Neriglissar 03

(i 1) 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 weapon(s) to save the people (and) spare the land, son of Bēl-šum-iškun, king of Babylon, am I.

(i 15) 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.

(i 21) (As for) the copper mušḫuššu-dragon(s), which are always stationed at the bases of the gates of Esagil together with the silver wild bull(s) of the door-jambs, a former king did not station (them) in (the gates) Ka-Utu-e, Ka-Lamma-arabi, Ka-ḫegal, and Ka-ude-babbar.

(i 25) (As for) me, the humble (and) respectful one who knows how to revere the gods, I cast eight fierce mušḫuššu-dragons of copper that coat evil doer(s) and enem(ies) with deadly venom, covered (them) with a plating of shining silver, and stationed (them) on pedestal(s) in (the gates) Ka-Utu-e, Ka-Lamma-arabi, Ka-ḫegal, and Ka-ude-<babbar>, at the bases of those gates, as (it had been) in ancient times, together with the silver wild bull(s) of the door-jambs, according to its (Esagil’s) original appearance.

(i 33) (As for) the Dais of Destinies, which is inside Ezida — which at the New Year, at the beginning of the year, during the akītu-festival, (during) the setting out of the Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk, the god Nabû, the legitimate heir, goes in procession into Šuanna (Babylon), (and) on the fifth (and) eleventh days, when going and returning from Babylon, the god Nabû, the [tri]umphant 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.

(i 41) (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of abundance, whose waters since its creation have flowed in full spate directly beside Esagil, (but) whose waters had withdrawn during the reign of a former king from the side of Esagil (and) had become too distant to draw (water from it), (but as for) me, I sought out its original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.

(ii 6) (As for) the eastern canal, which a former king had had dug, but without constructing its bank, I had the canal (re)dug and (properly re)constructed its bank with bitumen and baked bricks. I firmly established for the land an abundance of water that does not cease.

(ii 12) I am constantly unstinting towards Esagil and Ezida, (and) I constantly strive to provision all of the cult centers of the gods.

(ii 15) 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-ibūr-šabû, the (main) street of Babylon, to the bank of the Euphrates River — which a former king had built and whose door-jamb(s) 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 cedar(s) to be its šīpu(s), architrave(s), and roof.

(ii 31) 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.