Esarhaddon, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of (i 5) Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, pious prince who reveres the gods Nabû and Marduk —

Before my time the great lord, the god Marduk, became angry, trembled (with rage), and was furious with Esagil (i 15) and Babylon; his [he]art was full of rage. Because of the wrath in his heart and his bad temper, Esagil and Babylon became a wasteland and turned into ruins.

Its (Babylon’s) gods and goddesses became frightened, abandoned their cellas, and went up to the heavens. The people living in it (Babylon) were distributed among the (foreign) riffraff (and) became slaves.

At the beginning of my kingship, in my first year, when I sat in greatness on (my) royal throne (and) (ii 10) (when) they (the gods) entrusted me with the lordship of the lands, the heart of the great divine lord, the god Marduk, was appeased, (ii 15) his mood was soothed; he became reconciled with Esagil and Babylon, (both of) which he had punished.

As for me, Esarhaddon, the servant who reveres his great divinity, it occurred to [me] (and) my heart prompted me to (re)build Esagil and Babylon, [re]novate (its) gods (ii 30) and goddesses, [comple]te (its) shrines, (and) (re)con[firm (its) sattukku offerings]. (iii 5) I was encouraged and ordered the (re)building.

I gathered the peoples of the lands conquered by me and had them take up hoe (and) basket. I mix[ed] (the mud for) its re[v]etm[ent] with fine oil, honey, ghee, (iii 15) kurunnu-[wine], muttinnu-wine (and) pure mountain beer. (iii 20) In order to show the people his great divinity and to inspire awe (in) his lordship, (iii 25) I raised a basket onto my head and carried (it) myself.

I had its bricks made for a whole year in brickmolds of ivory, ebony, boxwood, (and) musukkannu-wood. I built anew (and) [co]mpleted Esagil, the palace of the gods, together with its shrines, from its foundations to its battlements. (iii 45) I made (it) greater than before, raised (it) up, glorified (it), (and) made (it) glisten like the stars (lit. “writing”) of the firmament. I filled (it) with splendor (making it) an object of wonder for all of the people.

I refurbished the gods and goddesses who lived in it (and) (iv 1) had (them) dwell on their daises as an eternal dwelling. I (re)confirmed their inter[rup]ted sattukku offerings. I had [whatever] furnishings (iv 10) [were ne]eded for Esagil [and] its [sh]rines made from gold, si[lver], and bronze, and I placed (them) in their midst.

I had Babylon, (which was measured by) the aslu-cubit checked by the gods, Imgur-Enlil, its wall, (and) Nēmetti-Enlil, its outer wall, built anew with the work of the god Kulla and I raised (them) like mountains.

I am the one who (re)built Babylon, (re)constructed Esagil, renewed (it) gods and goddesses, completed (its) shrines, (re)confirmed (its) sattukku offerings, (and) who gathered its (Babylon’s) scattered people.

May the Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk, (v 5) and the goddess Zarpanītu, the queen, look with joy upon the work of my good deeds and order the prolongation of my days, (v 10) (and) discuss my years to be many; may they decree as my fate the protection of my offspring, the increase of (v 15) my progeny, the expansion of my family so that they branch out widely; (v 20) like a father and mother, may they come over to my side in battle and warfare; may they come to my aid; (and) may they make my weapons rise up (and) kill my enemies.

Let me attain whatever my heart desires (and) may they allow me to stand in victory (and) triumph over my enemies; let me squash all of my enemies (v 35) like ants; let him (the god Marduk) make the foundation of the throne of my priestly office be as secure as a great mountain; (v 40) (and) let my reign endure as long as the foundations of Esagil and Babylon. May all of the great gods who sit on daises (v 45) in Babylon bless my kingship until far-off days (and) may they order security for my reign forever.

[I had] foundation inscriptions made of silver, gold, lapis lazuli, alabaster, basalt, pendû-stone, elallu-stone, (vi 10) (and) white limestone, (as well as) inscribed objects of baked clay, and (vi 15) (then) I wrote the might of the great hero, the god Marduk, (and) the deeds that I (text: “he”) [had] done, my pious work. [I p]laced (these inscriptions) in the foundations (and) left (them) for far-off days.

In future days, in far-off days, may one of the kings, my descendants, whom the king of the gods, the god [Mar]duk, names to rule [the land] and people, (vi 30) [read] an inscription [written in] my name, and anoint (it) with oil, make an offering, (vi 35) (and) [re]turn (it) to its place. The god Marduk, the king of the gods, will (then) hear his prayers.

(As for) the one who changes (an inscription) written in my name, defaces my representations, destroys my handiwork, may the great divine lord, the god Marduk, (vi 50) glare at him angrily among all of the rulers, and make his name (and) his descendant(s) disappear from the land. May he have no pity on him forever.

Accession year of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria.