. "The god Sîn desired an entu-priestess," such was his sign and his decision.

I, Nabonidus, the shepherd who reveres his divinity, was frightened by his firm command. I was attentive, but was worried about his desire for an entu-priestess.

I frequently visited the shrines of the gods Shamash and Adad, the lords of divination, and the gods Shamash and Adad answered me with a firm 'yes.' In my divination, they wrote out an auspicious omen, an omen indicating the desire for naditu-priestesses, the desire of the gods to a man.

I repeated and checked the extispicy and they answered me with an omen more auspicious than the previous one.

I performed an extispicy to ask about the suitability of a daughter from my extended family, but they answered me 'no.'

I performed an extispicy a third time to ask about the suitability of my daughter, my own offspring, and they answered me this time with an auspicious omen.

I was attentive towards the word of the god Sîn, the supreme lord, the god who created me, and the commands of the gods Shamash and Adad, the lords of divination, and elevated my daughter, my own offspring, to the office of entu-priestess and then I named her En-nigaldi-Nanna, as her new, official name.

Because the rites of the entu-priestess had been forgotten since distant days and its the Egipar's structure was no longer known, I deliberated these matters daily.

The appointed time arrived and the gates were opened for me: I discovered an ancient foundation inscription of Nebuchadnezzar I, son of Ninurta-nadin-shumi, a previous, former king, that had an image of an entu-priestess depicted on it, whose appurtenances, attire, and insignia he had also written down, and that he had had brought into Egipar.

I carefully inspected the ancient tablets and writing boards and made it as it had been in ancient times.

I created anew a foundation inscription recording her appurtenances and the utensils of her house, wrote down this information on it, and firmly established it before the god Sîn and the goddess Ningal, my lords.

At that time, with regard to Egipar, the pure cella, the site wherein the rites of the entu-priestess are performed to perfection, its site was in ruins and had turned into rubble. Date palms and fruit orchards were growing inside it.

I cut down the trees and cleared away the rubble from its ruins. I then discovered that temple and clearly identified its foundations.

I discovered inside it inscriptions of ancient kings of the past. I also discovered an ancient inscribed object of Enanedu, entu-priestess of Ur, daughter of Kudur-mabuk, sister of Rim-Sîn, king of Ur, who had renewed Egipar and restored it "lit. "returned it to place", and who surrounded the burial ground of the ancient entu-priestesses near the boundary of Egipar with a wall. Then, I built Egipar anew as it had been in ancient times.

I built its daises and ground plans anew as they had been in ancient times. Near the boundary of Egipar I built anew the house of En-nigaldi-Nanna, my daughter, the entu-priestess of the god Sîn.

I purified my daughter and then dedicated her to the god Sîn and the goddess Ningal. I purified it with an exorcistic ritual and had her enter into Egipar.

I made the sattukku-offerings of Egipar abundant. I copiously supplied it with fields, orchards, domestic staff, cattle, and sheep and goats.

As it had been in the distant past, I surrounded the burial ground of the ancient entu-priestesses anew with a wall. As for that temple, I established it as a strong fortress.

At that time, with regard to the god Sîn and the goddess Ningal, my lords, I made their sattukku-offerings more abundant than they were in the past. I made everything there is copious in Ekishnugal. Per day, I indeed established for the god Sîn and the goddess Ningal, my lords, three sheep above the original ginû-offering of a single sheep. I made possessions and property copious inside Ekishnugal.

In order to keep the bursaggû-offerings pure and to avoid cultic mistakes, I released the ramku-priests of Ekishnugal and the temples of the other gods at Ur, as well as the enu-priest, the purification priest, the zabarbaddu-official, the brewer, the cook, the miller, the rab-banî-official, the builder, the courtyard sweeper, the head doorkeeper, the tiru-official of the house, the lagaru-priest who performs the taqribtu-ritual, the singers who please the hearts of the gods, the lower-ranking priesthood who are named here by their titles, from their corvée labor and established their freedom from service obligations. I cleared them of legal claims and set them free for the god Sîn and the goddess Ningal, my lords.

May the god Sîn, the bright god, the lord of the crown, the light of the people, the supreme god whose command is firm, be happy with my deeds so that he loves my royal majesty. May he grant me a long life and the attainment of very old age.

May he not bring a rival into existence for me so that I do not have opponents.

Each month, may he make signs of my well-being manifest. May he firmly establish on my head the crown of my royal majesty forever. Make the throne of my lordly person secure in the days to come.

Every month, when you renew yourself, may I always behold your auspicious signs.

May the goddess Ningal, the supreme lady, say good things about me in your presence.

May En-nigaldi-Nanna, the beloved daughter of my heart, remain in good health in your presence and may her commands be firm. May her deeds be pleasing to you and may she avoid cultic mistakes.

When ... gladly called me by name for ruling over the land and people, the god Sîn, the light of heaven and earth, through his auspicious omens, placed in my hands the four quarters of the world and thereby I returned the gods to their shrines and had them reside ....

... ... granted me a long life lit. "a life of distant days", a firmly secured throne, a long-lasting reign, and a kingship without rival.

Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the one who reveres the god Sîn and the goddess Ningal, am I.

For the god Sîn, my lord, I built Egipar, the house of the entu-priestess, which is inside Ur.

For the the ramku-priests of Ekishnugal, I secured their privileged status and established their freedom from service obligations.

Nabonidus, king of the world, king of Babylon, the one who built Enunmah, the hilshu-building that is inside Ekishnugal, for the goddess Ningal, his lady.

Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the one who provides for Ur, renovated and restored Elugalgalgasisa, the ziggurat of Ekishnugal.

Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida.

For the god Sîn, my lord, I built Egipar, the house of the entu-priestess that is inside Ur.

Nabonidus, king of Babylon, attentive ruler, most befitting warrior who is the creation of the god Nabû, my lord, whose fame the wisest of the gods, the god Marduk, made great, whose lot he made surpassing, to whom he entrusted the rule over his land and ... ...

... everything there is ... ... ... ... ... the god Erra, to kill my enemy ... his weapons ... the goddess Ishtar, the lady of battle who subdues ... ... ..., the true shepherd, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, the ruler who provides and provides abundantly for all temples, the ... who brings gifts to the great gods, the humble and submissive one who reveres the gods and goddesses, who ... daily the provisioning of ...

the favorite of the god Marduk, the governor who provides, the one who renovates Esagil and Ezida, the humble and reverent one who is constantly attentive to the will of the gods, the one who has generously providing hands, the one who renovates cult centers, the exalted ruler who provides abundantly for all temples, the indefatigable envoy who succeeds in reaching high mountains, the shepherd who deliberates and sets the people of his land on the right path,

He the god Sîn looked with pleasure upon my good deeds and he granted me the lengthening of my days. By the word of the god Sîn, king of the gods, the god Adad released his rains and the god Ea opened up his springs. He established wealth, abundance, and prosperity in my land.

One gur, one bushel, and eighteen sila of barley could be purchased for one shekel of silver; one gur, two bushels, and eighteen sila of dates could be purchased for one shekel of silver; one bushel and thirty sila of sesame oil could be purchased for one shekel of silver; ... bushels and eighteen sila of the finest oil could be purchased for one shekel of silver; five mina of wool could be purchased for one shekel of silver; one mina of tin could be purchased for one shekel of silver; wine, mountain beer, which does not exist in my land, eighteen sila could be purchased for one shekel of silver.

These are the market prices in my land. He the god Sîn established plenty and riches in my land.

The people of the land Akkad looked upon the deeds of the god Sîn and became afraid of his great divinity.

Moreover, the god Sîn, king of the gods, ... ... ... came to be and ... ...

Nabonidus, ..., protégé of the goddess Nisaba, ..., chosen by the god Nabû, ... of the gods and goddesses, ..., who fears his great divinity, ..., who humbly ... the goddess Ishtar, ... their utterances

... the god Nannaru ... this ..., ... he created my figure, ... he did not take away, ... placed his hand across my face, ... that nobody understands, with a staff ... make enter ... nobody, ... magnificently filled ... ... of the gods Shamash and Marduk, among all of humankind, as many as his hands had created, he raised me up to rule over the land, gave the ... of my royal majesty, let my hands grasp a just scepter that widens the ... land and a staff that subdues enemies, and gave me the shepherdship of their land as a gift,

son of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, the prince who reveres the great gods, am I.

When the god Marduk gave me the gift of exercising kingship over his subjects for eternity, my heart wanted me to renovate the processional way of Ezida and my mind was focused on constantly seeking out the sanctuaries of the gods, but my heart was afraid at the thought of undertaking work on them and I constantly prayed so that no cultic mistakes would occur.

I built Esagil anew to ensure the well-being of the great gods who reside in the perimeter of Etemenanki. ... to ... ginû-offerings ... ... ... ... ...

... as utensils.

... the gods Ea, Shamash, and ... prolong my days and ... my years ... so that I may grow old ....

Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the wise and pious one, ... ... ... the deity ...

As for the statues of the deities Sîn, Ningal Nikkal, Nusku, and Sadarnunna, who had come out of it Ehulhul/Harran with the other gods of the city Harran, I will renovate them as you Marduk have commanded and ....

... I will not be lazy, negligent, or careless with regard to your exalted command. According to your decree, I will renovate the statues of the deities Sîn, Ningal Nikkal, Nusku, Sadarnunna, and the other gods of the city Harran, ..., and complete their work.

The god Marduk said to me: "Quickly rebuild Ehulhul and have them take up residence in their dwelling places inside it."

I spoke reverently to the Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk, saying: "O Lord of lords, merciful Marduk, now, as for the city and that temple whose rebuilding you have commanded, whose renovation has issued from lit. "be placed in" your mouth — a barbarian horde the Medes is all around it and its forces are powerful. ... and it has no rivals."

"How then ...? Will Astyages Ishtumegu, king of a barbarian horde the Medes, rebuild that temple and allow the gods of the city Harran to dwell inside it? ... with me, forces of ...."

... as an appropriate symbol of his divinity ... like the god Shamash, whose work ... I joyously renovated ... and ....

By the command of the god Marduk ... the best of everything good ... ... ... ... ...

The great deed of the god Sîn, which none of the gods and goddesses knew, which since distant days had not descended from heaven into the land, and which the people of the land had not seen, written down on a clay tablet, nor deposited for eternity, that you, the god Sîn, lord of the gods and goddesses who reside in heaven, have come down from heaven in the time of Nabonidus, king of Babylon.

