Ashurbanipal 209

(1) [For the goddess Ni]ngal, who makes life pleasant, goddess worthy of pra[ise], mother of the gods, the hero[ic one, the] gracious [wil]d cow, who(se) face is ra[diant, who(se)] featu[res] always shine brightly [l]ike daylight, (5) wi[f]e of the divine light (Sîn) — foremost lord, resplendent one, light of the distan[t] heavens — who bore the god Šamaš — the one who lights up the four quarters (of the world), who(se) judgement and decision are final ... — who intercedes for the light of the gods, her beloved, the god S[în], who gives counsel (and) says favorable thing(s) to the god Šamaš, [her] child, who makes the words of prayers pleasing, who appoints the king who reveres her; (10) the ruler, merciful one, who accepts petitions, who dwells in Egipar that is inside the city Ḫarrān, the great lady, his lady —

(12) I, Ashurbanipal, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria; son of Esarhaddon, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria; grandson of Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria; (15) the king beloved by the gods Sîn and Šamaš, pious prince, favorite of the deities Ningal and Nusku, one whom they firmly chose with their steadfast hearts and commanded his exercising the kingship for all time:

(19) I had as many as such-and-such poles of šaššūgu-wood made, wood (pieces) of equal size whose strength was very great. I inlaid the(ir) top and bottom (ends) with reddish gold amounting to such-and-such weight an[d] (thus) I made thei[r c]aps shine like daylight. I [established] (this) wor[k] for her divinity for lasting years (and) for long into the distant future in order to carry around her great divinity whenever (she) goes forth from the akītu-house.

(25) On account of this, may the goddess Ningal, pre-eminent one of the goddesses, resple[ndent one, ...], look kindly upon these [pole]s and [with] plea[sure ... the goddess Ni]ngal ... [...] ... [... (rev. 1) ...] ... [...] ... may he set (and) protect [...] ... may the god Šamaš continually renew (and) m[ay ...].

(r 4) During a reign in the [dist]ant future, when (even) one among [these] pole[s] becomes dilapidated and sustains d[amage], may he restore these poles, not change [my] han[di]work, and return (them) to t[heir] place. May he respe[ct] the oath sworn by the goddess Ningal, [my] lady, and the praise of the great gods, who support me, [and] (rev. 10) may he write on it the mention of my good name, which the gods Aššur and Mar[duk] had made great[er] than (those of) all (other) rulers, with his (own) name and deposit (it) for the future. May the god Sîn and the goddess [N]ingal accept his handiwork with pleasure and grant his prayers.

(r 15) But (as for) the one w[ho] rem[o]ves these [p]oles and (re)fashions its mountings for another work, or destroys the praise of the goddess Ningal, my lady, and changes the mention of my name, may the god Sîn, the great lord, make his living quarters so terrifying to him that he must roam around outside, (and) (rev. 20) may the goddess Ningal, the great lady, release his harness-broken (steeds) and smash his yoke.

(r 22) [T]his is what is (written) upon the poles of the goddess Ningal.