(i 1) Nebuchadnezzar (II), king of Babylon, pious prince, favorite of the god Marduk, the exalted ruler who is the beloved of the god Nabû, the true shepherd who takes the road to well-being of the gods Šamaš and Adad, the wise (and) capable one whose attention is set on the strength the god Erra — the majestic one — the one who knows good judgment, the one who constantly seeks out the sanctuaries of the god Zababa and the goddess Ištar, the humble (and) disciplined one who is always submissive to the god Marduk — the great lord, the Enlil of the gods, the one who makes his kingship surpassing — and the god Nabû — the exalted vizier, the one who makes the days of his life long — and who acts as their servant,

(i 10b) the indefatigable governor who provides for Esagil and Ezida, (the one who) with generously providing hands brings great gifts into Esagil, the pious (and) devout one selected by the steadfast heart(s) of the great gods, the valiant canal inspector who irrigates the fields, the farmer of Babylon who lavishly provides for the sanctuaries of the gods (and) firmly establishes sattukku-offering(s), foremost heir of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon, am I.

(i 16b) When the god Marduk, the great lord, steadfastly named me and gave me the power of over the lands to shepherd (and) the god Nabû, his true heir, the one who loves my royal majesty, placed in my hands the lead-rope of a great (number of) people, with their exalted strength, I marched from the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea and reckoned all of the lands as my own.

(i 22b) The divine lord, the god Marduk, my lord, entrusted me with silver, gold, precious (and) valuable stone(s), thick (beams of) cedar, substantial tribute, lavish gifts, produce of all of the lands, (and) yield of all of the inhabited settlements (and) I made (all of this) enter Esagil and Ezida, into the presence of the god Marduk, the great lord, the god who created me, and the god Nabû, his exalted heir, the one who loves my royal majesty. The gods Nabû and Marduk (then) accepted me and magnificently commissioned me to provide for the cult centers (and) renovate sanctuaries.

(i 30) (In) Esagil, the awe-inspiring shrine, the palace of heaven and earth, the residence of festiveness, I clad Eumuša, the cella of the Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk, Kaḫilisu, the gate of the cella of the goddess Zarpanītu, (and) Ezida, the residence of the god Lugaldimmerankia (and) the cella of the god Nabû of the forecourt, with bright gold and made (them) shine like daylight.

(i 35) (With regard to) Etemenanki, the ziggurat of Babylon, I built (it) anew.

(i 36) (With regard to) Ezida, the true house, the beloved of the god Marduk, I built (it) anew in Borsippa for the god Nabû, the august heir. I plated tall cedars with bronze and installed (them) as its šīpus. I installed musukkannu-wood, a durable wood, thick cedars, (and) bright copper, more than can be gazed upon, inside its foundation(s).

(i 41b) I secured cedars for its architrave(s) and reinforced their structure with reddish bronze. I clad thick (beams of) cedar that I had cut down with my pure hands in Lebanon, their forest, with reddish gold, decorated (them) with precious stone(s), and had (them) stretched out as the roof of Emaḫtila, the cella of the god Nabû, over the three of them. Above those (beams of) cedar, I put bright copper as if (it was) šallaru-plaster. Above the copper, I put wax over them as a (protective) casing.

(i 49b) In order to prevent (damage caused by) rain and downpour(s), shower(s) of rain above them, for a second time, I built a roof above them with hard cedar. I decorated the roof cedar(s) of six rooms (and) dalbānus of the cella of the god Nabû with shiny silver. I had thick (beams of) cedar stretched out as the roof of all of those rooms. I plated musukkannu-wood with bronze and set (them) up as stairs for its ascent.

(i 56) I fashioned fierce wild bulls with cast copper, clad (them) with an overlay of gold, decorated (them) with precious stone(s), and stationed (them) at the door-jamb(s) of the gate of the cella. I clad the door-jamb(s), door bolt(s), bolt(s), door(s), crossbeam(s), architrave(s), (and) giššakanakkus, (and) sikkūru šāqilu lock(s) of the gate of the cella with reddish gold.

(i 61) Using bricks of shiny silver, I made the accessway to the cella and the course to the temple shine. I inlaid doors of musukkannu-wood and cedar with shiny silver. I installed bright alabaster as their pivot-stones and fixed (them) in all of their gates.

(i 65b) I made throne platform(s) (and) daises of Ezida, threshold(s), and nukuššû-fittings with shiny silver and placed (them) inside it.

(i 67b) I clad the roof cedar(s) of Kaumuša, the exit and entry of the son of the lord of the gods, with shiny silver. I clad its door-jamb(s), door bolt(s), crossbeam(s), architrave(s), giššakanakkus, sikkūru šāqilu lock(s), arch(es), and vaults with shiny silver. I fashioned wild bulls of silver and stationed (them) at its door-jamb(s). I made that gate, (which is used) as the exit and entry of the son of the lord of the gods, the god Nabû, who goes in procession to the interior of Babylon, shine like daylight.