I am Nabonidus, an only son who has no one, in whose heart lit. "my heart" the thought of being king did not exist — the gods and goddesses however prayed for me and therefore the god Sîn called me to be king.

During the night, he showed me a dream, saying: "Quickly, build Ehulhul, the temple of the god Sîn of the city Harran. I will place all of the lands into your hands."

The people, the citizens of Babylon, Borsippa, Nippur, Ur, Uruk, and Larsa, the priests, and the people of the cult centers of the land of Akkad neglected his great divinity, disregarded it, and sinned against it. They did not know about the great anger of the king of the gods, the god Nannaru.

They forgot their cultic rites and were speaking lies and untruths. They were eating one another like dogs, and created di'u-disease and famine among them. He Sîn reduced the people of the land.

Moreover, I — he Sîn took me far away from my city Babylon and, for ten years, I walked the road between the cities Tema, Dadanu, Padakku, Hibra, Yadihu, and then as far Yatribu. I did not enter my city, Babylon.

By the word of the god Sîn, king of the gods, lord of lords, whose — the god Sin's, the god Nannaru's — command the gods and goddesses residing in heaven carry out in full, the deities Shamash, Ishtar, Adad, and Nergal appointed me a guard for my well-being and my life.

In that year, in the months Nisannu I and Tashritu VII, the people of the lands of Akkad and Hatti took away for me the yields of the mountains and seas, and, by the command of the god Sîn, the god Adad, the canal inspector of heaven and earth, gave them rainwater to drink during the scorching summer heat of the months Simanu III, Du'uzu IV, Abu V, Ululu VI, and Tashritu VII, during these months, during all of those years, without ceasing. Their property and goods entered my presence intact.

By the command of the god Sîn and the goddess Ishtar, the lady of battle without whom hostility and peace do not exist in the land and no war is fought, she Ishtar laid her hand over them, and then the kings of the lands Egypt, Media, and Arabia, and all of the hostile kings sent their envoys into my presence for establishing goodwill and peace.

The people of Arabia, who ... ... weapons ... of the land of Akkad ... ... for robbing and taking away the possessions that they had available, but, by the word of the god Sîn, the god Nergal broke their weapons and they bowed down at my feet.

The god Shamash, the lord of commands without whom no mouth is opened and no mouth is closed, the one who fully carries out the commands of the god Nannaru, the father who created him, made the people of the lands of Akkad and Hatti, whom he had placed in my hands, have common cause with and a loyal heart towards me so that they can fulfill their duties to me and fully carry out all of my commands in the remote mountains regions and on the obstructed roads that I marched on for ten years.

The appointed time arrived and the days that the king of the gods, the god Nannaru, had commanded had elapsed. In the month Tashritu VII, on the seventeenth day, whose interpretation is "the day the god Sîn is favorable," the god Sîn, the lord of the gods, whose name on the first day is "the weapon of the god Anu," you who touch the sky and break the earth, the one who has gathered to himself all of the divine offices of highest rank, the one who has collected all of the divine offices of supreme power, the one who has taken for himself all of the divine offices of the role of the god Ea, who grasps in his hands the totality of all of the divine offices of heaven, the Enlil of the gods, the king of kings, the lord of lords, who does not retract his commands and does not say his words twice, the reverence of whose great divinity fills heaven and earth and covers heaven and earth like his appearance — what can be done without you?

As for the land where your heart desired to reside, you placed reverence for your great divinity inside it so that its foundations are firmly established until distant days. As for the land that your heart desired to destroy, you withdrew your reverence from inside it and abandoned it until distant days.

You, whose pronouncements all of the gods and goddesses who reside in heaven honor and who fully carry out the commands of the god Nannaru, the father who created them, the one who has collected all of the divine offices of heaven and earth, without whose exalted command, which he speaks in heaven daily, no land is founded and no light in the land comes comes into existence —

The gods were quivering like reeds, the Anunnaku gods, who ... in front of the commands of his great divinity, which cannot be changed, were trembling, ... mountains

my path did not stop with the diviner or the dream-interpreter. I laid down and, during the night, my dream was frightening, until the word of the god ... The year elapsed. When the appointed time that the god Nannaru had commanded arrived, ... from the city Tema.

As for the citizens of Babylon, the city of my lordly majesty, they saw my ... and ... ... as a greeting-gift and a gift, they came up into my presence. The kings living nearby came up to me and kissed my feet. Moreover, the kings living far away heard about it and became frightened of his great divinity.

The gods and goddesses who had cut themselves off and gone far away, turned favorably to me and said laudatory words about me. My favorable omens were placed in the mouth of the diviner.

In the distant mountains, I constantly led my people in wealth, abundance, and prosperity, and I took the road back to my land in safety. I constantly observed the words of his great divinity and I was not lazy, negligent, or careless.

I mustered the people of the land of Akkad and Hatti, from the border of Egypt and the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea, which the god Sîn, king of the gods, had placed into my hands.

I built Ehulhul, the temple of the god Sîn, anew and completed its construction. I took the deities Sîn, Ningal, Nusku, and Sadarnunna by the hand, leading them out of Shuanna Babylon, the city of my royal majesty, and I had them enter and reside on their eternal daises during joyous celebrations.

I offered sumptuous offerings before them and presented them with my gifts. I filled Ehulhul with joy and made the hearts of his people rejoice.

I fully carried out the commands of the god Sîn, king of the gods, lord of lords, the one who resides in heaven, whose name in heaven is "the god of gods," who surpasses the deities Shamash — whose name is also Nusku — Ishtar, Adad, and Nergal, who fully carry out the commands of the god Nannaru, who surpasses them.

Whenever I put on my weapons and set my eyes on doing battle, it was to fully carry out the commands of the god Nannaru.

Whoever you are, whom the god Sîn names to be king and then calls you "my son," ... the sanctuary of the god Sîn, the one who resides in heaven, whose commands cannot be changed and whose words are not said twice,

son of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, ...

... ... ..., am I.

For the god Sîn, lord of the gods of heaven and earth, my lord, I indeed rebuilt Ehulhul, the temple of the god Sîn that is inside the city Harran.

... ... ... speak! ...

Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, son of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, perfect prince.

For the deities Sîn, Ningal, Nusku and Sadarnunna, my lords, I built Ehulhul, the temple of the god Sîn that is inside the city Harran.

For the god Sîn, king of the gods, the one who resides in the great heavens, lord of Ehulhul, which is inside the city Harran, my lord: Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, am I.

I made a kallu-bowl and a shulpu-vessel of alallu-stone for carrying water for the washing of hands in ..., the ziggurat of Ehulhul, which is inside the city Harran and, as an emblem of his Sîn's great divinity, who daily and constantly speaks his words in the heavens and who does not go back on his promise, I ....

This is the dagger, a request of the god Sîn, lord of the gods, that he requested from Nabonidus, king of Babylon, in a dream.

... gods ... ... ... inside the city Padakku, the city ..., in the city of my lordly majesty, to build ....

Nabonidus, king of Babylon, ..., great king, king of the land of Sumer and Akkad, ... ... ... ... ... ...

The god Sîn, king of the gods, lord of the gods, ... ... ... ... ... the deities Sîn, Nusku, ... ..., Ishtar, and ...

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During my fifth year ... with each other .... ... ... the kings of ... ... ... ...

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I am Nabonidus, king of Babylon, ... the god Shamash, the ... lord, ..., the god Sîn, ...

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I am Nabonidus, king of Babylon, ...

... eternal ...

... the deity ... ... I magnificently com­ple­ted. .... for the god Nabû ... ... ... ...... ...

... of ... precious stones, valuable stones, ... ... ... ... ... talents and 6 minas of ... ... ... ... 6 gur of alabaster-stones, ... 6,600 precious stones, ... ..., pappardilû-stones, ..., carnelian, lapis lazuli, ... ... ... ... revealed his ... to me.

... ... I magnificently returned it to its ... and I ... made it befitting. I had a censor of shiny gold completed. ... the residence of the god Marduk and the goddess Zarpanitu ... ... the goddesses Tashmetu, Nanaya, and ... of Beltiya Zarpanitu, which is inside Ebaradurgara, ... ... ...

... Statue of Nabonidus, king of Babylon, mighty king, son of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, ....

... and the goddess Ishtar, the lady of battle, waited for me ... the gods who reside in Esagil and Ezida ... my heart was pounding, ... ... ...

... ... inside ..., by the command of ... among all of ... may I rule over ... ... ...

..., the one who completes sanctuaries, ..., the one who ... the city Harran, the one who renovates Ehulhul, ..., the one who succeeds in reaching high mountains, the one who pleases the hearts of ..., ..., the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, the son of Nabû-balassu-iqbi, ..., am I.

The goddess ... ... ...

the one who ... the city ... the king of ... for/into battle ... during the month ...

..., king of Babylon, attentive prince, ..., unrivalled warrior, ..., valiant lord, ..., the majestic one, ... ..., ..., the most exalted of the god Marduk, ..., beloved of the great gods, ... of the gods, the god Nabû,

from the square of the Gate of the god Shamash to the bank of the Gattu River Euphrates, wherein the kings, my ancestors, had built private rooms — its processional way was not wide enough, its construction not well done, and its roof was built with beams of cedar. My heart joyfully prompted me to renovate that palace, that seat of happiness, bedroom of pleasure, and chamber of joy, and ... ... ...

... I gave ... like ...

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... its superstructure ... I built and ... ... its structure. I installed in its gates doors made of cedar with a facing of bronze ....

... I filled it in with an infill and I constructed ... … ... … As for me, I had a high ... filled up inside it.

I copiously supplied ... ... fish and birds, ..., and the ... of my land.

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... ... and thereby strengthened its entryways. ... ... gods and goddesses.

O ... may my deeds be pleasing to you ... exercise their shepherdship, ... my heart .... May the days of my life be long so that ... I may be sated with old age. ... kill my enemies ... ...

..., the one who constantly seeks out their shrines, am I.

I was listening to their words, but I did not believe them and became distressed.

In order to receive great advice from the gods Shamash and Adad, I started praying.

... ... ... 5,000 gur of barley ..., a former king who was the king of Babylon, ... Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon ... ... and the one who reveres ..., ... I lavishly provide ... ... ...

who ... house/temple of ... the goddess ...

When the god Marduk, my lord, ..., the Enlil of the gods, ... ... ... ... cult centers ... E...

... ... ... to ... my enemies ... tribute of the mountains ...

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to/for ... the god Shamash, my lord, ... to ... ... and ... a long life lit. "a life of long days" as a gift.

