Nabonidus 32

(i 1) Nabonidus, king of Babylon, the one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, the one who reveres the great gods, am I.

(i 5) (With regard to) Elugalgalgasisa, the ziggurat of Ekišnugal, which is inside Ur, which Ur-Namma, a king of former times, had built, but had not completed, Šulgi, his son, completed its construction.

(i 11) I read in the inscriptions of Ur-Namma and Šulgi, his son, that Ur-Namma had built that ziggurat, but had not completed it, (and that) Šulgi, his son, completed its (Elugalgalgasisa’s) construction.

(i 16) Now, that ziggurat had become old so, on top of the original foundation(s) that Ur-Namma and Šulgi, his son, had built, I repaired the damage of that ziggurat with bitumen and baked bricks, as (it had been) in ancient times.

(i 23b) 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 Ekišnugal — which is inside Ur — my lord, I renovated and (re)built (it).

(ii 3) 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) Ekišnugal, the temples of your great divinity, be set upon your lips. Moreover, have the fear of your great divinity placed in the heart(s) of his people so that they do not sin against your great divinity.

(ii 17) May their (the temples’) foundations be as firm as (those of) the heavens.

(ii 18) (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”).

(ii 23) 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 a(ny) sin. May he be sated with happiness in life.