(i 1) Nebuchadnezzar (II), king of Babylon, pious prince, favorite of the god Marduk, the exalted ruler who is the beloved of the god Nabû, the one who deliberates (and) acquires wisdom, the one who constantly seeks out the ways of their divinity (and) reveres their dominion, the indefatigable governor who is every day mindful of provisioning Esagil and Ezida and (who) constantly seeks out good things for Babylon and Borsippa, the wise (and) pious one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, the foremost heir of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I.

(i 13) When the god Marduk, the great lord, elevated me to be king and entrusted me with the lordship of all of the people, the god Nabû, overseer of the totality of heaven and earth, allowed my hands to grasp a just scepter to lead all of the settlements in the right was and to make (their) people flourish.

(i 18) As for me, I pray to them (Marduk and Nabû), I constantly seek out their divinity. At the mention of their important name(s), I revere god and goddess (alike).

(i 20) Through their exalted support, I repeatedly travelled (through) far-off lands, remote mountains, from the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea, difficult paths, obstructed roads, where access was blocked (and) approach was not possible, difficult road(s), (and) arid (lit. “thirsty”) path(s), and I killed the insubmissive, bound enemies, put the land in order, and made the people prosper. I drove away the criminals and villains from the people.

(i 28) I had silver, gold, precious stones, an abundance of anything that is valuable, red-gold produce, the yield of the mountains, the wealth of the seas, substantial tribute, lavish gift(s) brought into my city, Babylon, into their (the gods’) presence, and I constantly provisioned Esagil, the palace loved by his lordly majesty.

(i 33) I put bright gold (on the walls of) Eumuša, the cella of the Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk, as if (it was) šallaru-plaster.

(i 35) I (re)built and completed Ezida, and (then) I decorated (it) with gold, silver, and precious stones.

(i 37) I had the sanctuaries of Babylon and Borsippa built (and) I provided (for them).

(i 38) (With regard to) Etemenanki, the ziggurat of Babylon, (and) Eurmeiminanki, the ziggurat of Borsippa, I built and completed their entire structure(s) using bitumen and baked brick, and (then), on their summits, I resplendently built a holy shrine, a well-adorned bedroom, using baked bricks (colored with) shining blue glaze.

(i 44) In the past, from distant days until the reign of Nabopolassar, the king of Babylon, my father who engendered me, the kings who came before me built palaces in cities of their choice, (in) place(s) that they loved, (and) established their residences (in them). They accumulated their possessions inside (them and) heaped up their property. During the festival of the New Year, (during) the setting out of the Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk, they entered Šuanna (Babylon). Since the god Marduk created me for kingship (and) the god Nabû, his true heir, entrusted his subjects (to me), I have loved their beautiful bod(ies) as my (own) precious life. I have made no city more resplendent than Babylon and Borsippa.

(ii 1) In Babylon, the city that I chose, which I love, (with regard to) the palace, a building (that is) an object of wonder for the people, the bond of the land, a holy kummu-building, (and) the abode of my royal majesty, in the Ka-dingirra district — which is in Babylon (and extends) from Imgur-Enlil to Lībil-ḫegalla, the eastern canal, from the bank of the Euphrates River to Ay-ibūr-šabû, the street of Babylon — which Nabopolassar, the king of Babylon, my father who engendered me, had created with (sundried) brick(s) and taken up residence inside, its foundation(s) had become weak on account of flood water (and) the gates of that palace had become too low as a result of the raising (of the level) of the street(s) of Babylon.

(ii 12) I removed its wall, (merely) a molding of (sundried) brick(s), and (then) opened up its foundation and reached the water table. I secured its foundation at the level of the water table and raised it as high as a mountain using bitumen and baked brick.

(ii 16) I had (beams of) hard cedar stretched (over it) for its roof. At each of its gates, I fixed doors (made) of cedar with a facing of bronze (and) threshold(s) and nukuššû-fittings of cast copper.

(ii 19) I heaped up inside it silver, gold, precious stone(s), an abundance of anything that is valuable, (and) possessions (and) property worthy of praise. I accumulated inside it (objects) of valor (and) glory, (as well as) royal treasure(s).

(ii 22) Because (my) heart did not desire the seat of my royal majesty to be in (any) other city (than Babylon), I did not build myself a lordly abode in all settlements, nor did I store property befitting a king in all lands.