With your bright light, ... for the attain­ment of very old age, ... I raise up my hands to you ... ... ... ... ....

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... ... ... ... I built ... to the bottom of the foundation pit and thereby reinforced its foundations in the ground.

O Shamash, great lord and exalted judge, may the goddess Aya, your beloved wife, intercede for Sippar and Ebabbar so that you have mercy on me. With regard to your pure shrine, she may say "Ahulap!" to you so that its wood stays in good condition lit. "straight" ... ...

... May I experience your grace and see your reconciliation.

At that time, in that repaired part, I found an inscribed object of Samsu-iluna, a king of the past, an ancient ancestor of mine, and I did not change the inscription bearing his name, but firmly placed it in its original position.

Moreover, I inscribed an object bearing my name and indeed firmly placed it in the repaired part, together with the inscribed object of Samsu-iluna, a king of the past, forever.

Any later ruler whom the god Shamash names and who renovates the dilapidated sections of Ebabbar and ...

I am Hadad-happi Adad-guppi, mother of Nabonidus — king of Babylon — the one who reveres the deities Sîn, Ningal, Nusku, and Sadarnunna, my gods, whose divinity I have constantly sought out since my childhood. Because in the sixteenth year of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, the god Sîn, king of the gods, became angry with his city and his temple and went up to heaven, the city and the people living inside it fell into ruins.

On account of the fact that I have constantly sought out the sanctuaries of the deities Sîn, Ningal, Nusku, and Sadarnunna, worshipping their great divinity, I grasped the hem of the god Sîn, king of the gods, and constantly sought out his great divinity, night and day. Daily, without ceasing, I was the one who reveres the deities Sîn, Shamash, Ishtar, and Adad, as long as I was alive, in heaven and on earth.

All of my good things that they the gods of Harran had given me, I gave them back day and night, month and year. I grasped the hem of the god Sîn, king of the gods, and my eyes were on him night and day. In prayer and with expressions of humility lit. "stroking the nose", I knelt down before them, saying: "May your return to your city happen so that the people, the black-headed, revere your great divinity."

To appease the hearts of my god Sîn and my goddess Ningal, I did not allow a garment of fine wool, jewelry of silver or gold, new clothing, aromatics perfume, and aromatic oil to touch lit. "come near" my body, but dressed myself in a torn garment; my mushû-garment was made of sackcloth.

I sung their praises. Praise for my city-god and my goddess was placed in my heart and therefore I continued to serve them. I did not leave behind any of my good things and I brought all of it into their presence.

From the twentieth year of Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria, during which I was born, until the forty-second year of Ashurbanipal, the third year of Ashur-etel-ilani, his son, the twenty-first year of Nabopolassar, the forty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar II, the second year of Amel-Marduk, and the fourth year of Neriglissar, after these ninety-five years, when the god Sîn, king of the gods of heaven and earth, the sanctuaries of whose great divinity I constantly sought out, looked with pleasure upon my good deeds and then heeded my prayers and accepted my requests, when the wrath of his heart was appeased, and when he became reconciled towards Ehulhul, the temple of the god Sîn which is inside the city Harran, the residence of his happiness —

at that time, the god Sîn, king of the gods, looked upon me and called Nabonidus, my only son, my own offspring, to be king and placed the kingship of the lands of Sumer and Akkad and of all of the lands from the borders of Egypt and the Upper to the Lower Sea in his hands.

I raised up my hands to the god Sîn, king of the gods, and, reverently, ... through prayers ..., my own offspring, ..., saying: "You called him Nabonidus to be king and mentioned him by his name. By the command of your great divinity, may the great gods march at his side and cut down his enemies. Do not forget Ehulhul. Carry out its perfect cultic rites fully."

When his hands were placed in my dream, the god Sîn, king of the gods, said to me, saying: "The return of the gods is your responsibility. I will place responsibility for my residence in Harran into the hands of Nabonidus, your son. He will rebuild Ehulhul and complete its construction. He will make the city Harran more perfect than before and he will return it to its place. He will take the deities Sîn, Ningal, Nusku, and Sadarnunna by the hand and will have them enter Ehulhul."

I was attentive to the words that the god Sîn, king of the gods, had spoken to me and I personally saw these things happen.

Nabonidus, my only son, my own offspring, carried out the forgotten cultic rites of the deities Sîn, Ningal, Nusku, and Sadarnunna to perfection. He built Ehulhul anew and completed its construction. He made the city Harran more perfect than before and returned it to its place. He took the deities Sîn, Ningal, Nusku, and Sadarnunna by the hand, leading them out of Shuanna Babylon, the city of his royal majesty, and had them reside inside in the city Harran, in Ehulhul, the residence of their happiness, during joyous celebrations.

That which from the distant past the god Sîn, king of the gods, had not done nor given to anyone: out of his love for me, I who revered his divinity and grasped his hem, the god Sîn, king of the gods, elevated me lit. "raised up my head" and then he established a good reputation for me in the land and added long days and years of happiness to my life. From the time of Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria, until the ninth year of Nabonidus, king of Babylon, my son, my own offspring, he Sîn kept me alive for 104 good years on account of the reverence that the god Sîn, king of the gods, had placed in my heart.

As for me, my eyesight was still sharp lit. "bright", my hearing/mental faculties was/were still surpassing, my hands and feet were still intact, my words were still well-chosen, food and drink were still agreeable to me, my body was still healthy, and my spirit was still joyful. I saw my children's children's children's children alive up to the fourth generation and therefore I attained a very old age. You, Sîn, king of the gods, looked at me with favor and made my days long.

I entrusted Nabonidus, king of Babylon, my son, to the god Sîn, my lord. For his entire life, he will not sin against you. Entrust to him the good shedu and the good lamassu that you had entrusted to me and who had helped me reach a very old age and save him from sinning lit. "the hand of sin" against your great divinity so that he reveres your great divinity.

During the twenty-one years of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, the forty-three years of Nebuchadnezzar II, son of Nabopolassar, and the four years of Neriglissar, king of Babylon, when those three kings exercised kingship, I whole heartedly revered them the gods of Harran for sixty-eight years, continued to serve them, and pressed Nabonidus, my son, my own offspring, into the service of Nebuchadnezzar II, son of Nabopolassar, and Neriglissar, king of Babylon. He served them day and night and constantly did what was pleasing to them.

He Sîn established my excellent name before them. Like a daughter, their own offspring, they elevated me lit. "raised up my head". Afterwards, fate carried them off. Not one of their descendants and not one of their people or their eunuchs, whom they had made richer in possessions and property when they elevated them lit. "raised up their heads", set out incense-offerings for them.

But as for me, monthly, without ceasing, and dressed in my most beautiful garments, I presented them with oxen, fattened sheep, bread, beer, wine, oil, honey, and fruits of the orchard, all of this, as a funerary offering and I made an abundance of strewn offerings with a sweet scent permanent for them and placed them before them forever after.

During the ninth year of Nabonidus, king of Babylon, fate carried her off, and Nabonidus, king of Babylon, her son, her own offspring, the beloved of his mother, prepared her corpse for burial, ... her with a beautiful garment, bright linen, an alu-ornament of gold, bright ..., good quality stones, a choice stone, precious stones, ..., anointed her corpse with aromatic oil, and placed it in a secluded place.

He Nabonidus slaughtered oxen and fattened sheep. In her presence, he gathered the people of Babylon and Borsippa, rulers who reside in remote mountains, nobles and governors from the borders of Egypt and the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea, and then he made them rise up, and ... lamentations and .... They wept bitterly and uttered their laments. For seven days and seven nights, they let their loud cries sound forth shrilly. Their garments were covered with dust.

When the seventh day arrived, the people of the land shaved off all of their hair and ... their garments ... They placed their ... and their jewelry and entered into .... With food, ..., filtered oil, he Nabonidus heaped up .... He poured aromatic oil onto their heads, made their hearts rejoice, and made their faces light up. He made them take the road back to their own lands and they returned to their places.

Whoever you are, whether king or ruler ... ..., night and day, revere the great divinity of the god Sîn, king of the gods, lord of the gods of heaven and earth, the deities Shamash, Adad, and Ishtar, lords of heaven and earth, who ... ... and who reside in Esagil and Ehulhul, pray to them in heaven and on earth and ... the pronouncements of the god Sîn ... ... ... ... your seed ... ... ...

Etemenanki, the ziggurrat of Babylon

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, ... ... ... ... the one whose attention is fixed on the god Nabû — his lord — the one who constantly seeks out life, the pious and unceasing one who brings great gifts into Esagil, the wise and pious one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, foremost heir of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I.

When the god Marduk, the great lord, raised up my head

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I mustered ... all lands everywhere, every single ruler whose head had been raised up among the totality of the people of the inhabited world as one loved by the god Marduk, from the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea, the far-off lands, the widespread people of the inhabited world, kings of remote mountains and distant islands that are in the Upper and Lower Seas, whose lead-ropes the god Marduk, my lord, placed in my hand to pull his chariot pole, and I imposed corvée-duty on the workmen of the gods Shamash and Marduk to build Etemenanki and Eurmeiminanki.

I filled in the base of Etemenanki and the base of Eurmeiminanki to make a high terrace. As for Etemenanki and Eurmeiminanki, I built their entire structures with bitumen and baked brick. I completed them, making them shine like the sun

Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, pious prince, the favorite of the god Marduk, exalted ruler who is the beloved of the god Nabû, the one who deliberates and acquires wisdom, the one who constantly seeks out the ways of their divinity and reveres their dominion, the indefatigable governor who is mindful of provisioning Esagil and Ezida daily and who constantly seeks out good things for Babylon and Borsippa, the wise and pious one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, foremost heir of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I.

As soon as he had created me, the lord, the god who created me, the god Marduk, fashioned my form inside my mother so that when I was born I myself was fully formed. I constantly seek out the sanctuaries of the gods and constantly follow the ways of the gods.

I repeatedly praised aloud the ingenious accomplishments of the god Marduk, the great lord, the god who created me. I truly proclaim again and again the exalted divine ways of the god Nabû, his true heir, the one who loves my royal majesty. With all of my faithful heart, I love worshiping their divinity and revering their dominion.

When the god Marduk, the great lord, elevated me to be king and entrusted me with the lordship of all the people, the god Nabû, overseer of the totality of heaven and earth, allowed my hands to grasp a just scepter for leading people the right way. As for me, I prayed to them Marduk and Nabû, I constantly sought out their divinity. At the mention of their important names, I revere god and goddess alike.

