Nabonidus 25

(i 1) Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the one who pr[ovides for Esagi]l and Ezida, the attentive prince who constantly seeks out the sh[rin]es 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 word(s) of the god(s) and goddess(es), the humble (and) submissive one who shows reverence (and) constantly beseeches the gods and goddess(es), who takes hold of the hem of the gods to avoid cultic mistake(s) (and thereby) constantly strives after life, whose heart is reverent and honors the word(s) of the gods, who prays to the great gods in order to avoid deviating from the rite(s) of the gods, who checks (through expisticy) the circumstances of everything he does (or) strives to do, who serves the gods with supplication(s) and prayer(s), who prays wholeheartedly to the gods Bēl (Marduk) and the Son-of-Bēl (Nabû), whose neck is bent down to pull their chariot pole(s), who holds their names in high esteem, the one who shows reverence for the great gods, son of Nabû-balāssu-iqbi, wise prince, am I.

(i 17) 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.

(i 25b) (With regard to) Ebabbar, the temple of the god Šamaš that is inside Sippar, which a king of the past had built, but whose wall(s) had not been (properly) supported, that temple buckled and its superstructure was tottering. With regard to (re)building that temple, the great lord, the god Marduk, had waited for me.

(i 29) 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 foundation(s) of Narām-Sîn, a king of the past, and laid its brickwork (directly) on (its) original foundation(s).

(i 34) That which no king among the king(s of the past) had built since distant days (and which) no king of the past had built a temple for the god Šamaš so beautifully decorated, I magnificently (re)built Ebabbar for the god Šamaš, my lord.

(i 38) 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-tree(s), (and) large musukkannu-tree(s) brought inside it.

(i 41) At that time, as for the god Šamaš, 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 ter[rifi]ed.

(i 48) I gathered the citizens of Babylon and Bor[sippa], skilled men who have (sufficient) experience, and they said to me “Let it be made (exactly) as (it had been) in ancient times.”

(ii 2) I frequently visited the shrines of the gods Šamaš and Adad, the lords of divination, and the gods Šamaš 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.

(ii 6) I performed (an extispicy) again regarding the making of a crown without zarinnu and frequently visited the shrines of the gods Šamaš 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 Šamaš and Adad had a firm ‘yes’ placed in my extispicy:

(ii 10) If the ‘Station’ (mazzāzu) is long, (then) the days of the ruler will be long. If the ‘Path’ (padānu) reaches its ‘dwellings,’ (then) the way(s) 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’ (šulmu) 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.

(ii 14) 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’ (ubānu) <is intact>, (then) the lord of the sacrifice will prosper (and) his days will be long. If the ‘Increment’ (ṣibtu) is wide, (then) there will be happiness. If the ‘Upper Part’ (elītu) moves (and) ‘Foot’-Mark (šēpu) (indicating) abandonment. If (the same result, then) a man will prevail against his adversary in a legal decision.

(ii 17) If the base of the ‘Middle Finger’ (ubān ḫašî qablītu) 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).

(ii 20) 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:

(ii 23b) If the ‘Station’ (mazzāzu) is long, (then) the days of the ruler will be long. If the ‘Path’ (padānu) is two (in number) and they are placed on the right, (then) the gods will go at (my) side. If the ‘Well-Being’ (šulmu) is doubled, (then there will be) firm foundation(s and) peaceful abode(s in the land). If the ‘Path’ (padānu) 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.

(ii 27) 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 (šēpu) 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’ (ubānu qablītu) and it faces downwards, (then) the weapon of the goddess Ištar is my helper (and) the onslaught of the enemy will be repelled; alternatively, the name of the weapon is “my thruster.”

(ii 30) If the ‘Upper Part’ (elītu) 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’> (kubšu) 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).

(ii 32) I saw this extispicy and (immediately) trusted in the word(s) of the gods Šamaš 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 ḫusīgu-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 Šamaš, my lord.

(ii 39) O Šamaš, 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.

(ii 44) Annually, may I have the wealth of the four quarters (of the world), the abundance of the sea(s), (and) the yield of the mountain(s) and of all lands brought into Esagil, the palace of heaven and earth.

(ii 48) May I be the king who provides for (and) renovates the sanctuaries of the great gods forever.