[Esarhad]don, [gre]at [king, king of the wor]ld, [king of Assyria, gover]nor of (i 5) [Babylon, king of Sumer and] Akkad, [true shepherd, favor]ite of the lord of lords, pious [prince, b]eloved of [the goddess] Zarpa[nī]tu — (i 10) [the] queen, the goddess [of the entire] universe — reverent [king who f]rom the days of his childhood (i 15) was attentive to their rule and praised their valor, pious slave, humble, submissive, the one who reveres their great divinity —

At that time, in the reign of a previous king, bad omens occurred in Sumer and Akkad. The people living there were answering each other yes (for) no (i 25) (and) were telling lies. They led their gods away, neglected their goddesses, abandoned their rites, (i 30) (and) embraced quite different (rites). They [put] their hands on the possessions of Esagil, the palace of the gods, an inaccessible place, and they sold the gold, silver, (and) [precious] stones [at market value to the land Elam].

[The Enlil of the go]ds, the god Marduk, became angry and [pl]otted [evilly to level the land (and) to d]estroy [its people. The river] Araḫtu, (ii 1) [(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 (ii 5) (and) its shrines and turned (them) into ruins. The gods and [goddesses] dwelling in [it (ii 10) f[lew] up [to the heavens] like birds; the people living in [it] were hidden [in another place and] (ii 15) took [refuge] in an [unkn]own lan[d]. The merciful god Marduk wrote that the calculated time of its abandonment (should last) 70 years, (but) his heart (ii 20) was quickly soothed, and he reversed the numbers and (thus) ordered its (re)occupation to be (after) 11 years.

You truly selected me, Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, in the assembly of my older brothers, to put these matters right, and (ii 30) you (are the one) who placed your sweet protection over me, swept away all of my enemies like a flood, killed all of my foes and made me attain (ii 35) (my) wish, (and), to appease the heart of your great divinity (and) to please your spirit, you entrusted me with shepherding Assyria.

At the beginning of my kingship, in my first year, when (iii 1) [I sat in greatness on] (my) royal throne, [good signs were established for me; in heaven and on earth, he (the god Marduk) constantly sent me his omen(s)]. The angry [gods] (iii 5) were reconciled (and) [they repeatedly] disclosed [fav]orable [signs] concerning the (re)building of Babylon (and) [the renovation of] Esagil.

[Br]ight [Jupiter, the giver of decisions on Akkad, came near in Simānu (III) and stood in the place where the sun shines. It was shining brightly (and) its appearance] was red. It reached (its) hypsoma for a second [time] (iii 15) in the month “Opening of the Door” and stayed in its place.

He (the god Marduk) ordered me to complete the cult centers, to renovate the shrines, (and) to organize well the rites of Esagil, the palace of the gods. Every month, the gods Sîn and Šamaš together, (iii 25) at their appearance, answered me with a firm ‘yes’ concerning the avenging of Akkad.

By means of the great intelligence (and) vast understanding that the sage of the gods, the prince, the god Nudimmud, gave to me, it occurred to me to (re)populate that city, to renovate the shrines, (iii 35) (and) to make the cult center shine, and my heart prompted (me).

I was afraid (and) worried to perform that work (and) [I knelt before] (iii 40) the gods Šamaš, Adad, and Marduk, the great judge(s), the gods, my lords. [In the diviner’s bowl, trustworthy oracles were established for me, and they had (their response) concerning the (re)building of (iv 5) Babylon (and) the renovation of Esagil written on a liver].

[I trusted in their firm ‘yes’ and I mustered all of] (iv 10) my craftsmen and the people of Karduniaš (Babylonia) to its full extent. (iv 15) I had them wield hoes and I imposed baskets (on them). I mixed (the mud for) its revetment with fine oil, honey, ghee, kurunnu-wine, muttinnu-wine, (and) pure mountain beer. (iv 20) In order to show the people his great divinity and to inspire awe (in) his lordship, (iv 25) I raised a basket onto my head and carried (it) myself. I had [its bricks] mad[e] in brickmolds of musuk[kannu-wood]. I ga[th]ered together (iv 30) expert [crafts]men (and) skilled [master bu]ilders, who lay out p[l]ans, exposed the place where [Esa]gil stands, and inspected [its structure].

In a [favorable] month, [on a propitious day, (v 1) I laid its foundation platform] over [its] previous foun[dations (and) in (exact) accordance with its earlier plan I did not diminish (it)] by one [cubit] nor [increase (it)] by half a cubit. [I built (and) completed Esagil, the palace of the gods, an image of the apsû, a replica of Ešarra, a likeness of (v 5) the abode of the god Ea, (and) a replica of Pegasus; I had (Esagil) ingeniously built (and) I] laid out [(its) squa]re. [For] its r[oo]f, [I stretch]ed out [magnificent] cedar [beams, grown on Mount Amanus, the] pure mountain.

Moreover, I built (it) up ... with musukkannu-wood, cedar, (and) terebinth, natural wood, together with bricks, so that the temple would be made permanent, the bond(s) of the wall would not disintegrate, (and) none of Esagil’s ornaments would be neglected.

At that time, I had the terrace, the place where the gods Marduk, Zarpanītu, (and) Nabû dwell, dug down 16 cubits, (where) I reached ground water. With bitumen and baked brick, (v 30) I enlarged its lower part beyond the water table and I built up its foundations as the god Nudimmud had instructed me. I raised (it) up and (v 35) heaped (it) up like a mountain for the residence of his great divinity. I built the home of the gods Marduk, Zarpanītu, and Nabû [in] their [midst].