I prayed to the god Marduk, my lord. I besought him with supplications and told him whatever my heart desired, saying: "Without you, O lord, what would be created? As for the king you love, whose name you call, and the one who is pleasing to you, it is you who makes his name prosper and sends him on the right path. I am the prince who is obedient to you, the creation of your own hand! You are the one who created me and entrusted me with kingship of all of the people. According to your good will, O lord, which you allow all of them the people to be fed regularly, make your exalted dominion be merciful towards me and make reverence for your divinity exist in my heart. Grant me what is pleasing to you and make me have good physical heath."

As for him, the foremost one, the honored one, the wisest of the gods, the prince, the god Marduk, he heeded my supplications and accepted my prayers. He made his exalted dominion pleasing to me and had reverence for his divinity placed in my heart. He prompted me to pull his chariot pole; I revered his dominion.

Through his exalted support, I repeatedly travelled through far-off lands, remote mountains, from the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea, difficult paths, obstructed roads, where access was blocked and approach was not possible, difficult roads, and thirty paths, and killed insubmissive, bound enemies, put the land in order, and made the people prosper. From the people, I drove away the criminals and villains.

I had silver, gold, precious and valuable stones, copper, musukkannu-wood, cedar, anything that is valuable, gleaming produce, the yield of the mountains, the wealth of the seas, substantial tribute, lavish gifts brought into my city, Babylon, into his Marduk's presence, and I provisioned Esagil, the palace of his lordly majesty.

As for Eumusha, the cella of the Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk, I made it radiant like the sun. I clad the foundation of the room with reddish gold for its shallaru-plaster and lapis lazuli and alabaster as if they were gypsum and bitumen.

As for Kahilishir, the gate of sexual charms, and the gate of Ezida, the one inside Esagil, I had it made like awe-inspiring radiance of the sun.

As for Du­ku­ki­nam­tar­ta­re­de of Ub­shuk­kin­na, the Dais of Destinies, in which the god Lugaldimmerankia, the lord, the god, takes up residence during the New Year's festival, at the beginning of the year, on the eighth day and on the eleventh day, where the gods of heaven and earth, pay reverent attention to him, bow down and stand in his presence, in which they the gods determine for me a fate of long days and a fate of the preservation of my life, as for that dais, the dais of kingship, and the dais of supreme power of the wisest of the gods, the prince, the god Marduk, whose structure a king of the past had cast with silver, I had it clad with bright gold and ornaments imbued with brilliance.

I decorated the utensils of the temples of Esagil with reddish gold and Maumusha with shariru-gold and stones to look like the stars of the heavens. I had the sanctuaries of Babylon rebuilt and provided for.

I raised the superstructure of Etemenanki with baked bricks colored with shining blue glaze.

My heart dearly wanted me to rebuild Esagil and I was constantly attentive towards it. I constantly sought out the best of my cedar that I had carried off from Mount Lebanon, the holy forest, to be the roof of Eumusha, the cella of his supreme power, and my mind pondered about it. I clad the beams of hard cedar for the roof of Eumusha with bright gold. I decorated the shipus below the cedar roof with gold and precious stones. I prayed all day to the king of the gods, the lord of lords Marduk to rebuild Esagil.

As for Borsippa, his beloved city, I properly adorned it and had Ezida, the true house, rebuilt inside it. I completed its construction with silver, gold, precious stones, copper, musukkannu-wood, and cedar. I had the cedar roofs of the cellas of the god Nabû, clad with gold and had the cedar roof of Kaumusha clad with bright silver.

I decorated the wild bulls of the doors of the gate of the cella, door-jambs, door bolts, crossbeams, architraves, and gishkanakkus with shariru-gold and the cedar roof of its dalbanus with silver. I made the access way of the cella and the course to the temple shine resplendently with baked bricks of eshmarû-metal, the throne platforms and daises inside it with cast silver, and the wild bulls of the doors of its gates with zahalû-metal.

I suitably beautified the temple Ezida and filled it with splendor to be an object of wonder. I had the sanctuaries of Borsippa rebuilt and provided for.

I raised the superstructure of Eurmeiminanki with baked bricks colored with shining blue glaze.

As for Maidehedu, the vehicle of his rulership, the processional barge of the New Year's festival, the festival of Shuanna Babylon, I had its karûs and the zaratu-features inside it clad with an overlay of gold and stones.

As for Esiskur, the exalted akitu-house of the Enlil of the gods — the god Marduk — which was established for joyful celebrations of the Igigu and Anunnaku gods, in the outskirts of Babylon, I set it firmly in place like a mountain with bitumen and baked brick.

As for Emah, the temple of the goddess Ninhursag that is inside Babylon, I built it in Babylon for the goddess Ninmah, the mother who created me.

For the god Nabû, the exalted vizier who gave me a just scepter to exercise authority over all of the settlements, I built in Babylon the structure Egidrukalamasumu, his temple in Babylon, with bitumen and baked brick.

For the god Sîn, the one who makes my omens auspicious, I built in Babylon Ekishnugal Egishnugal, his temple.

For the god Shamash, the exalted judge who put a propitious omen in my extispicy, I built in Babylon Edikukalama, his temple, to a great height with bitumen and baked brick.

For the god Adad, the one who provides abundance in my land, I built in Babylon Enamhe, his temple.

For the goddess Gula, the one who saves and spares my life, I suitably built in Babylon Esabad and Ehursagsikila, her temples, with bitumen and baked brick.

For the goddess Nineanna, the lady who loves me, I built in the outer corners of the city wall of Babylon Ekitushgarza, her temple, to a great height.

For the god Mar-biti, the one who breaks the weapons of my enemies, I built his temple in Borsippa.

For the goddess Gula, the lady who keeps my body healthy, I built in Borsippa Egula, Etila, and Ezibatila, three sanctuaries of hers.

For the god Adad, the one who pours out abundant rains in my land, I suitably built his temple in Borsippa.

For the god Sîn, the one who bears good signs for me, I radiantly built Edimana, his temple, in the enclosure wall of Ezida.

As for Imgur-Enlil and Nemetti-Enlil, the great walls of Babylon that Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, the father who had engendered me, had built but whose construction he had not completed — He had dug its moat, constructed two strong embankments with bitumen and baked brick as its banks, built the embankment of the Arahtu River, constructed piers of baked brick on the other side of the Euphrates River, but he did not complete the rest.

From Duku Kinamtartarede, the Dais of Destinies, to Ay-ibur-shabû, the street of Babylon opposite Kasikilla, he Nabopolassar beautified the access way of the processional street of the great lord, the god Marduk, with slabs of breccia.

As for me, his first-born son, the beloved of his heart, I Nebuchadnezzar completed Imgur-Enlil and Nemetti-Enlil, the great walls of Babylon. Beside the embankment of its moat, I built two strong embankments with bitumen and baked brick and adjoined it to the embankment that my father had constructed. I then surrounded the city Babylon on the outside. On the other bank, on the western side, I surrounded the wall of Babylon.

As for Ay-ibur-shabû, the street of Babylon, I filled it in with a higher infill for the processional street of the great lord, the god Marduk. I improved Ay-ibur-shabû, from Kasikilla to Ishtar-sakipat-tebîsha, with slabs of breccia and slabs of stone quarried from the mountains to be the processional street of his divinity and then I adjoined it to the part that my father had built and beautified the access way.

As for Ishtar-sakipat-tebîsha, both gates of Imgur-Enlil and Nemetti-Enlil, their entrances became too low as a result of the raising of the level of the streets of Babylon. I removed those gates and then secured their foundations at the level of the water table with bitumen and baked brick. I had them skillfully built with baked bricks colored with shining blue glaze that have representations of wild bulls and mushhushu-dragons fashioned upon them lit. 'it'.

I had beams of hard cedar stretched over them as their roofs. At each of its gates, I hung doors made of cedar with a facing of bronze and thresholds and nukushû-fittings of cast copper. At their its door-jambs, I stationed fierce wild bulls of copper and raging mushhushu-dragons.

To be an object of wonder for all of the people, I filled those gates with splendor.

So that no arrow during battle can come close to Imgur-Enlil, the wall of Babylon, I did something that no king of the past had done: 4,000 cubits distance outside Babylon, far away, too far away to approach lit. "not to approach", I surrounded the eastern bank of Babylon with a fortified wall. I dug out its moat and built its embankments with bitumen and baked brick and then, on its embankment, I built a fortified wall like a mountain. I constructed its broad gates and fitted them with doors made of cedar with a facing of bronze.

So that no merciless enemy can come close to the outskirts of Babylon, I had the land surrounded with a huge expanse of water, like the roiling sea Tiamat, so that crossing them was like crossing the roiling sea, a bitter body of water. In order to prevent dike breaks in them, I heaped them up with earthen dikes and surrounded them on all sides with embankments made of baked brick. I skillfully reinforced Babylon's protection by establishing the city of Babylon as a fortress.

As for Tabi-supurshu, the wall of Borsippa, I built it anew. I dug out its moat and constructed its embankments with bitumen and baked brick.

Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, the one whom the god Marduk, the great lord, named for doing good things for his city, Babylon, am I. I made Esagil and Ezida shine forth like the sheen of the god Shamash. I made the sanctuaries of the great gods shine like daylight.

In the past, from distant days until the reign of Nabopolassar, the king of Babylon, the father who engendered me, the many kings who came before me whose names the gods had called to be king, built palaces in cities of their choice, in places that they loved, and established their residences in them. They accumulated their possessions inside them, as well as heaped up their property. During the festival of the New Year, during the setting out of the Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk, they entered Shuanna Babylon. Since the god Marduk created me for kingship and the god Nabû, his true heir, entrusted his subjects to me, I have loved their beautiful bodies as my own precious life. I have made no city more resplendent than Babylon and Borsippa.

In Babylon, the city of my choice that I love, as for the palace, a building that was an object of wonder for the people, the bond of the land, a holy private room, and the cella of my royal majesty, in the Ka-dingirra district — which is in Babylon, from Imgur-Enlil to Libil-hegalla, the eastern canal, from the bank of the Euphrates River to Ay-ibur-shabû — which Nabopolassar, the king of Babylon, the father who engendered me, had created with sundried bricks and taken up residence inside, its foundations had become weak on account of flood water and the gates of that palace had become too low as a result of the raising of the level of the streets of Babylon.

I removed its wall, merely a molding of sundried bricks, and then open up its foundation and reached the water table. I secured its foundation at the level of the water table and raised it as high as a mountain with bitumen and baked brick. I had beams of hard cedar stretched over it as its roof. At each of its gates, I fixed doors made of cedar with a facing of bronze and thresholds and nukushû-fittings of cast copper.

