Nebuchadnezzar II 032

(i 1) Nebuchadnezzar (II), king of Babylon, true shepherd, favorite of the god Marduk, the exalted ruler who is the beloved of the god Nabû, the prince who is very attentive to the will of the gods Šamaš and Adad and who travels the road to well-being, the exalted leader who is always submissive to the god Erra — the majestic one — and (thus) cuts down his opponent(s), the one who knows good judgment, the one who constantly seeks out the sanctuaries of the god Zababa and the goddess Ištar, the pious (and) devout one selected by the steadfast heart(s) of the great gods,

(i 8) the indefatigable governor who provides for Esagil and Ezida, (the one who) with generously providing hands brings great gifts into Esagil, the valiant canal inspector who irrigates the fields, the true farmer who heaps up enormous piles of grain, the powerful (and) capable one who lavishly provides for the sanctuaries of the gods (and) firmly establishes sattukku-offering(s), the king who with broad counsel regularly ascends distant mountains and crosses high mountainous terrain, foremost heir of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I.

(i 15) When the god Marduk, the great lord, the Enlil of the gods, the (most) exalted (and) proud one, steadfastly named me and magnificently commissioned me to shepherd a widespread people, provide for the cult centers, (and) renovate sanctuaries, and the god Nabû, overseer of the totality of heaven and earth, his (Marduk’s) first-born son, the beloved of his heart, the one who loves my royal majesty (and) makes my reign firm, made his mighty weapons, which cannot be withstood, march at my side in order to cut down my enemies and to conquer my foes, I marched through the vast extent of mountains and lands from the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea and reckoned all of the lands as my own.

(i 25) I brought gold, silver, precious (and) valuable stone(s), thick (beams of) cedar, substantial tribute, lavish gifts, produce of all of the lands, (and) yield of the all of the inhabited settlements into the presence of the god Marduk, the great lord, the god who created me, and the god Nabû, his exalted heir, the one who loves my royal majesty, and I made (all of this) enter Esagil and Ezida.

(i 30) In Esagil, like ..., the palace of heaven and earth, the inner sanctum of kingship, I clad Eumuša, the cella of the Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk, Kaḫilisu, the cella of the goddess Zarpanītu, (and) Ezida, the residence of the god Lugaldimmerankia (and) the cella of the god Nabû of the forecourt, with bright gold as if (it was) šallaru-plaster and made (them) shine like daylight.

(i 35) (With regard to) Etemenanki, the ziggurat of Babylon, I built (it) anew, more than my father had built.

(i 36) (With regard to) Ezida, the true house, the beloved of the god Marduk, I built (it) anew in Borsippa for the god Nabû, the august heir. I plated tall cedars with bronze and installed (them) as its šīpus. I installed musukkannu-wood, a durable wood, thick cedars, (and) bright copper, more than can be gazed upon, inside its foundation(s).

(i 40) I secured bright cedars for its architrave(s) and reinforced their structure with reddish bronze. I clad thick (beams of) cedar that I had cut down with my pure hands in Lebanon, their forest, with reddish gold, decorated (them) with precious stone(s), and had (them) stretched out as the roof of Emaḫtila, the cella of the god Nabû, over the three of them. Above those (beams of) cedar, I put bright copper as if (it was) šallaru-plaster. Above the copper, I put wax over them as a (protective) casing.

(i 47) In order to prevent (damage caused by) rain and downpour(s), shower(s) of rain above them, for a second time, I built a roof above them with hard cedar. I decorated the roof cedar(s) of six rooms (and) dalbānus of the cella of the god Nabû with shiny silver. I had thick (beams of) cedar stretched out as the roof of all of those rooms. I plated musukkannu-wood with bronze and set (them) up as stairs for its ascent.

(i 52) I fashioned fierce wild bulls with cast copper, clad (them) with an overlay of gold, decorated (them) with precious stone(s), and stationed (them) at the door-jamb(s) of the gate of the cella. I clad the door-jamb(s), door bolt(s), bolt(s), door(s), crossbeam(s), architrave(s), (and) giššakanakkus of the gate of the cella with reddish gold.

(i 55) Using bricks of shiny silver, I made the accessway to the cella and the course to the temple shine. I inlaid doors of musukkannu-wood and cedar with shiny silver. I installed bright alabaster as their pivot-stones and fixed (them) in all of their gates.

(ii 3) I made throne platform(s), daises, threshold(s), and nukuššû-fittings with shiny zaḫalû-metal and made the forecourt of Ezida shine like daylight.

(ii 4) I clad the roof cedar(s) of Kaumuša, the exit (and) entry of the son of the lord of the gods, with shiny silver. I clad its door-jamb(s), door bolt(s), crossbeam(s), architrave(s), giššakanakkus, arch(es), and vaults with shiny silver and stationed fierce wild bulls of silver at its door-jamb(s). I made that gate, (which is used) as the exit (and) entry of the son of the lord of the gods, the god Nabû, who goes in procession to the interior of Šuanna (Babylon), shine like daylight.