(ii 25) In Babylon, the kummu-building of my lordly majesty was not decorous enough for my status as king. Because reverence of the god Marduk, my lord, was present in my heart, when I widened (lit. “in order to widen”) the residence of my royal majesty in Babylon, the city (under) my protection, which I love, I did not change its street(s), displace its dais(es), nor block up its canal(s).

(ii 30) I searched far and wide for (the site of a new) kummu-building and (at) a distance of 490 cubits outside Nēmetti-Enlil, the outer wall of Babylon, I built two strong embankments using bitumen and baked brick, wall(s that were) as (solid as) a mountain.

(ii 35) I fashioned a baked brick structure between them and, on top of it, I built to a great height a large kummu-building as the residence of my royal majesty using bitumen and baked brick. I added (it) to the palace of (my) father and (thereby) made the seat of my lordly majesty resplendent.

(ii 40) I had (beams of) hard cedar originating from the high mountains (Lebanon), thick pines, and the best selection of cypress stretched (over it) for its roof. At each of its gates, I fixed doors (made) of musukkannu-wood, cedar, cypress, ebony, and ivory mounted with silver (and) gold and faced with bronze, (and) threshold(s) of silver and nukuššû-fittings of cast copper. I surrounded its summit with parapets (colored with) blue glaze.

(ii 47) I surrounded it like a mountain with a fortified wall using bitumen and baked brick. Alongside the wall of baked brick, I built a great wall using strong stone(s) (and) large (slabs) quarried from the mountain(s) and (then) I raised its superstructure like a mountain.

(ii 52) I had that building built to be an object of wonder and I filled it with splendor for all of the people to see. Dignity, fury, reverence, (and) brilliance of kingship surround it so that criminals (and) the unrighteous cannot enter inside it.

(ii 57) In order to strengthen the protection of Esagil (so that) no evil-doer or murderer can come near Babylon, (I did something) that no king of the past had done: 4,000 cubits distance outside the city of Babylon, far away, (too far away) to approach (lit. “not to approach”), I surrounded the eastern bank of Babylon with a fortified wall.

(iii 5) I dug out its moat and constructed its embankment(s) using bitumen (and) baked brick and (then), on its embankment, I built a fortified wall like a mountain. I constructed its broad gates (and) I fitted each of them with doors (made) of cedar with a facing of bronze.

(iii 11) In the immediate vicinity of the wall of baked bricks (that) faces north, (my) heart prompted me to build a palace for the protection of Babylon and I had a palace, a replica of the palace inside Ka-dingirra, built inside it (Babylon) using bitumen and baked brick. I constructed a strong sixty-cubit (artificially-made) spur of land along the Euphrates River and (thereby) created dry land. Using bitumen and baked brick, I secured its foundation on the surface (lit. “breast”) of the netherworld, at the level of the water table, and raised its superstructure. I added to the palace and raised it as high as a mountain using bitumen and baked brick.

(iii 24) I had (beams of) hard cedar stretched (over it) as its roof. At each of its gates, I fixed doors (made) of cedar with a facing of bronze, (and) threshold(s) and nukuššû-fittings of cast copper. I named that building “May Nebuchadnezzar (II) Stay in Good Health (and) Grow Old as The Provider of the Esagil.” With regard to the merciless evil-doer in the outskirts of the wall of Babylon, I drove away his arrows by reinforcing the wall of Babylon like a mountain. I strengthened the protection of Esagil and established the city of Babylon as a fortress.

(iii 35) I prayed to the god Marduk, my lord, and raised up my hand(s): “O Marduk, (my) lord, wisest of the gods, proud prince, you are the one who created me and entrusted me with kingship over all of the people.

(iii 39) Because I love revering your divinity (and) constantly seeking out your lordly majesty, accept my supplications (and) listen to my prayers so that I may be the king who provides (for you and) pleases your heart, the true shepherd who preserves the well-being of your people, the one who makes your subjects flourish, (and) the capable governor who provides for all of your cult centers.

(iii 47) By your command, O merciful Marduk, may the house that I built stay in good repair forever (and) I may be sated with its luxuriousness. May I reach the prime of (my) life (and) attain very old age inside it. May I receive inside it the substantial tribute of kings of the (four) quarters (of the world and) all of the people.

(iii 52) From the horizon to the zenith, wherever the sun rises, may I not have (any) enemies nor acquire (any) troublemaker(s). Inside it, may my descendants rule over the black-headed (people) forever.”