[I fastened bands of gold], silver, (and) copper on doors of [cypr]ess, whose fragrance is sweet, and [instal]led (them) in its [gates]. I refurbished [the statues of the] great [gods (and) had (them) dwell (v 45) on] their [daises] as an eternal dwelling. [(As for) the šēdu]s, lamassus, (and) [rābiṣu-demons] of the temple, [I repaired the]ir [dilapidated part(s)], (and) I (re)stationed them [...] wh[ere] their ... are.

I had whatever furnishings were needed for Esag[il] skillfully made with artful craftsmanship from gold (and) silver, each of whose weight is 50 minas. I restored the holy rites of Esagil (and) made them more splendid than before. (vi 20) I set out before them (the gods) their pure guqqû offerings, their pure nindabû offerings, (and) their interrupted sattukku offerings. (vi 25) I placed at their service the former ramku-priests, pašīšu-priests, (and) ecstatics, those initiated in secret rites. I set before them purification priests, āšipu-priests, lamentation priests, (and) [si]ngers, who have mastered (their) entire craft.

I built anew Etemenanki, the ziqqurat, on the site where it previously stood — its length is one ašlu (and) one ṣuppān, (and) its width is one ašlu (and) one ṣuppān.

With the large aslu-cubit, I measured the dimensions of Imgur-Enlil, its great wall — each length (and) width was 30 ašlus. I had (it) built as it was before and raised (its top) up like a mountain. I built (and) (vii 1) co[mpleted] Nēmetti-Enlil, its outer wall, (and) filled (it) with [sple]ndor (making it) [an object of wonder] for [all of] the people.

I returned the plundered gods of the lands [f]rom Assyria and the land Elam to their (proper) place(s), and I set up proper procedures in all of the cult centers.

I established anew the remission of debts of the wronged citizens of Babylon, people (entitled to) the privileged status (and) freedom (guaranteed by) (vii 15) the gods Anu and Enlil. I gathered the bought people who had become slaves (vii 20) (and) who had been distributed among the (foreign) riffraff and counted (them once again) as Babylonians. (vii 25) I returned their looted possessions, provided the naked with clothing, (and) let them take the road to Babylon. I encouraged them to (re)settle the city, build houses, (vii 30) plant orchards, (and) dig canals.

I restored their interrupted privileged status that had fallen into disuse. I wrote anew the tabl[et of] their exemptions. I opened roads for them in all directions so that they could establish an important position by having (commercial) relations with all countries.

May the god Marduk and the goddess Zarpanītu, (viii 1) the gods, my helpers, look with joy upon my good deeds and bless (my) kingship in their steadfast heart(s). Let the seed of my priestly office endure (along) with the foundations of Esagil and Babylon; (viii 10) let (my) kingship be sustaining to the people forever like the plant of life (viii 15) so that I may shepherd their populace in truth and justice; (and) let me reach old age, attain extreme old age, (and) be sated with the prime of life until far-off days. Truly I am the provider.

Let me enlarge my family, gather my relatives, (and) extend my progeny (viii 25) so that they branch out widely; let him make the foundations of the throne of my priestly office as secure as a great mountain; let my reign endure as long as heaven and earth; let me stride beaming daily (viii 30) in joy, gladness, happiness, shining face, and happy mood; (and) let (viii 35) a happy fate, a good fate, (one) for the lengthening of the days of my reign, the protection of the throne of my priestly office, (and) the well-being of my offspring be placed in their (the gods’) mouths.

May he allow my hands to grasp the [righteous] s[cepter] that en[larges the land] (and) the fierce staff that humbles the unsubmissive; may they cause my weapons to rise up and kill my enemies; (and) may he allow me to stand over my enemies in victory (and) triumph.

May they allow there to be in my land rains and floods, successful harvests, an abundance of grain, plenty, and prosperity, and let them store (it) in pil[es of] grain.

I had foundation inscriptions made of silver, gold, bronze, lapis lazuli, alabaster, basalt, pendû-stone, alallu-stone (and) (ix 25) white limestone, (as well as) inscribed objects of baked clay, and (then) I depicted on them hieroglyphs representing the writing of my name. (ix 30) I wrote on them the might of the great hero, the god Marduk, (and) the deeds that I had done, my pious work, (and) I placed (these inscriptions) in the foundations (and) left (them) for far-off days.

In future days, in far-off days, may one of the kings, (x 1) [my descendants, whom the king of the gods], the god Marduk, (x 5) names [to] rule the land and [the people], read an inscript[ion] written in [my name, and] (x 10) a[noint (it)] with oil, [make] an offering, (and) [return (it)] to its place. The god Marduk, king of the gods, will (then) h[e]ar his prayers.

(As for) the one who ch[ang]es (an inscription) written in my name, [def]aces my rep[resenta]tions, [annuls] the privileged status of (x 20) Babylon, (and) brea[ks the cove]nant of the lord of lords, may the god Mar[duk, the Enli]l of the gods, the lord of [the lands, look with] fury [on him] and [orde]r [his] destruction (x 25) among [all of the black-headed] people. May he (the god Marduk) make [his] w[ord bad] i[n Ubšukkinnak]u, the court[yard of the assembly of the gods], the place [of council, and] or[der that his] life not last (even) [a single] day.

Acces[sion] year of Esarhaddon, [king of] Assyria.