(i 1) Nebuchadnezzar (II), king of Babylon, pious prince, the 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 23) As soon as he had created me, the lord, the god who created me, the god Marduk, fashioned my form inside (my) mother (so that) when I was born I myself was (fully) formed. I constantly seek out the sanctuaries of the god(s) (and) constantly follow the ways of the god(s).

(i 30) I repeatedly praised aloud the ingenious accomplishments of the god Marduk, the great lord, the god who created me. I truly proclaim again and again the exalted divine ways of the god Nabû, his true heir, the one who loves my royal majesty. With all of my faithful heart, I love worshiping their divinity (and) revering their dominion.

(i 40) 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 leading people the right way. 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 51) I prayed to the god Marduk, my lord. I besought him with supplications and told him whatever my heart desired, (saying): “Without you, O lord, what would be created? As for the king you love, whose name you call, (and) the one who is pleasing to you, (it is) you (who) makes his name prosper (and) sends him on the right path. I am the prince who is obedient to you, the creation of your (own) hand! You are the one who created me and entrusted me with kingship of all of the people. According to your good will, O lord, which you allow all of them (the people) to be fed regularly, make your exalted dominion be merciful towards me and make reverence for your divinity exist in my heart. Grant me what is pleasing to you and make me have good physical heath.”

(ii 2) (As for) him, the foremost one, the honored one, the wisest of the gods, the prince, the god Marduk, he heeded my supplications and accepted my prayers. He made his exalted dominion pleasing to me and had reverence for his divinity placed in my heart. He prompted me to pull his chariot pole; I revered his dominion.

(ii 12) Through his 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) thirty 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.

(ii 30) I had silver, gold, precious (and) valuable stone(s), copper, musukkannu-wood, cedar, 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 his (Marduk’s) presence, and I provisioned Esagil, the palace of his lordly majesty.

(ii 43) (As for) Eumuša, the cella of the Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk, I made (it) radiant like the sun. I clad the foundation of the room with reddish gold for its šallaru-plaster (and) lapis lazuli and alabaster as if (they were) gypsum and bitumen.

(ii 51) (As for) Kaḫilišir, the gate of sexual charm(s), and the gate of Ezida, (the one inside) Esagil, I had (it) made (like) awe-inspiring radiance of the sun.

(ii 54) (As for) Du­ku­ki­nam­tar­ta­re­de of Ub­šuk­kin­na, the Dais of Destinies, in which the god Lugaldimmerankia, the lord, the god, takes up residence during the New Year’s festival, (at) the beginning of the year, (on) the eighth day (and on) the eleventh day, (where) the gods of heaven and earth, pay reverent attention to him, bow down (and) stand in his presence, in which they (the gods) determine (for me) a fate of long days (and) a fate of (the preservation of) my life, (as for) that dais, the dais of kingship, (and) the dais of supreme power of the wisest of the gods, the prince, the god Marduk, whose structure a king of the past had cast with silver, I had it clad with bright gold (and) ornaments (imbued with) brilliance.

(iii 8) I decorated the utensils of the temple(s) of Esagil with reddish gold (and) Maumuša with ṣāriru-gold and stone(s) to look like the stars of the heavens. I had the sanctuaries of Babylon (re)built (and) provided for.

(iii 15) I raised the superstructure of Etemenanki with baked bricks (colored with) shining blue glaze.

(iii 18) My heart dearly wanted me to (re)build Esagil (and) I was constantly attentive (towards it). I constantly sought out the best of my cedar that I had carried off from Mount Lebanon, the holy forest, to be the roof of Eumuša, the cella of his supreme power, and (my) mind pondered about (it). I clad the (beams of) hard cedar for the roof of Eumuša with bright gold. I decorated the šīpus below the cedar roof with gold and precious stone(s). I prayed all day to the king of the gods, the lord of lords (Marduk) to (re)build Esagil.

(iii 36) (As for) Borsippa, his beloved city, I properly adorned (it) and had Ezida, the true house, (re)built inside it. I completed its construction with silver, gold, precious stone(s), copper, musukkannu-wood, (and) cedar. I had the cedar roof(s) of the cellas of the god Nabû, clad with gold (and) had the cedar roof of Kaumuša clad with bright silver.

(iii 48) I decorated the wild bull(s) of the doors of the gate of the cella, door-jambs, door bolt(s), crossbeam(s), architrave(s), (and) giškanakku(s) with ṣāriru-gold and the cedar roof of its dalbānus with silver. I made the access way of the cella and the course to the temple shine resplendently (with) baked brick(s) of ešmarû-metal, the throne platform(s) and daises inside it (with) cast silver, (and) the wild bulls of the doors of (its) gates with zaḫalû-metal.

(iii 62) I suitably beautified the temple (Ezida) and filled (it) with splendor to be an object of wonder. I had the sanctuaries of Borsippa (re)built (and) provided for.

(iii 67) I raised the superstructure of Eurmeiminanki with baked bricks (colored with) shining blue glaze.

(iii 71) (As for) Maideḫedu, the vehicle of his rulership, the processional barge of the New Year’s festival, the festival of Šuanna (Babylon), I had its karûs (and) the zāratu-feature(s) inside it clad with an overlay of gold and stone(s).

(iv 7) (As for) Esiskur, the exalted akītu-house of the Enlil of the gods — the god Marduk — (which was) established for joyful celebrations of the Igīgū and Anunnakū gods, in the outskirts of Babylon, I set (it firmly in place) like a mountain with bitumen and baked brick.

(iv 14) (As for) Emaḫ, the temple of the goddess Ninḫursag (that is) inside Babylon, I built (it) in Babylon for the goddess Ninmaḫ, the mother who created me.

(iv 18) For the god Nabû, the exalted vizier who gave me a just scepter to exercise authority over all of the settlements, I built in Babylon the structure Egidrukalamasumu, his temple in Babylon, with bitumen and baked brick.

(iv 25) For the god Sîn, the one who makes my omens auspicious, I built in Babylon Ekišnugal (Egišnugal), his temple.

(iv 29) For the god Šamaš, the exalted judge who put a propitious omen in my extispicy, I built in Babylon Edikukalama, his temple, to a great height with bitumen and baked brick.

(iv 35) For the god Adad, the one who provides abundance in my land, I built in Babylon Enamḫe, his temple.

(iv 38) For the goddess Gula, the one who saves (and) spares my life, I suitably built in Babylon Esabad (and) Eḫursagsikila, her temples, with bitumen and baked brick.

(iv 44) For the goddess Nineanna, the lady who loves me, I built in the outer corners of the city wall of Babylon Ekitušgarza, her temple, to a great height.

(iv 49) For the god Mār-bīti, the one who breaks the weapon(s) of my enemies, I built his temple in Borsippa.

(iv 52) For the goddess Gula, the lady who keeps my body healthy, I built in Borsippa Egula, Etila, (and) Ezibatila, three sanctuaries of hers.

(iv 57) For the god Adad, the one who pours out abundant rain(s) in my land, I suitably built his temple in Borsippa.

(iv 61) For the god Sîn, the one who bears good signs for me, I radiantly built Edimana, his temple, in the enclosure wall of Ezida.

(iv 66) (As for) Imgur-Enlil and Nēmetti-Enlil, the great wall(s) of Babylon that Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, the father who had engendered me, had built but whose construction he had not completed — He had dug its moat, constructed two strong embankments with bitumen and baked brick as its bank(s), built the embankment of the Araḫtu (River), constructed piers of baked brick on the other side of the Euphrates (River), but he did not complete the rest.