(8.27.1:1) If a man 2is inflicted by 1((‘fall of heavens’, ‘Lord of the Roof’)), ‘hand-of-a-god’, ‘hand-of-a-goddess’, ‘hand-of-a-ghost’, 2‘hand-of-a-curse’ (and) ‘hand-of-a-human’, 3((the evil alû-demon overwhelms him)), he speaks, but no one listens to him, (people) point at him maliciously, 4((his)) god and goddess are angry with him, 5he repeatedly sees 4terrifying, evil (and) unfavourable dreams, 5he is frightened (and) he constantly throws a tantrum before (his) god and goddess, 6his heart ponders foolishness, he is beset by fear, there is hate against him in the mouth of the (var.: his) people, 7god, king, magnate and nobleman treat him unjustly, they promise him (things) but do not give (them) to him, 8his whole flesh gets constantly paralysed, his face is red, sallow and black, 9his body keeps changing (for the worse), he keeps forgetting his words, the woman he desires does not want him 10(and) he cannot fulfil his desire — so that for (his) whole life all of this not come near the man:

(8.27.1:11) Incantation: “Marduk, great lord, foremost of heaven and earth,
sage of the universe, who knows everything,

(8.27.1:12) merciful god, who hears appeals (and) accepts supplications,

(8.27.1:13) who guards the life of the people (and) holds heaven and earth,

(8.27.1:14) sagacious king, who loves to revive,
lord of the water sources and the seas, who puts an end to the ba[ttle],

(8.27.1:15) bringer of plenty (and) provider of grain for the flourishing people,

(8.27.1:16) Marduk, great lord, sublime among the gods, the unrivalled one,

(8.27.1:17) proud god, who is made resplendent for the divine crown,
you are the light of the world, the shepherd of mankind.

(8.27.1:18) Without you, heaven and earth would not have been created,

(8.27.1:19) without you, Sîn, light of heaven, would not rise as a sign for the people,

(8.27.1:20) without you, Šamaš would not judge a case,
without you, a decision would not be reached (and) given to the land,

(8.27.1:21) without you, no god would keep the shrine of god and goddess in order,

(8.27.1:22) without you, the wise gods would not celebrate a festival,

(8.27.1:23) without you, Šamaš, the judge, would not place the intact intestinal coils (and) the correct arrangement of the lungs into the sheep,

(8.27.1:24) ditto, the diviner would not guide his hand aright,
without you, the exorcist would not treat the sick,

(8.27.1:25) without you, the exorcist, ecstatic (and) snake charmer would not walk along the street (in search of customers),

(8.27.1:26) without you, one would not escape from trouble and hardship,
ditto, the orphan and the widow would not be cared for.

(8.27.1:27) O lord, the orphan and the widow are calling out to you,
the (man) who has no child — there will be virility (for him).

(8.27.1:28) It is you, [lord], who has mercy on them.

(8.27.1:29) Daily, O mighty one, the poor and the wealthy are calling out to you, the giver of [...].

(8.27.1:30) All the lands are calling out ‘O Marduk!’

(8.27.1:31) I, N.N., son of N.N., whose god is N.N., whose goddess is N.N.,
call upon you, O lord, in the middle of the night;

(8.27.1:32) with you, I call upon Eru, your great, beloved wife.

(8.27.1:33) Be present for me and listen to my words,
accept my supplications and recognize my appeals!

(8.27.1:34) May Eru, your beloved wife, be present with you:
may she intercede for me, may she convey my appeals to you.

(8.27.1:35) Re[concile] my angry god and my angry goddess
whose hearts have become angry so that they are furious with me,

(8.27.1:36) they keep chasing me with rejection and with great fury.

(8.27.1:37) Witchcraft, magic, [sor]cery (and) the evil machinations of men have befallen me, 38they caused me to be dismissed 37from before your g[rea]t divinity (and) 38from before god and goddess. ‘Fall of heavens’, ‘Lord of the Roof’, ‘hand-of-a-god’, ‘hand-of-a-goddess’, ‘hand-of-a-ghost’, 39‘hand-of-a-curse’, ‘hand-of-a-human’, wailing and physical ill health have approached me so that I am wailing all the time;

(8.27.1:40) they have caused god, king, magnate, and nobleman to turn away from me.

(8.27.1:41) (Because of) the evil of evil (and) unfavourable signs (and) omens (as well as) of defective, frightening, evil (and) unfavourable entrails

(8.27.1:42) (observed in) the acts (of extispicy), the killing of the sheep, the offering of the sacrifice, the performance of the divination, which have thwarted me —

(8.27.1:43) now, Marduk, great lord, and Eru, great wife,

(8.27.1:44) I have called upon you, turned to you, appealed to you, I have seized the hem (of) your (garments),

(8.27.1:45) I have knelt down at your feet, I trust in your command, I am here to take your advice!

(8.27.1:46) A dog-man of cedar wood, a guardian of health (and) life, a pure god, 47I have set up [be]fore you,

(8.27.1:47) who guards your gate every day, 48[who cha]ses away the evil one, the gallû-foe ((and)) the enemy,
who removes witchcraft, magic, [sorcer]y (and) the evil [machina]tions of men,

(8.27.1:49) who reconciles an angry god (and) an angry goddess,

(8.27.1:50) who intercedes (for supplicants) with Marduk and Eru (var.: Zarpanītu), his lords.

