(i 1) Nebuchadnezzar (II), king of justice, the true shepherd who is the leader of the people, the one who ensures that the subjects of the gods Enlil, Šamaš, 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.

(i 8) When the god Marduk, the great lord, raised me up to rule over the land and gave me a widespread people to shepherd, I paid reverent attention to the god Marduk, the god who created me, bent my neck down to his chariot pole, (and) made his abundant sattukku-offerings and his pure nindabû-offerings more plentiful than before.

(i 16) Every day: one fattened prize bull, (one) uncastrated bull, forty-four fine zuluḫḫû-sheep, along with (everything) that (pertains to) the gods of Esagil and the gods of Babylon: fish, bird(s), ušummu-rodent(s), egg(s) — the best thing(s) from the marshes — honey, ghee, milk, the best oil, sweet kurunnu-wine, “mountain beer,” the pure(st) wine, (and) wine of the lands Izalla, Tuʾimmu, Ṣimminu, Ḫilbūnu, Arnabānu, Sūḫu, Bīt-Kubāti, and Bītāti — like the waters of countless rivers — I copiously provided (all of this) for the table of the god Marduk and the goddess Zarpanītu, my lords.

(i 29) I put bright gold (on the walls of) the cella, the seat of his (Marduk’s) lordship, as if (it was) šallaru-plaster. I had Kaḫilisu clad with gold and (then), for the goddess Zarpanītu, my lady, I decorated (her) room with sexual charm(s).

(i 34) (With regard to) Ezida, the residence of the god Lugaldimmerankia (and) the cella of the Nabû that is inside Esagil, I decorated its door-jamb(s), door bolt(s), (and) giškanakku(s) with gold and made (that) room shine like daylight.

(i 39) During joyous celebrations, I (re)built Etemenanki, the ziggurat of Babylon.

(i 41) (With regard to) 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 mušḫuššu-dragons at the door-jamb(s) of its gates.

(i 46) I dug out its moat and reached the water table. I built its embankment(s) using bitumen and baked brick.

(i 49) I had the zāratu-feature(s) of the embankment(s) of the fortified wall, which like a mountain cannot be shaken, built using bitumen and baked brick.

(ii 1) In order to strengthen the protection of Esagil (so that) no evil-doer or 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 eastern bank. I dug out its moat and raised its embankment(s) as high as a mountain using bitumen and baked brick.

(ii 10) Around Babylon, I heaped up large earthen mounds (and) had it surrounded with a massive flood, a huge expanse of water, like the expanse of the sea. I surrounded it on all sides with marsh(es and) established Babylon as a mountain (to protect) the life of the people. I made its name surpassing among the cult centers of the land of Sumer and Akkad.

(ii 18) (With regard to) 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.

(ii 23b) During a joyous celebration, I made the god Nabû and the goddess Nanāya reside inside it, (on) the seat of (their) happiness. Every day: one fattened prize bull, (one) uncastrated bull, sixteen prime quality pasillu-sheep, along with (everything) that (pertains to) the gods of Borsippa: string(s) of fish, bird(s), ušummu-rodent(s), egg(s) — the best thing(s) from the marshes — sweet beer, kurunnu-wine, “mountain beer,” the pure(st) 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 Nanāya, my lords.

(ii 36) Every day, I confirmed eight sheep as ginû-offering(s) for the god Nergal (and) the goddess Laṣ, (as well as) the (other) gods Emeslam and Cutha.

(ii 38) I abundantly provided for the sattukku-offering(s) of the great gods and made ginû-offering(s) surpass the original ginû-offering(s).

(ii 40) (With regard to) Ebabbar of Sippar, I built (it) anew for the god Šamaš and the goddess Aya, my lords.

(ii 42) (With regard to) Ebabbar of Larsa, I built (it) anew for the god Šamaš and the goddess Aya, my lords.

(ii 44) (With regard to) Ekišnugal of Ur, I built (it) anew for the god Sîn, (my) lord, the one who loves my royal majesty.

(ii 46) (With regard to) E-ibbi-Anum of Dilbat, I built (it) anew for the god Uraš, my lord.

(ii 48) (With regard to) Edurgina of Bāṣ, I built (it) anew for the god Bēl-ṣarbi, my lord.

(ii 50) I returned the original appurtenances (and) primordial rites of the goddess Ištar of Uruk, the pure lady of Uruk, (back) to their (original) place(s). I returned the šēdu to Uruk (and) the lamassu of goodness to Eanna. I examined (and) checked the original foundation(s) of Eanna and (then) firmly placed its foundations on top of the original foundation(s).

(ii 60) Nebuchadnezzar, the exalted ruler who provides for the cult centers of the great gods, am I. I myself am constantly present with regard to Esagil and Ezida. I constantly seek out the shrines of the gods Nabû and Marduk, my lords.

(iii 7) (With regard to) their beautiful festivals, their great akītu-festival, in abundance and prosperity, I passed in front of them every year with powerful prize bulls, uncastrated bulls, fine zuluḫḫû-sheep, fattened sheep, gukkallu-sheep, ušummu-rodent(s), egg(s), fish, bird(s) — the best thing(s) from the marshes — beer libations without number, (and) wine as if (it were) water.

(iii 18) (With regard to) the widespread people whom the god Marduk, my lord, had entrusted to me, I made them submit to Babylon. Inside it (the palace), 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.

(iii 27) 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 are forced to submit.

(iii 32) Using bitumen and baked brick, I secured its foundation on the primordial netherworld, on the surface (lit. “breast”) of the broad netherworld. I brought (beams of) hard cedar from Lebanon, the holy forest, to be its roof. I surrounded (it) with a fortified wall using bitumen and baked brick.

(iii 41) Inside of it (the palace), I proclaimed royal decrees and lordly purification rites. I raised up (my) hand(s and) prayed to the lord of lords; my prayers went to the god Marduk, the merciful one:

(iii 45) “O lord of the lands, Marduk, listen to the utterances of my mouth. May I be sated with the luxuriousness of the house that I have built. Inside it, may I reach the prime of (my) life (and) attain very old age in Babylon. 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.”