I heaped up inside it silver, gold, precious stones, an abundance of anything that is valuable, and possessions and property worthy of praise. I accumulated inside it objects of valor and glory, as well as royal treasures.

Because my heart did not desire the seat of my royal majesty to be in any other city than Babylon, I did not build a lordly abode in any other settlement, nor did I put property befitting a king in any other land.

In Babylon, the private chambers of my residence were not decorous enough for my status as king. Because worshiping the god Marduk, my lord, was present in my heart, in order to widen the residence of my royal majesty, in Babylon, the city under his Marduk's protection, I did not change its streets, displace its daises, nor block up its canals. I searched far and wide for the site of a new kummu-building and, so that no arrow during battle can come close to Imgur-Enlil, the wall of Babylon, 490 cubits distance outside of Nemetti-Enlil, the outer wall of Babylon, I built two strong embankments with bitumen and baked brick and a wall like a mountain.

I fashioned a baked brick structure between them and, on top of it, I built a large kummu-building as the residence of my royal majesty with bitumen and baked brick to a great height. I added it to the palace of my father and in a favorable month, on an auspicious day, I secured its foundation on the surface lit. "breast" of the netherworld and raised its superstructure as high as a mountain. I completed its construction in just fifteen days and made the seat of my lordly majesty resplendent.

I had beams of hard cedar originating from the holy mountain Lebanon, thick pine, and the best selection of cypress stretched over it as its roof. At each of its gates, I fixed doors made of musukkannu-wood, cedar, cypress, ebony, and ivory with mountings of silver and gold and a facing of bronze, and thresholds and nukushû-fittings of cast copper. I surrounded its summit with parapets colored with blue glaze.

I surrounded it with a fortified wall of bitumen and baked brick like a mountain. Beside the wall of baked brick, I built a great wall using strong stones and large slabs quarried from the mountains and then I raised its superstructure like a mountain. I had that building built to be an object of wonder and I filled it with splendor for all of the people to see. Dignity, anger, reverence, and brilliance of kingship surround it so that criminals and the unrighteous cannot enter inside it. As for the merciless, evil doer in the outskirts of the wall of Ka-dingirra, I drove away his arrows by reinforcing the wall of Babylon like a mountain.

I prayed to the god Marduk, my lord, and raised up my hands: O Marduk, my lord, the wisest of the gods, the proud prince, you yourself are the one who created me and entrusted me with kingship of all of the people. I have loved your exalted body as my own precious life. I have made no city more resplendent than your city, Babylon. Because I love worshiping your divinity, I constantly seek out your lordly majesty. Accept my supplications and listen to my prayers so that I may be the king who provides for you and pleases your heart, the capable governor, and the one who provides for all of your cult centers.

By your merciful command, O Marduk, may the house that I built stay in good repair forever so that I may be sated with its luxuriousness. May I reach the prime of my life and attain very old age inside it. May I receive inside it the substantial tribute of kings of the four quarters of the world and all of the people. From the horizon to the zenith, wherever the sun rises, may I not have enemies nor acquire any troublemakers. Inside it, may my descendants rule over the black-headed people forever.

Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I.

I built the wall of the palace of Babylon with stone from the mountains.

O Marduk, my lord, may I be sated with the luxuriousness of everything that I have built.

Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I.

For the god Marduk, my lord, I had the Ishtar Gate skillfully built with baked bricks colored with shining blue glaze and had fierce wild bulls of copper and raging mushhushu-dragons stationed at its door-jambs. ... slabs of stong stone quarried from great mountains ... of stone resembling a wild bull, ....

O Marduk, my lord ..., give to me as a gift a long life ....

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I.

As for the street of Babylon Ay-ibur-shabû, for the procession of the great lord, the god Marduk, I beautified its access way with slabs of stone from the mountains.

O Marduk, my lord, grant me a long life!

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I.

As for the street of Babylon Ay-ibur-shabû, for the processional street of the great lord, the god Marduk, I beautified its access way with slabs of stone quarried from the mountains.

O Marduk, my lord, grant me a long life!

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I.

As for the street of Babylon Ay-ibur-shabû, for the processional street of the great lord, the god Marduk, I beautified its access way with slabs of breccia.

O Marduk, my lord, grant me a long life!

Palace of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon.

Palace of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, the one who acts with the support of the gods Nabû and Marduk, his lords, son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon.

I had beams of cedars that had grown tall in Lebanon, the holy forest, and that I had cut down with my pure hands brought to Borsippa. I had them clad with bright gold and decorated with precious stones and then I had them stretched over it as its roof. I secured their foundations with hard cedar and then reinforced their structures with reddish bronze.

I decorated its structure with gold, silver, precious stones, copper, musukkannu-wood and cedar.

During a joyous celebration, I made the god Nabû and the goddess Nanaya, my lords, reside inside it, on the seat of their happiness. Every day: one fattened prize bull, one uncastrated bull, sixteen prime quality pasillu-sheep, including everything that is offered to the gods of Borsippa: strings of fish, birds, ushummu-rodents, eggs — the best things from the marshes — honey, ghee, milk, the finest oil, "mountain beer," and the purest wine — I provided all of this more lavishly than in the past for the table of the god Nabû and the goddess Nanaya, my lords.

Every day, I confirmed eight sheep as ginû-offerings for the god Nergal and the goddess Lash, as well as the other gods Emeslam and Cutha.

I abundantly provided for the sattukku-offerings of the great gods and made ginû-offerings surpass the original ginû-offerings.

As for Ebabbar of Sippar, which for the god Shamash, the one who loves my kingship and who make his light wide, I built it anew.

For the god Shamash, my lord, I built, Ebabbar, his temple in Larsa.

As for Ekishnugal of Ur, I built it for the god Sîn, my lord, the one who loves my kingship.

For the god Bel-sharbi, the one who says good things about me, I built the Edurgina, his temple in Bash.

... who store massive piles of grain,

in abundance and prosperity, I passed in front of them every year ... ushummu-rodents, eggs, fish, birds — the best things from the marshes — beer libations without number, and wine as if it were water.

As for the widespread people whom the god Marduk, my lord, had entrusted to me, through the understanding that the god Ea had bestowed upon me, with good intentions, I constantly sought them out and directed them to the proper way of life and good behavior.

They prospered under my shedu and were happy under my lamassu. I spread a roof over them in the wind and a canopy in the storm. I made all of them submit to Babylon.

Inside it, I received the produce of the lands, the yield of the mountains, and the produce of all of the lands. I gladly gathered all of the people under its eternal protection. I heaped up for it countless, massive piles of grain. In my land, I made a reign of abundance and years of prosperity manifest.

During my seventh year, I stored inside Esagil 1,000,000 measures of grain, 120,000 measures of dates, and 20,000 sappatu-vessels of wine.

I stored inside my palace, ..., 2,000,000 measures of grain, 100,000 measures of dates, and 70,... sappatu-vessels of wine.

... ..., the god who created me, and the gods ..., the lords of destiny who reside ..., for whose cult centers I provided for with all of my faithful heart,

I raised it as high as a mountain with bitumen and baked brick. I had beams of hard cedar stretched over it as its roof. I surrounded it with a strong wall made of bitumen and baked brick.

Inside of it the palace, I proclaimed royal decrees and lordly ...s. I raised up my hands and prayed to the lord of lords; my prayers went to the god Marduk, the merciful one.

O lord of the lands, Marduk, listen to the utterances of my mouth so that I may be sated with the luxuriousness of the house that I have built. May I reach the prime of my life and attain very old age in Babylon, inside it. May I receive inside it the substantial tribute of kings of the four quarters of the world and of all people. Inside it, may my descendants rule over the black-headed people forever.

From the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea, I had all of the lands that the god Marduk had granted me by his exalted command bring in their substantial tribute into his presence.

To build a palace, a house to be an object of wonder for the people and the residence of my royal majesty, I gave them hoes and had them undertaken the assignment of building walls. ... I had my personal officials undertake the implementation of that work:

PN, treasurer; Nabû-zer-iddin, chief baker; Nabû-zer-ibni, chief treasurer; ...-mukin-ahi, palace superintendent; Sîn-abu-ushur, major domo; Atkal-ana-mar-Esagil, chief of the royal guard;

..., ...; Ina-qibit-Bel-akshud, ...; Bel-eresh, chief of accounts; Ardiya, treasurer of the house of the palace women; Bel-uballit, scribe of the house of the palace women; Shillaya, chief tracker; Nabû-ahu-ushur, chief of the cavalry; Mushallim-Marduk, son of Nabû-ushebshi; Eribshu, supervisor of the female domestic staff; Nabû-belu-ushur, supervisor of the female domestic staff; Nabû-zeru-ibni, cupbearer; Nergal-reshû'a, chief singer; Arad-Nabû, alphabet scribe of the heir designate; Ea-iluni, supervisor of the royal flocks; Remutu, supervisor of the royal flocks; and Nabû-mar-sharri-ushur, chief boatman; Hanunu, chief of royal merchants.

The magnates of the land of Akkad: Ea-dayyan, governor of the Sealand; Nergal-sharru-ushur, simmagir-official; Nadin-ahi, governor of the the land Tupliyash; Bel-shumu-ishkun, governor of the land of the Puqudu tribe; Bibea, descendant = governor of the Dakkuru tribe; Nadin-ahi, priest of Der; Marduk-sharru-ushur, governor of the land of the Gambulu tribe; Marduk-sharrani, povincial governor of Sumandar; Bel-le'i, descendant = governor of the Amukkanu tribe; Remutu, governor of the land Zamê; Nabû-etir-napshati, governor of the land Yaptiru,

Erib-Sîn, the priest of the city ...; Mushezib-Bel, priest of the city ...; PN, priest of the city ...; Shumu-ukin, priest of the city Dur-Yakin; Baniya, priest of the city Limitu; Marduk-zeru-ibni, priest of the city Madakalshu; Shulaya, priest of the city Nemed-Laguda; Shumaya, priest of the city Kullab; Nergal-zeru-ibni, priest of the city Udannu; Marduk-eresh, priest of the city Larsa; Nabû-mukin-apli, priest of the city Kissik; and Bel-upahhir, priest of the city Bakushu.