(8.27.1:51) Marduk, great lord, give him ((your)) commission (to protect my) life,

(8.27.1:52) so that he may accompany me every day for good fortune and ((my)) good health,

(8.27.1:53) 55(and so that) he may drive away from my body every day 53the evil one, the gallû-foe, the enemy, witchcraft, magic, sorcery, evil ((and)) wicked machinations,

(8.27.1:54) hate-magic, ‘cutting-of-the-throat’ magic, ‘distortion-of-justice’ magic, ‘seizing-of-the-mouth’ magic, ((‘fall of heavens’, ‘lord of the roof’)),

(8.27.1:55) ‘hand-of-a-god’, ‘hand-of-a-goddess’, ‘hand-of-a-ghost’, ‘hand-of-a-curse’ (and) ‘hand-of-a-human’!

(8.27.1:56) Zarpanītu, the exalted lady, the beloved wife of Marduk,

(8.27.1:57) [may she gi]ve him (i.e., the dog-man) benevolent advice so that he may guard my life every day.

(8.27.1:58) Let witchcraft, magic, [evil] sorcery become distant as with mēsu-wood,

(8.27.1:59) let my [go]d and my goddess [have] mercy [on me] as with gold,

(8.27.1:60) may I be bright and pure like sil[ver] (var.: linen),
and may my god and goddess 61make me see a good dream.

(8.27.1:62) Marduk, great lord, I will praise your glory! Zarpanītu, great lady, I will pro[claim] your greatness!

(8.27.1:63) By your supreme command that cannot be changed and your reliable approval that can<not> be altered.”

(8.27.1:64) It is the wording (of an incantation) to undo the anger of all the gods: (so that) ((‘fall of heavens’, ‘Lord of the Roof’)), ‘hand-of-a-god’, ‘hand-of-a-goddess’, ‘hand-of-a-ghost’, 65‘hand-of-a-curse’, ‘hand-of-a-human’, the evil of signs (and) omens not approach a man.

(8.27.1:66) Its ritual: You make the figurine of a dog-man of cedar wood, you string it on a cord of gold, 67you wrap a cord of flax (var.: silver) with a golden loop, you string ḫulālu-stone (and) ‘dark obsidian’ (var.: a seal of ḫulālu-stone; a seal of šubû-stone) (on it); you put it [o]n it (i.e., the figurine). 68Incantation: “You are Asari, expel the enemy, send away the sorceries!” 69You write this incantation on the figurine of the dog-man. 70At night you sweep the roof, you sprinkle pure water, you set up two portable altars for Marduk and Eru (var.: Zarpanītu). 71You strew dates (and) fine flour, you place mirsu-confection made of syrup (and) ghee (there). 72You strew two censers with aromatics, you make two pure sacrifices, 73you present the shoulder, the caul fat ((and)) the roast meat, 74you pour a libation of beer, (and) you place the figurine of the dog-man and its (ritual) paraphernalia between the two offering arrangements. 75You speak thus: “Accept (the offering), Marduk, lord of Esangil, great lord, accept (the offering), Eru (var.: Zarpanītu), queen of Babylon, great lady!” 76You step back and you smear two bricks with ḫābu-earth; you place them on the right and left sides of the offering arrangement. 77You pile twigs (upon the bricks), you insert cedar, cypress (and) ‘sweet reed’ (into the twigs). 78You take the fire in an unfired burzigallu-bowl, and you insert cedar, cypress (and) ‘sweet reed’ into two torches; 79you decorate (them) with white (and) red wool (threads), you kindle them with burning sulphur and put them on the pile of brushwood. 80You speak [thus]: “Accept (the offerings), great gods, all whose name is invoked!” You strew maṣḫatu-flour, you pour a libation of beer, you step back and 81recite the incantation “Marduk great lord, foremost of heaven and earth” three times. 82[As so]on as you have recited (it), you lift up the figurine of the dog-man, ((which is placed there)), and 83recite 82the incantation written on the figurine of the dog-man 83seven times in front of the pile of brushwood of Marduk and seven times in front of the pile of brushwood of Eru. 84As soon as you have recited (it), you stand between the two offering arrangements, and you say as follows:

(8.27.1:85) “You are the dog-man, the guardian of health (in the service) of Marduk and Eru (var.: Zarpanītu).

(8.27.1:86) He has! (text: I have) given you 85a commission for life 86and well-being; you have been given to me! (text: it has been given to you for my sake). From today on, 87observe Marduk’s commission (and) listen to Eru’s (var.: Zarpanītu’s) appeal!

(8.27.1:88) Before Marduk and Zarpanītu ... !
Any evil, anything bad, 89[‘hand]-of-the-god’, ‘hand-of-a-goddess’, ‘hand-of-a-ghost’, ‘hand-of-a-curse’ ‘hand-of-a-human’ 90expel from my body! Do not let it approach me, do not let it come near me —

(8.27.1:91) at the command of Marduk, the great lord, and Zarpanītu, the exalted lady!”

(8.27.1:92) As soon as you have recited (this), you prostrate yourself. As soon as the ritual arrangement has [b]urnt down (and) the censer has used up its portion (of aromatics), you clear away the ritual arrangement (and) you strew pine seeds before the figurine of the dog-man on the censer. In the morning 93you purify yourself 92with gypsum, 93you put this (necklace) around your neck. ((Moreover)), you take off the unclean garment, 94you place a leather pouch (on him) three times; he anoints himself, then he shall be well.

(8.27.1:95) ... (unintelligible ‘rubric’)

(8.27.1:96) Use the ritual utensils that are available!