(ii 9) (With regard to) the Dais of Destinies, the seat of the god Nabû, the valiant son of the prince, on which the god Nabû — the triumphant heir — takes up residence during the New Year’s festival, (at) the beginning of the year, (on) the fifth day (and on) the eleventh day, when going to and returning from Babylon, I fashioned (it) with a casting of shiny silver and had it fir[ml]y placed in front of that gate (Kaumuša). I installed (it) as decoration.

(ii 12) I stationed bright wild bulls of silver in the door-jamb(s) of the gates of Ezida. With all of my faithful heart, I constantly sought out the inscription(s) of that temple and I decorated its structure with gold, silver, precious stone(s), copper, musukkannu-wood and cedar. I decorated the structure of Ezida as beautifully as the stars (lit. “writings”) of the [hea]vens. None of the kings of the past had made its structure radiant as me. I magnificently did something for the god Nabû, my lord, that no king among the (former) king(s) had built. During joyous celebrations, I made the god Nabû and the goddess Nanāya, my lords, reside inside it (on) a seat of happiness.

(ii 20) Nebuchadnezzar (II), king of Babylon, the one who constantly seeks out the sanctuaries of the gods Nabû and Marduk, am I.

(ii 22) (With regard to) Babylon, the cult center of the great lord, the god Marduk: (As for) Imgur-Enlil and Nēmetti-Enlil, its great walls, whose foundations Nabopolassar, the king of Babylon, my father who engendered me, had built, which he had surrounded twice with embankment(s) of bitumen and baked brick, but whose construction he had not finished, as for me, his first-born son, the beloved of his heart, I raised the superstructures of those walls and completed their construction. I stationed fierce wild bulls of copper and raging mušḫuššu-dragons at their door-jamb(s).

(ii 27) I built a third embankment with towers (and) piers. I went lower than the ancient foundation(s) and firmly placed its foundation(s) on the surface (lit. “breast”) of the netherworld. I adjoined that embankment to the embankment that my father had constructed and I raised its superstructure as high as a mountain.

(ii 30) (With regard to) the embankment of the Araḫtu (River) on the eastern bank from the gate of the goddess Ištar to the gate of the <god> Uraš, the piers of baked brick on the other side of the Euphrates (River), and outer moat embankment on the western bank that my father who had engendered me had built and installed as protection, I built the embankment of the Araḫtu (River) on the eastern bank and the moat embankment on the western bank and I adjoined (them) to the embankment(s) that my father had constructed. I installed their foundation(s) on the surface (lit. “breast”) of the netherworld and raised their superstructure(s) as high as mountain(s).

(ii 34) (With regard to) Maumuša, the barge of the god Marduk for going in procession (on) the Euphrates (River) and (on) the way to the akītu(-house), in which the prince, [the god Marduk], goes in procession at the beginning of the year, I cla[d] its rigging, fore and aft, with reddish gold and decorated it with precious stone(s).

(ii 37) (With regard to) Maidḫedu, the barge of the god Nabû, I decorated the zāratu-feature(s) and both of its karûs with bright pašallu-gold and precious (and) bright stones. For going to Šuanna (Babylon) and returning to Borsippa (during the festival) of the New Year, I firmly established (it) for the son of the lord of the gods.

(ii 41) (With regard to) Emaḫ, the temple of the goddess Ninmaḫ, Eniggidrukalamasuma, the temple of the god Nabû of the ḫarû, Eḫursagsikila, the temple of the goddess Ninkarrak, Egišnugal, the temple of the god Sîn on the eastern bank, Enamḫe, the temple of the god Adad, Edikukalama, the temple of the god Šamaš, (and) Ekitušgarza, the temple of the goddess Bēlet-Eanna on the western bank, I built (them) anew in Babylon and raised up their superstructure(s).

(ii 45) To strengthen the protection of Babylon, (I did something) that no one from the past had done: 4,000 cubits distance outside the city, I crea[ted] and built a fortified wall, and (then) I surrounded the eastern bank of Babylon (with it). I dug out its moat and reached the water table.

(ii 49) (With regard to) the thick embankments that my father who had engendered (me) had built twice using bitumen and baked brick, but the rest (of which) he did not complete, as for me, using bitumen and baked brick, I built a strong embankment with towers (and) piers and I adjoined (it) to the embankment(s) that my father had built, thereby broadening (the width of) the embankments, (all) three of them, to twenty-five cubits. I heaped (them) up (with earthen mounds) like the base of a mountain and (then) raised up their superstructure(s).

(ii 55) (With regard to) Ṭābi-supūršu, the wall of Borsippa, whose foundation(s) my father who engendered me had firmly established, which he had surrounded with an embankment of bitumen and baked brick, and whose structure he had reinforced, I raised the superstructure of that wall (and) completed its construction. I dug out its moat and had it surrounded with far-reaching water. I built the embankment(s) of the quay using bitumen and baked brick and (then) ... with the embankment that my father had built. I firmly placed its foundation on the surface (lit. “breast”) of the netherworld.