PN, official in charge of the city ... ...; Iba, provincial governor of Dur-...; Shalam-beli, provincial governor of ...; Zeria, provincial governor of ...; Zabina', official in charge of ...; Shumaya, official in charge of ...; Adad-ahu-iddin, provincial governor of ...; Nabû-zer-ukin of the land A...; Anu-ipush, official in charge of the city ...; and Bel-shumu-ishkun, official in charge of the city ....

The king of Tyre; the king of Gaza; the king of Sidon; the king of Arwad; the king of Ashdod; the king of Mir...; and the king of ....

Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, pious prince, selected by the steadfast heart of the god Marduk, true shepherd who ensures that the sanctuaries of the god Nabû are looked after correctly, the one who pleases their hearts, exalted ruler who is mindful of provisioning Esagil and Ezida daily and who constantly seeks out good things for Babylon and Borsippa, the wise and pious one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, the foremost heir of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I.

When the god Marduk, the great lord, the god who created me, steadfastly named me and magnificently commissioned me to perform good things for his city Babylon, I myself was constantly present and incessant towards the god Marduk, my lord, and all day, without ceasing, my mind pondered about things that were pleasing to him.

I provided Esagil with silver, gold, precious and valuable stones, copper, musukkannu-wood, cedar, an abundance of anything that is valuable, leaving nothing else to be desired, and made its sheen shine forth like the sun.

I completed Ezida and made it shine like the stars lit. "writings" of the heavens.

I put Imgur-Enlil and Nemetti-Enlil, the great walls of Babylon, back in order, built the embankment walls of its moat like a mountain with bitumen and baked brick, and surrounded the outskirts of the city with a wall. I stationed fierce wild bulls of copper and raging mushhushu-dragons in its gates and made the city of Babylon become an object of wonder.

I constantly stove to do things for the protection of Esagil and Babylon. I built a great fortification with bitumen and baked brick at the upper enclosure of the gate of the goddess Ishtar, from the bank of the Euphrates River up to the gate, along the outskirts of the city. I secured its foundation directly on the apsû, in the water table far below and raised its superstructure as high as a mountain. I skillfully the strengthen Esagil and Babylon's protection and established the city of Babylon as a fortress.

O Marduk, great lord, look upon my handiwork with favor and pleasure and may good things about me be set upon your lips. By your holy command, which cannot be altered, proclaim the prolongation of my days and command my attainment of very old age. By your exalted command, which cannot be overturned, may I not have enemies nor acquire any troublemakers.

Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I.

In order to strengthen the protection of Esagil so that no evil doer and murderer can come near Babylon, no arrow during battle can come close to Imgur-Enlil, the wall of Babylon, I did something that no king of the past had done: In the outskirts of Babylon, I had Babylon surrounded with a fortified wall on the other, eastern bank. I dug out its moat and reached the water table.

I saw that emplacement of the embankment that my father had constructed was too narrow so I built a stronger wall, which like a mountain cannot be shaken, with bitumen and baked brick and adjoined it to the embankment that my father had constructed. I secured its foundation on the surface lit. "breast" of the netherworld and raised its superstructure as high as a mountain.

To strengthen the circumference of the wall for a third time, I supported the foundations of the baked-brick wall with a large stanchion at its damp course and secured its foundation on the surface lit. "breast" of the apsû. I strengthened the protection of Esagil and Babylon and thereby established the lasting fame of my kingship.

O Marduk, Enlil of the gods, the god who created me, may my deeds be pleasing in your presence so that I live for a long time. Give me as a gift a life of long days, the attainment of very old age, a firmly secured throne, and a long-lasting reign!

O Marduk, be the helper upon whom I can rely and by your true command, which cannot be altered, may my weapons always be drawn and ready lit. "pointed" so that they destroy the weapon of the enemy.

Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, pious prince, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, the one who renovated the sanctuaries of the great gods, the reverent servant who is very attentive to and mindful of the will of the gods, true heir of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I.

When Nabopolassar, the father who engendered me, built Imgur-Enlil, the great wall of Babylon, dug its moat, and constructed its embankments with bitumen and baked brick —

As for me, the wise and pious one who reveres the lord of lords, I built alongside his moat embankments and I reached the water table. I built a stronger wall, which like a mountain cannot be shaken, with bitumen and baked brick and adjoined it to the embankment that my father had constructed. I secured its foundation on the surface lit. "breast" of the netherworld and raised its superstructure as high as a mountain.

I magnificently did something for the god Marduk, my lord, that no king among the former kings had built.

O Marduk, great lord, the merciful god who listens to my supplications: "Nebuchadnezzar II, the servant who reveres you, the creation of your own hands, am I. Give me as a gift a life of long days, the attainment of very old age, a stable dynasty, a firmly secured throne, the cutting down of the enemy, and the attainment of the heart's desire. By your exalted command, which cannot be overturned, may I lit. "my arms" perform good and righteous things that are pleasing to you."

Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, the true shepherd who provides for Esagil and Ezida, foremost heir of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I.

From the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea, the god Marduk gave to me the shepherdship of the lands, all of them, and I established the city of Babylon as a fortress in the totality of all lands and every single inhabited settlement.

In order to strengthen the protection of Esagil so that no evil doer and murderer can come near Babylon, I heaped up large earthworks from the border of Babylon to the interior of Kish and from the opposite side of Kish to Kar-Nergal, a distance of four and two-thirds leagues, and had the city surrounded with far-reaching water.

In order to prevent dike breaks in them, I constructed their embankments with bitumen and baked brick to be strong embankments.

Above Babylon, on the opposite side of Sippar of the god Shamash, I regularly heaped up large earthen dikes from the bank of the Tigris River to the bank of the Euphrates River, a distance of five and leagues, and had the land for twenty leagues distance surrounded with far-reaching water, like the roiling sea Tiamat.

In order that those earthen dikes that I set up not be carried away by the battering of the furious waves, I constructed their embankments with bitumen and baked brick to be strong embankments.

I strengthened the protection of Esagil and Babylon and thereby established Babylon as a mountain of life for the people. I did not allow troublemakers to prevent the people living inside it from pulling the chariot pole of the god Marduk, my lord.

O lord Marduk, look with favor and pleasure upon my deeds and give me as a gift a long life and the attainment of very old age. My lord, Marduk, on the days that I lift up my my hands to you in prayer, may your mighty weapons, which cannot be withstood, go at my side to cut down my enemies.

Whoever you are in the future, do not alter my work and do not change my handiwork. Constantly seek out the ways of the gods, be concerned with the strengthening of the protection of the city Babylon, heap up a wall of earth, remove fallen bricks, surround the land on all sides with far-reaching water, be compassionate towards your land, and keep your great god safe.

Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, heir of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I.

In order to strengthen the protection of Esagil so that no evil doer and murderer can come near Babylon, I did something that no king of the past had done: In the outskirts of Babylon, I had Babylon surrounded with a fortified wall on the other, eastern bank. I dug out its moat and raised its embankments as high as a mountain with bitumen and baked brick.

I constructed its broad gates, plated immense doors of cedar with bronze and fixed them in those gates.

I checked the outflows of its water and built its embankments with bitumen and baked brick.

So that no robber or sneak thief could enter the outflows of its water, I blocked its outflows with shiny iron. I ...ed it with crossbars and ... of iron and reinforced its joints. I strengthened the protection of Esagil and Babylon and thereby established the lasting fame of my kingship.

O lord Marduk, look with favor upon my handiwork and give me as a gift a long life. Whenever I am in battle and war, O Marduk, be the helper upon whom I can rely. May your fierce weapons, which cannot be withstood, go at my side to cut down my enemies.

Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, foremost heir of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I.

From the bank of the Euphrates River to the bank of the Tigris River, I heaped up large earthen dikes and I constructed their embankments with bitumen and baked brick as strong embankments. ... ... ... ...

O Marduk, ..., may I be sated with the luxuriousness of everything that I have built. May a life of long days, the attainment of old age, a firmly secured throne, and a long-lasting reign, as well as the overthrow of my foes be set your lips.

Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I.

I provided for Esagil and made it shine like the stars lit. "writings" of the heavens. I completed Ezida and made it radiant like the sun. I made the sanctuaries of the great gods shine like daylight.

At that time, by the command of the god Marduk, the great lord, the one who loves my royal majesty, and the god Nabû, the exalted heir, the one who prolongs the days of my life, the great gods whose temples I provide for rejoiced and were happy about the renovation of their sanctuaries. Their mood became cheerful and they commanded me to build a palace, the residence of my royal majesty, in Babylon.

In the Ka-dingirra district, which is in Babylon, I built a palace, a building that was an object of wonder for the people, the bond of the land, a holy private room, and the abode of my royal majesty. That which no king among the former kings had built: I secured its foundation on the surface lit. "breast" of the netherworld, at the level of the water table, and raised it as high as a mountain with bitumen and baked brick.

From the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea, in all of the lands that the god Marduk, my lord, gave me to shepherd, I saw that justice was done for the people living inside them. As for the insubmissive, I kept them in check: I bent their necks to the palace, the residence of my royal majesty, and made them carry baskets of earth. For guiding people of widespread lands, I recorded their names and assigned them tasks.

I had beams of hard cedar brought from Lebanon, the holy forest, and stretched over it as its roof. I plated immense doors of cedar with bronze and fixed them wherever there were gates, in all of them. I cast silver and copper thresholds and nukushû-fittings.

I prayed to the god Marduk, the god who created me and raised up my hands. By your exalted command, which cannot be altered, may I be sated with the luxuriousness of the house that I built. May I reach the prime of my life and attain very old age inside it. May a good shedu-spirit who protects life and a god who preserve well-being always be inside it.

May I receive inside it the substantial tribute of kings of the four quarters of the world and all of the people who sit of thrones, wear crowns, and assume the position of king. Inside it, may my descendants rule over the black-headed people forever.

Nebuchadnezzar II, king of justice, the true shepherd who is leader of people, the one who ensures that the subjects of the gods Enlil, Shamash and Marduk are looked after correctly, the one who deliberates and acquires wisdom, the one who constantly seeks out life, the pious and unceasing one, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I.

When the god Marduk, the great lord, raised me up to rule over the land and gave me a widespread people to shepherd, I indeed paid reverent attention to god Marduk, the god who created me, bent my neck down to to his chariot pole, and made his abundant sattukku-offerings and his pure nindabû-offerings more plentiful than before.

