(i 1) 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-balāssu-iqbi, wise prince, the one who reveres the great gods, am I.

(i 7) (With regard to) Eḫulḫul, the temple of the god Sîn, which is inside the city Ḫarrān, 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.

(i 12b) 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 horse(s) of your (royal) vehicle, (re)build Eḫulḫul, and enable the god Sîn, the great lord, to take up residence in his dwelling place inside it.”

(i 21) I spoke reverently to the Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk: “(As for) that temple whose (re)building 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.”

(i 26) When (my) third year arrived, they had Cyrus (II), king of the land Anšan, 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 (Ištumegu), king of the barbarian horde (the Medes), and took him to his land as a captive.

(i 30) The word of the great divine lord, the god Marduk, and the god Sîn, the light of heaven and earth, whose command(s) cannot be changed — by their exalted command, I became frightened, worried, (and) anxious, and my face was haggard.

(i 33) 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, Šamaš, and Ištar, my lords, had entrusted to me — to (re)build Eḫulḫul, the temple of the god Sîn, my lord, the one who marches at my side, which is inside the city Ḫarrān, which Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria, son of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, a ruler who came before me, had built.

(i 41) In a favorable month, on an auspicious day that the gods Šamaš and Adad had revealed to me through divination, using the wisdom of the gods Ea and Asalluḫi, through the craft of the incantation priest, (and) with the craft of the god Kulla, the lord of foundation(s) 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 foundation(s) of Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria, who had seen the foundation(s) of Shalmaneser (III), son of Ashurnasirpal (II), and (thereby) I secured its brickwork.

(ii 5b) I blended its šallaru-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 foundation(s) to its crenellations and completed its construction.

(ii 10) 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.

(ii 14) I stationed a wild bull of shiny zaḫalû-metal, which aggressively gores my foes (to death), in his (Sîn’s) inner sanctum. I firmly planted two long-haired heroes of ešmarû-metal, who overwhelm my enem(ies), in the Gate of the Rising Sun, (on) the right and left.

(ii 18) I took the deities Sîn, Ningal, Nusku, and Sadarnunna, my lords, by the hand, (leading them out) of Šuanna (Babylon), the city of my royal majesty, and I had (them) reside inside the residence of (their) happiness during joyous celebrations.

(ii 22) I offered pure, sumptuous offerings before them (and) presented (them) with my gifts. I filled Eḫulḫul with joy and (then) made the radiance of the city Ḫarrān, to its full extent, shine like the appearance of the moon.

(ii 26) 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 Eḫulḫul, the temple (that is) the residence you desired, may good thing(s) about the city and that temple be placed on your lips.

(ii 30) May the gods who reside in heaven and on earth constantly bless the temple of the god Sîn, the father who created them.

(ii 32) (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.

(ii 38b) May the goddess Ningal, mother of the great gods, speak laudatory word(s) about me in the presence of the god Sîn, her beloved.

(ii 40) May the god Šamaš and the goddess Ištar, his bright offspring, say good thing(s) 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).

(ii 43b) 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.

(ii 47) For the god Šamaš, 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 foundation(s) 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.

(ii 52b) I became worried, afraid, (and) anxious, and my face was haggard. While I had the god Šamaš brought out of it (Ebabbar and) had (him) reside in another temple, I removed that temple and sought out its original foundation(s). Then, I dug down eighteen cubits into the earth and the foundation(s) of Narām-Sîn, (grand)son of Sargon, which (for) 3,200 years none of the king(s) who came before me had found — the god Šamaš, the great lord, revealed to me (the original) Ebabbar, the temple (that is) the residence of his happiness.

(ii 60b) In the month Tašrītu (VII), in a favorable month, on an auspicious day that the gods Šamaš 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 foundation(s) of Narām-Sîn, (grand)son of Sargon, not (even) a fingerbreadth outside or inside (of them).

(iii 1) I had 5,000 strong cedar(s) stretched out for its roof. I installed immense doors of cedar, (threshold) slab(s), (and) nukuššû-fittings in its gates.

(iii 4) I built anew Ebabbar, together with E­kun­an­kuga, its ziggurat, and completed its construction. I took the god Šamaš, my lord, by the hand and had (him) reside inside it, the residence of (his) happiness, during joyous celebrations.

(iii 8) I found an inscription of Narām-Sîn, (grand)­son 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.

(iii 11) O Šamaš, 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 petition(s) so that I may rule forever (with) the scepter and legitimate rod that you had let my hands grasp.

(iii 22) For the goddess Anunītu, the lady of battle who carries bow and quiver, the one who fully carries out the command(s) of the god Enlil, her father, the one who overwhelms enem(ies and) destroys the wicked, the one who marches at front of the gods, (and) who make my signs auspicious at sunrise and sunset —

(iii 27) (With regard to) Eulmaš, her temple that is in Sippar-Anunītu, which no king had built in 800 years, from the time of Šagarakti-Šuriaš, king of Babylon, son of Kudur-Enlil, I dug out its original foundation(s), examined (and) checked (them), and (then) I laid its foundations (precisely) on the foundation(s) of Šagarakti-Šuriaš, son of Kudur-Enlil, and (thereby) I secured its brickwork. I built that temple anew and completed its construction.

(iii 34) I had the goddess Anunītu, the lady of battle who fully carries out the command(s) of the god Enlil, her father, the one who overwhelms enem(ies 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 (re)confirmed (them) in her presence.

(iii 38b) You, O Anunītu, 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 thing(s) for me.

(iii 43) Whoever you are, whom the gods Sîn and Šamaš 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.