(i 75b) (With regard to) the Dais of Destinies, the seat of the god Nabû, the valiant son of the prince, on which the god Nabû — the triumphant heir — takes up residence during the New Year’s festival, (at) the beginning of the year, (on) the fifth day (and on) the eleventh day, when going to and returning from Babylon, I fashioned (it) with a casting of shiny silver and had it firmly placed in front of that gate (Kaumuša). I installed (it) as decoration.

(i 80b) I stationed bright wild bulls of silver in the door-jamb(s) of the gates of Ezida. With all of my faithful heart, I constantly sought out the inscription(s) of that temple and I decorated its structure with gold, silver, precious stone(s), copper, musukkannu-wood and cedar. I decorated the structure of Ezida as beautifully as the stars (lit. “writings”) of the heavens. None of the kings of the past had made its structure radiant as me. I magnificently did something for the gods Nabû and Marduk, my lords, that no king among the (former) king(s) had built. During joyous celebrations, I made the god Nabû and the goddess Nanāya, my lords, reside inside it (on) a seat of happiness.

(i 91) In order the strengthen the protection of Ezida, I built the enclosure wall of Ezida and its buildings, which are in front of (its) forecourt, (including) Edimana, the temple of the god Sîn that is inside it, anew as (it had been) in ancient times.

(i 95) Nebuchadnezzar (II), king of Babylon, the one who constantly seeks out the sanctuaries of the gods Nabû and Marduk — my lords — am I.

(i 96b) (With regard to) Babylon, the cult center of the great lord, the god Marduk, I completed Imgur-Enlil and Nēmetti-Enlil, its great walls. I stationed fierce wild bulls of copper and raging mušḫuššu-dragons at their door-jamb(s) of their (text: “its”) gates. (I did something) that no king of the past had done: my father who engendered me twice surrounded the city with moat embankment(s) using bitumen and baked brick,

(ii 7b) (but), as for me, using bitumen and baked brick, I built a strong embankment three times, (each) one alongside the other, and I adjoined (them) to the embankments that my father had constructed. I secured their (lit. “its”) foundation(s) on the surface (lit. “breast”) of the netherworld and raised their (lit. “its”) superstructures as high as mountain(s).

(ii 12) On the western bank, I surrounded the wall of Babylon with an embankment of baked bricks. (With regard to) the embankment of the Araḫtu (River) on the eastern bank from the gate of the goddess Ištar to the gate of the god Uraš that my father who had engendered me had built using bitumen and baked brick and the piers of baked brick (that) he had constructed, but he did not complete the rest,

(ii 17) as for me, his first-born son, the beloved of his heart, I built the embankment of the Araḫtu River using bitumen and baked brick and strengthen (it) with the embankment that I father had constructed.

(ii 20) (With regard to) Maumuša, the barge of the lord of the gods, the god Marduk, I clad its rigging, fore and aft, its structure, its karûs, (and) its sides with eagles and mušḫuššu-dragons (made from) 14 talents (and) 12 minas of reddish gold and 740 bright diglu, ḫulālu-pappardilû, and zagiddurû stones. In the current of the pure Euphrates, I had its sheen made like stars in the firmament and I filled (it) with splendor to be an object of wonder for all of the people.

(ii 27) (With regard to) Maidḫedu, the barge of the god Nabû, I decorated the zāratu-feature(s) and both of its karûs with thirteen talents (and) thirty minas of reddish gold (and) precious (and) valuable stones. For the going and returning of the son of the prince, the god Nabû, which goes in procession into Babylon during the New Year’s festival, (at) the beginning of the year, I made (it) shine like daylight.

(ii 32) (With regard to) Emaḫ, the temple of the goddess Ninmaḫ, Eniggidrukalamasuma, the temple of the god Nabû of the ḫarû, Egišnugal, the temple of the god Sîn, Eḫursagsikila, the temple of the goddess Ninkarrak, Enamḫe, the temple of the god Adad, Edikukalama, the temple of the god Šamaš, (and) Ekitušgarza, the temple of the goddess Bēlet-Eanna in a corner of the city wall, I built (them) anew in Babylon and raised up their superstructure(s).

(ii 39b) To strengthen the protection of Babylon, (I did something) that no one from the past had done: 4,000 cubits distance outside the city, I created and built a fortified wall, and (then) I surrounded the eastern bank of Babylon (with it). I dug out its moat and reached the water table.

(ii 44b) I built its embankment(s) using bitumen (and) baked brick and (then) I adjoined (it) to the embankments that (my) father had constructed. On its embankment, I built a fortified wall like a mountain using bitumen and baked brick.

(ii 48) For the protection of Esagil and Babylon, so that there would not be dry land in the Euphrates River bed, I had a large fortified wall built in the river(bed) using bitumen and baked brick. I secured its foundation(s) on the apsû and raised its superstructure as high as a mountain.

(ii 53) (With regard to) Ṭābi-supūršu, the wall of Borsippa, I built (it) anew. (With regard to) its moat embankment(s), I surrounded the city on the outside using bitumen and baked brick.

(ii 56) For the god Mār-Bīti, the one who breaks the weapon(s) of my enemies, I built his temple anew in Borsippa.