Every day: one fattened prize bull, one uncastrated bull, forty-four fine zuluhhû-sheep, including everything that is offered to the gods of Esagil and the gods of Babylon: fish, birds, ushummu-rodents, eggs — the best things from the marshes — honey, ghee, milk, the best oil, sweet kurunnu-wine, "mountain beer," the purest wine, and wine of the lands Izalla, Tu'immu, of Shimiri, of Hilbunu, Arnabanu, Suhu, of Bit-Kubati, and Bitati — countless amounts, like water of a river — I copiously provided all of this for the table of the god Marduk and the goddess Zarpanitu, my lords.

I indeed put bright gold on the walls of the cella, the seat of his Marduk's lordship, as if it was shallaru-plaster. I had Kahilisu clad with gold and then, for the goddess Zarpanitu, my lady, I decorated her room with sexual charms.

As for Ezida, the residence of the god Lugaldimmerankia and the cella of the Nabû that is inside Esagil, I decorated its door-jambs, door bolts, and gishkanakkus with gold and made that room shine like daylight.

During joyous celebrations, I rebuilt Etemenanki, the ziqqurrat of Babylon.

As for Babylon, the cult center of the great lord, the god Marduk, I completed Imgur-Enlil, its great wall. I stationed fierce wild bulls of copper and raging mushhushu-dragons at the door-jambs of its gates.

I dug out its moat and reached the water table. I indeed built its embankments with bitumen and baked brick.

I had the zaratu-features of the embankments of the fortified wall, which like a mountain cannot be shaken, built with bitumen and baked brick.

In order to strengthen the protection of Esagil so that no evil doer and murderer can come near Babylon, I did something that no that no king of the past had done: In the outskirts of Babylon, I had Babylon surrounded with a fortified wall on the other, eastern bank. I dug out its moat and raised its embankments as high as a mountain with bitumen and baked brick.

Around Babylon, I heaped up large earthen dikes and had it surrounded with a massive flood, a huge expanse of water, like the roiling sea Tiamat. I indeed surrounded it on all sides with marshes and established Babylon as a life-preserving mountain refuge for its people. I made its name surpassing among the cult centers of the land of Sumer and Akkad.

As for Ezida, the true house, I built it anew in Borsippa and had the cedar beams of its roof clad with bright gold. I decorated its structure with gold, silver, precious stones, copper, musukkannu-wood and cedar.

During a joyous celebration, I made the god Nabû and the goddess Nanaya reside inside it, on the seat of their happiness. Every day: one fattened prize bull, one uncastrated bull, sixteen prime quality pasillu-sheep, including everything that is offered to the gods of Borsippa: strings of fish, birds, ushummu-rodents, eggs — the best things from the marshes — sweet beer, kurunnu-wine, "mountain beer," the purest wine, honey, ghee, milk, and the finest oil — I provided all of this more lavishly than in the past for the table of the god Nabû and the goddess Nanaya, my lords.

Every day, I confirmed eight sheep as ginû-offerings for the god Nergal, the goddess Lash, and the other gods Emeslam and Cutha.

I abundantly provided for the sattukku-offerings of the great gods and made ginû-offerings surpass the original ginû-offerings.

As for Ebabbar of Sippar, I built it anew for the god Shamash and the goddess Aya, my lords.

As for Ebabbar of Larsa, I built it anew for the god Shamash and the goddess Aya, my lords.

As for Ekishnugal of Ur, I built it anew for the god Sîn, the one who loves my kingship.

As for E-ibbi-Anum of Dilbat, I built it anew for the god Urash, my lord.

As for Edurgina of Bash, I built it anew for the god Bel-sharbi, my lord.

I return the original appurtenances and primordial rites of the goddess Ishtar of Uruk, the pure lady of Uruk, back to their original places. I returned the protective god to Uruk and the goddess of goodness to Eanna. I examined and checked the original foundations of Eanna and then firmly placed its foundations on top of the original foundations.

Nebuchadnezzar, exalted ruler who provides for the cult centers of the great gods. I myself was constantly present with regard to Esagil and Ezida. I constantly seek out the shrines of the gods Nabû and Marduk, my lords.

As for their beautiful festivals, their great akitu-festivals, in abundance and prosperity, I passed in front of them every year with powerful prize bulls, uncastrated bulls, fine zuluhhû-sheep, fattened sheep, gukkallu-sheep, ushummu-rodents, eggs, fish, birds — the best things from the marshes — beer libations without number, and wine as if it were water.

As for the widespread people whom the god Marduk, my lord, had entrusted to me, I made them submit to Babylon. Inside it, I received the produce of the lands, the yield of the mountains, and the wealth of the seas. I gladly gathered all of the people under its eternal protection. I heaped up for it countless, massive piles of grain.

At that time, in Babylon I built anew a palace, the residence of my royal majesty, the bond of the great people, the seat of joyous celebrations, and the place where important people submit.

With bitumen and baked brick, I secured its foundation on the primordial netherworld, on the surface lit. "breast" of the broad earth. I had beams of hard cedar brought from Lebanon, the holy forest, to be its roof. I surrounded it with a strong wall made of bitumen and baked brick.

Inside of it the palace, I proclaimed royal decrees and lordly ...s. I raised up my hands and prayed to the lord of lords; my prayers went to the god Marduk, the merciful one.

O lord of the lands, Marduk, listen to the utterances of my mouth so that I may be sated with the luxuriousness of the house that I have built. May I reach the prime of my life and attain very old age in Babylon, inside it. May I receive inside it the substantial tribute of kings of the four quarters of the world and of all people. Inside it, may my descendants rule over the black-headed people forever.

Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, pious prince, selected by the steadfast heart of the god Marduk, true shepherd who ensures that the sanctuaries of the god Nabû are looked after correctly, the one who pleases their hearts, exalted ruler who is mindful of provisioning Esagil and Ezida daily and who constantly seeks out good things for Babylon and Borsippa, the wise and pious one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, the foremost heir of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I.

When the god Marduk, the great lord, the god who created me, steadfastly named me and magnificently commissioned me to perform good things for his city Babylon, I myself was constantly present and incessant towards the god Marduk, my lord, and all day, without ceasing, my mind pondered about things that were pleasing to him.

I provided Esagil with had silver, gold, precious and valuable stones, copper, musukkannu-wood, cedar, an abundance of anything that is valuable, leaving nothing else to be desired, and made its sheen shine forth like the sun.

I completed Ezida and made it shine like the stars lit. "writings" of the heavens.

As for Imgur-Enlil and Nemetti-Enlil, the great walls of Babylon that Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, the father who had engendered me, had built and put in good order, ... something that no king who had come before him had done previously; moreover, using baked bricks, that he surrounded the outskirts of the city with an embankment for its moat with bitumen and baked brick; that he built the embankment of the Arahtu River with bitumen and baked brick from the gate of the goddess Ishtar to the gate of the god Urash and constructed piers of baked brick on the other side of the Euphrates River, but he did not complete the rest;

that which in the distant past no king among the former kings had built and that which no king of the past had done, he did; for the protection of Babylon, he surrounded the eastern side of Babylon with a fortification wall over a stretch of 4,000 cubits around Babylon from the bank of the Euphrates River upstream on the city to the bank of the Euphrates River downstream of the city, dug its canal, and built its embankment walls with bitumen and baked brick —

As for me, his first-born son, the beloved of his heart, with the wisdom that the gods Ea and Marduk had granted me, I completed everything that the father who had engendered me had done, ... Imgur-Enlil and Nemetti-Enlil, the walls ....

I made Ishtar-sakipat-tebîsha, the gate of both Imgur-Enlil and Nemetti-Enlil, the entrance of the gods' controlling place, the gate of Babylon, ..., appear resplendent with baked bricks colored with shining blue glaze. At its door-jambs, I did something that no king of the past had done: I created and stationed fierce wild bulls of copper and raging mushhushu-dragons.

On the outskirts of Imgur-Enlil, beside the embankment that my father had constructed, I built a strong, twenty-one-baked-brick-thick embankment with bitumen and baked brick and adjoined it to the embankment that my father had constructed. I secured its foundation on the surface lit. "breast" of the netherworld and raised its superstructure as high as a mountain.

On the other bank, on the western side, I surrounded the wall of Babylon with an embankment of baked bricks. Beside the embankment of the Arahtu River that my father had built, I built a strong embankment like a mountain with bitumen and baked brick.

As for the wall that the father who had engendered me had built beside the wall for the protection of Babylon, but whose construction he had not completed, I completed that wall and raised its superstructure. I dug out its moat and reached the water table. I built three strong, thirty-six-baked-brick-thick embankments and adjoined them to the embankment that my father had constructed.

On its embankment, I built a fortified wall, which like a mountain cannot be shaken, with bitumen and baked brick and raised its superstructure as high as a mountain. I constructed its broad gates and fitted them with doors made of cedar with a facing of bronze.

At that time, I constantly stove to do things to strengthen the protection of Esagil and Babylon. Beside Nemetti-Enlil, the outer wall of Babylon, from the bank of the Euphrates River up to the lower enclosure Nemetti-Enlil, which faces East, at a distance of 335 cubits from the outskirts of Nemetti-Enlil, I built with bitumen and baked brick one embankment whose width was thirty-two baked bricks and a second embankment whose width was twenty-three baked bricks, two strong embankments, one in front of the other. I secured their foundations directly on the apsû, in the water table far below and raised their superstructures as high as mountains.

I fashioned a baked brick structure between them and, on top of them, I built a kummu-building, a large sacred building, to a great height.

I skillfully the strengthen Esagil's and Babylon's protection and established the city of Babylon as a fortress.

O Marduk, great lord, look upon my handiwork with favor and pleasure and may good things about me be set upon your lips. By your holy command, which cannot be altered, proclaim the prolongation of my days and command my attainment of very old age. May everything that I have built endure and stay in good repair forever so that I may be sated with its luxuriousness. By your true command, which cannot be overturned, may I not have enemies nor acquire any troublemakers.

... Nemetti-Enlil ... that Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, the father who had engendered me, ... that their foundations had not been put in good order; ... its moat embankments ...; that he built the embankment of the Arahtu River with bitumen and baked brick from the gate of the goddess Ishtar to the gate of the god Urash and constructed piers of baked brick on the other side of the Euphrates River, but he did not complete the rest;

that which in the distant past no king among the former kings had built and that which no king of the past had done, he did; for the protection of Babylon, he surrounded the eastern side of Babylon with a fortification wall over a stretch of 4,000 cubits around Babylon from the bank of the Euphrates River upstream on the city to the bank of the Euphrates River downstream of the city, dug its canal, and built its embankment walls with bitumen and baked brick —

As for me, his first-born son, the beloved of his heart, with the wisdom that the gods Ea and Marduk had granted me, to ... I ... ... everything that the father who had engendered me had done, and I completed Imgur-Enlil and Nemetti-Enlil, the walls ....

