Nebuchadnezzar II 023

(i 1) Nebuchadnezzar (II), king of Babylon, pious prince, favorite of the god Marduk, 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 mindful of provisioning Esagil and Ezida daily and (who) constantly seeks out good things for Babylon and Borsippa, the wise (and) pious one who provides for Esagil and Ezida, 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 the people, the god Nabû, overseer of the totality of heaven and earth, allowed my hands to grasp a just scepter for keeping all of the settlements in good order and making (their) people flourish. As for me, I prayed to them (Marduk and Nabû), I constantly sought 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) thirsty path(s), and killed insubmissive, bound enemies, put the land in order, and made the people prosper. From the people, I drove away the criminals and villains.

(i 28) I had silver, gold, precious stone(s), an abundance of anything that is valuable, gleaming 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 provisioned Esagil, the palace beloved 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) (As for) Etemenanki, the ziggurat of Babylon, (and) Eurmeiminanki, the ziggurat of Borsippa, I built and completed their entire structure(s) with bitumen and baked brick, and (then), on their summits, I resplendently built a holy shrine, a well-adorned bedroom, with baked bricks (colored with) shining blue glaze.

(i 44) In the past, from distant days until the reign of Nabopolassar, the king of Babylon, the 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), (as well as) 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 of my choice that I love, (as for) the palace, a building (that was) an object of wonder for the people, the bond of the land, a holy private room, (and) the abode of my royal majesty, in the Ka-dingirra district — which is in Babylon, 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, the 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) open 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 with bitumen and baked brick. I had (beams of) hard cedar stretched (over it) as its roof. At each of its gate, 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 a lordly abode in any (other) settlement, nor did I put property befitting a king in any (other) land.

(ii 25) In Babylon, the private chambers of my lordly majesty were not decorous enough for my status as king. Because worshiping the god Marduk, my lord, was present in my heart, in order to widen the residence of my royal majesty, in Babylon, the city (under) my protection that I love, I did not change its street(s), displace its dais(es), nor block up its canal(s). I searched far and wide for (the site of a new) kummu-building and 490 cubits distance outside of Nēmetti-Enlil, the outer wall of Babylon, I built two strong embankments with bitumen and baked brick (and) a wall like a mountain.

(ii 35) I fashioned a baked brick structure between them and, on top of it, I built a large kummu-building as the residence of my royal majesty with bitumen and baked brick to a great height. 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 holy mountain (Lebanon), thick pine, and the best selection of cypress stretched (over it) as its roof. At each of its gate, I fixed doors (made) of musukkannu-wood, cedar, cypress, ebony, and ivory with mounting(s) of silver (and) gold (and) a facing of bronze, (and) threshold(s) and nukuššû-fittings of cast copper. I surrounded its summit with parapets (colored with) blue glaze.

(ii 47) I surrounded it with a fortified wall of bitumen and baked brick like a mountain. Beside 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. 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, anger, 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 and 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. I dug out its moat and constructed its embankment(s) with 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 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) with bitumen and baked brick. I constructed a strong, sixty-cubit (artificially-made) spur of land along the Euphrates River and (thereby) created dry land. With 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 with bitumen and baked brick.

(iii 24) I had (beams of) hard cedar stretched (over it) as its roof. At each of its gate, I fixed doors (made) of cedar with a facing of bronze, (and) threshold(s) and nukuššû-fittings of cast copper. I named it “May Nebuchadnezzar (II) Stay in Good Health (and) Grow Old As The Provider of the Esagil.” As for the merciless, evil doer in the outskirts of the wall of Ka-dingirra, 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, the wisest of the gods, the proud prince, you yourself are the one who created me and entrusted me with kingship of all of the people. Because I love worshiping your divinity, I constantly seek 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 well-being of your people, the one who makes your subjects flourish, the capable governor, (and) the one who provides for all of your cult centers.

(iii 47) By your merciful command, O Marduk, may the house that I built stay in good repair forever so that 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. From the horizon to the zenith, wherever the sun rises, may I not have enemies nor acquire (any) troublemaker(s). Inside it, may my descendants rule over the black-headed (people) forever.