(Texts: All Artifacts, Color Coding, & Writings in Bold Type With Italics Inside Parenthesis, are Added by Editor R. Brown, not the Authors, Translators, or Publishers!)
(gods in blue … mixed-breed demigods in teal)
[…] … [… the slave girl] did not list[en to] her mistress.
[They led their gods away, neglected their goddesses], abandoned [their rites], and embraced quite different (rites);
[…] they were inciting [criminal ac]ts (and) infringing on a taboo; […] they discontinued [sattuk]ku offerings.
They fomented a conspiracy.
They (Babylon’s citizens) put their hands on [the possessions of Esagil and the citizens of Babylon]
and they plundered its goods, [gold, silver, (and) stones fr]om inside the temple
(and) sold (them) at market value to the land Elam.
(Enlil, Anu, & Enki in their sky-disc)
[The god] Enlil saw […] and his heart became angry (and) his mood became furious.
[The Enlil of the gods, the lord of the lands], plotted evilly to scatter the land and people;
[to level the land and to destroy] its [people], his heart was angry.
A bitter curse was placed in his mouth.
Many [bad omens] concerning the destruction of mankind occurred [in heaven and on earth.
The path of the Enlil-stars, the path of the Anu-stars, (and) the path of] the Ea-stars
changed their position(s) for the worse (and) they constantly revealed signs portending destruction.
[…] … in the same way, its signs became increasingly bad.
[The river Araḫtu, (normally) a river of abundance], turned into an angry wave,
a raging tide, a huge flood like the deluge.
It swept (its) [waters] destructively across the city, [its dwelling(s),
(and) its shrines], and turned (them) into a swamp.
(Enlil, Anu, & Enki flying like birds above)
The gods [(and goddesses) dwelling in it] flew up to the heavens like [bi]rds.
The šēdus (and) [lamassus … fle]d and were wandering around outside.
The people living [in it were hidden in another place] and took refuge in an unknown land.
(Marduk)
As time passed, [the heart of the great lord], the god Marduk, was soothed
and he became reconciled with the land that he had punished.
As the seventy years [passed, …] he (the god Marduk) wrote [‘11 years’], had pity, and said ‘Aḫulap!’
(wall relief of Esarhaddon)
(As for) me, Es[arhaddon, …], who knows how to revere his great divinity,
[… were established] for me at the beginning of [my kingship, in my first year,
when] I sat [on the] throne of my priestly office, when I wore the crown of lordship, and […].
They (the gods) constantly revealed good omen(s) to me concerning the (re)population of the city and the temple.
[Bright Jupiter(, the giver of decisions on Akkad,) came] near [in Simānu]
and stood in the place where the sun shines.
It was shining brightly (and) its appearance was [red. …]
(and) there were copious [rains] (and) regular floods [in Akkad].
It (Jupiter) reached (its) [hyp]soma [for a second time in the month “Opening of the Door”] and [stayed] i[n its place].
[In order to triumph (and) to show overpowering strength], he (the god Marduk)
reveal[ed to me] good omen(s) [concerning the (re-)entering of Esagil.
Every month, the gods Sîn (Nannar) (and) Šamaš (Nannar’s son Utu) together,
at their appearance, answered me with a firm] ‘yes’ [concerning (the renewing of the gods,)
the completion of the shrines (and) cult centers, the stability] of my reign
(and) the securing of the throne of my priestly office.
[By means of the great intelligence] (and) vast understanding which [the sage of the gods,
the prince, the god Nudimmud (Enki)], gave [to me, it occurred] to me [to (re)populate that city,
to renovate] its [shrines], (and) to make the cult center shine, [and] my [mind prompted (me).
[I was afraid (and) wo]rried [to perform that work] and [I knelt be]fore the gods
Šamaš (Utu), Adad, (and) Marduk, the great judge(s), the god[s, my lords.
In the diviner’s bowl], good [sig]n(s) were established for me,
and they had (their response) concerning the (re)population of the city
(and) the renovati[on of Esagil] written on a liver.
[I trusted in their firm ‘yes’] and I mustered all of my craftsmen and (the people of) Karduniaš (Babylonia).
I imposed baskets (on them and) had them wield ho[e]s.
I mixed (the mud for) its revetment [with fine oil, honey,
ghee, kurunnu-wine], muttinnu-wine, (and) mountain beer.
I had its bricks made for a whole year [in brickmolds of musukkannu]-wood.
I gathered together [expert craftsmen] (and) skilled master builders, who lay out plans.
I laid the foundations of [Esagil, the palace of the gods], and secured its brickwork.
[… fas]hioned skillfully (and) I drew its ground plan exactly as it had been written.
[With] the large aslu-cubit, I measured the dimensions of […], in (exact) accordance with its earlier plan.
[…] I made its foundation platform as strong as the base of a mighty mountain,
[…] … (and) built its structure as it was in former days.
I bui[lt Etemenanki, the ziqqurat], as it was before — its length [is one ašlu
(and) one ṣup]pān, (and) its width is one ašlu (and) one ṣuppān.
I offered pure offerings to […] the great [gods] and the god Kulla (Apkulla), the lord of foundations (and) bricks.
I laid their foundations with […] …, wine, (and) kurunnu-wine, and I secured [their] footings.
[I had foundation inscriptions made of (…)] basalt [(and) I wro]te [on them] the glory of the great lord, my lord,
and I pl[ace]d (them) in their (Esagil’s and Etemenanki’s) midst.
[…] I restored its precious [ritu]als and [… I] established […] … […] … […]