No translation possible

On the outskirts of Imgur-Enlil, beside the embankment that my father had constructed, I built a strong, twenty-one-baked-brick-thick embankment with bitumen and baked brick and adjoined it to the embankment that my father had constructed. I secured its foundation on the surface lit. "breast" of the netherworld and raised its superstructure as high as a mountain.

On the other bank, on the western side, I surrounded the wall of Babylon with an embankment of baked bricks. Beside the embankment of the Arahtu River that my father had built, I built a strong embankment like a mountain with bitumen and baked brick.

As for the wall that the father who had engendered me had built beside the wall for the protection of the city, but whose construction he had not completed, I completed it and raised its superstructure. I dug out its moat and reached the water table. I built strong embankments for a stretch of forty-three cubits and adjoined it to the embankment that my father had constructed.

I built a fortified wall with bitumen and baked brick and constructed its broad gates. I fitted them with doors made of cedar with a facing of bronze.

At that time, I constantly stove to do things to strengthen the protection of Babylon. At a distance of 360 cubits along the outskirts of Nemetti-Enlil, the outer wall of Babylon, from the bank of the Euphrates River up to the left door-jamb of the gate of the goddess Ishtar, I built two strong embankments with bitumen and baked brick, and a wall like a mountain.

I fashioned a baked brick structure between them and, on top of it, I built a large kummu-building as the residence of my royal majesty with bitumen and baked brick to a great height. I added it to the palace that is inside the city and thereby made the seat of my lordly majesty resplendent.

For a second time, from the right door-jamb of the gate of the goddess Ishtar to the lower enclosure Nemetti-Enlil, which faces East, 360 cubits from the outskirts of Nemetti-Enlil, I built fortified wall like a mountain, with bitumen and baked brick. I skillfully the strengthen Babylon's protection and established the city of Babylon as a fortress.

O Marduk, great lord, look upon my handiwork with favor and pleasure and may good things about me be set upon your lips. By your holy command, which cannot be altered, proclaim the prolongation of my days and command my attainment of very old age. May everything that I have built endure and stay in good repair forever so that I may be sated with its luxuriousness. By your true command, which cannot be overturned, may I not have enemies nor acquire any troublemakers.

Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, pious prince, favorite of the god Marduk, exalted ruler who is the beloved of the god Nabû, the one who deliberates and acquires wisdom, the one who constantly seeks out the ways of their divinity and reveres their dominion, the indefatigable governor who is mindful of provisioning Esagil and Ezida daily and who constantly seeks out good things for Babylon and Borsippa, the wise and pious one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, foremost heir of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I.

When the god Marduk, the great lord, elevated me to be king and entrusted me with the lordship of all the people, the god Nabû, overseer of the totality of heaven and earth, allowed my hands to grasp a just scepter for keeping all of the settlements in good order and making their people flourish. As for me, I prayed to them Marduk and Nabû, I constantly sought out their divinity. At the mention of their important names, I revere god and goddess alike.

Through their exalted support, I repeatedly travelled through far-off lands, remote mountains, from the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea, difficult paths, obstructed roads, where access was blocked and approach was not possible, difficult roads, and thirsty paths, and killed insubmissive, bound enemies, put the land in order, and made the people prosper. From the people, I drove away the criminals and villains.

I had silver, gold, precious stones, an abundance of anything that is valuable, gleaming produce, the yield of the mountains, the wealth of the seas, substantial tribute, lavish gifts brought into my city, Babylon, into their the gods' presence, and I provisioned Esagil, the palace beloved by his lordly majesty.

I put bright gold on the walls of Eumusha, the cella of the Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk, as if it was shallaru-plaster.

I rebuilt and completed Ezida, and then I decorated it with gold, silver, and precious stones.

I had the sanctuaries of Babylon and Borsippa built and I provided for them.

As for Etemenanki, the ziqqurrat of Babylon, and Eurmeiminanki, the ziqqurrat of Borsippa, I built and completed their entire structures with bitumen and baked brick, and then, on their summits, I resplendently built a holy shrine, a well-adorned bedroom, with baked bricks colored with shining blue glaze.

In the past, from distant days until the reign of Nabopolassar, the king of Babylon, the father who engendered me, the kings who came before me built palaces in cities of their choice, in places that they loved, and established their residences in them. They accumulated their possessions inside them, as well as heaped up their property. During the festival of the New Year, during the setting out of the Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk, they entered Shuanna Babylon. Since the god Marduk created me for kingship and the god Nabû, his true heir, entrusted his subjects to me, I have loved their beautiful bodies as my own precious life. I have made no city more resplendent than Babylon and Borsippa.

In Babylon, the city of my choice that I love, as for the palace, a building that was an object of wonder for the people, the bond of the land, a holy private room, and the abode of my royal majesty, in the Ka-dingirra district — which is in Babylon, from Imgur-Enlil to Libil-hegalla, the eastern canal, from the bank of the Euphrates River to Ay-ibur-shabû, the street of Babylon — which Nabopolassar, the king of Babylon, the father who engendered me, had created with sundried bricks and taken up residence inside, its foundations had become weak on account of flood water and the gates of that palace had become too low as a result of the raising of the level of the streets of Babylon.

I removed its wall, merely a molding of sundried bricks, and then open up its foundation and reached the water table. I secured its foundation at the level of the water table and raised it as high as a mountain with bitumen and baked brick. I had beams of hard cedar stretched over it as its roof. At each of its gate, I fixed doors made of cedar with a facing of bronze and thresholds and nukushû-fittings of cast copper.

I heaped up inside it silver, gold, precious stones, an abundance of anything that is valuable, and possessions and property worthy of praise. I accumulated inside it objects of valor and glory, as well as royal treasures.

Because my heart did not desire the seat of my royal majesty to be in any other city than Babylon, I did not build a lordly abode in any other settlement, nor did I put property befitting a king in any other land.

In Babylon, the private chambers of my lordly majesty were not decorous enough for my status as king. Because worshiping the god Marduk, my lord, was present in my heart, in order to widen the residence of my royal majesty, in Babylon, the city under my protection that I love, I did not change its streets, displace its daises, nor block up its canals. I searched far and wide for the site of a new kummu-building and 490 cubits distance outside of Nemetti-Enlil, the outer wall of Babylon, I built two strong embankments with bitumen and baked brick and a wall like a mountain.

I fashioned a baked brick structure between them and, on top of it, I built a large kummu-building as the residence of my royal majesty with bitumen and baked brick to a great height. I added it to the palace of my father and thereby made the seat of my lordly majesty resplendent.

I had beams of hard cedar originating from the holy mountain Lebanon, thick pine, and the best selection of cypress stretched over it as its roof. At each of its gate, I fixed doors made of musukkannu-wood, cedar, cypress, ebony, and ivory with mountings of silver and gold and a facing of bronze, and thresholds and nukushû-fittings of cast copper. I surrounded its summit with parapets colored with blue glaze.

I surrounded it with a fortified wall of bitumen and baked brick like a mountain. Beside the wall of baked brick, I built a great wall using strong stones and large slabs quarried from the mountains and then I raised its superstructure like a mountain. I had that building built to be an object of wonder and I filled it with splendor for all of the people to see. Dignity, anger, reverence, and brilliance of kingship surround it so that criminals and the unrighteous cannot enter inside it.

In order to strengthen the protection of Esagil so that no evil doer and murderer can come near Babylon, I did something that no king of the past had done: 4,000 cubits distance outside the city of Babylon, far away, too far away to approach lit. "not to approach", I surrounded the eastern bank of Babylon with a fortified wall. I dug out its moat and constructed its embankments with bitumen and baked brick and then, on its embankment, I built a fortified wall like a mountain. I constructed its broad gates and I fitted them with doors made of cedar with a facing of bronze.

In the immediate vicinity of the wall of baked bricks that faces North, my heart prompted me to build a palace for the protection of Babylon and I had a palace, a replica of the palace inside Ka-dingirra, built inside it Babylon with bitumen and baked brick. I constructed a strong, sixty-cubit artificially-made spur of land along the Euphrates River and thereby created dry land. With bitumen and baked brick, I secured its foundation on the surface lit. "breast" of the netherworld, at the level of the water table, and raised its superstructure. I added to the palace and raised it as high as a mountain with bitumen and baked brick.

I had beams of hard cedar stretched over it as its roof. At each of its gate, I fixed doors made of cedar with a facing of bronze, and thresholds and nukushû-fittings of cast copper. I named it "May Nebuchadnezzar II Stay in Good Health and Grow Old As The Provider of the Esagil." As for the merciless, evil doer in the outskirts of the wall of Ka-dingirra, I drove away his arrows by reinforcing the wall of Babylon like a mountain. I strengthened the protection of Esagil and established the city of Babylon as a fortress.

I prayed to the god Marduk, my lord, and raised up my hands: O Marduk, my lord, the wisest of the gods, the proud prince, you yourself are the one who created me and entrusted me with kingship of all of the people. Because I love worshiping your divinity, I constantly seek out your lordly majesty. Accept my supplications and listen to my prayers so that I may be the king who provides for you and pleases your heart, the true shepherd who preserves well-being of your people, the one who makes your subjects flourish, the capable governor, and the one who provides for all of your cult centers.

By your merciful command, O Marduk, may the house that I built stay in good repair forever so that I may be sated with its luxuriousness. May I reach the prime of my life and attain very old age inside it. May I receive inside it the substantial tribute of kings of the four quarters of the world and all of the people. From the horizon to the zenith, wherever the sun rises, may I not have enemies nor acquire any troublemakers. Inside it, may my descendants rule over the black-headed people forever.

... Ishtar-sakipat-tebîsha, ... ... both Imgur-Enlil and Nemetti-Enlil, ... the gate of the entrance of the gods' controlling place, the exit and entry of the Igigu and Anunnaku gods, the broad gate of Babylon, ... he had created their structures with sundried bricks ... baked bricks I constantly sought out for them.

No translation possible

While building, ... ... ... I discovered a ... of the father who engendered me inside it. I opened up ... and reached the water table. I set their foundations firmly in place with bitumen and baked brick and thereby secured its foundation.

I made them appear resplendent with baked bricks colored with shining blue glaze that have representations of wild bulls and mushhushu-dragons fashioned upon them lit. "it" and wild bulls whose bodies are made of copper resplendently made for them. I had them skillfully surrounded with ... of the father who engendered me, that ... inside them ... ... ...