Prayer to Nabu for Samas-suma-ukin (04)

http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu

(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)

         (Utu, Marduk, giant mixed-breed king, Enki, & scribe Nabu)

       For the god Nabû, po[werful, emine]nt, wisest of the gods, exalted, noble,

         scribe of everything, super[visor of the totality of heaven and netherworld],

         who makes opposing forces agree, who knows everything, splendid, perfect,

         who has gat[hered to himself all] the (divine) offices, who controls the omens,

         lord of skilful works, whose command is pre-eminent [in the assembly of the gods], his fathers,

         (one with) a far-reaching mind, whose heart none among the gods knows,

         supreme lord, who raises up lords (and) the fame of rulers,

          (Marduk, son Nabu, & mixed-breed descendant-king)

         who gives sceptre, throne, and reign, who confirms kingship,

         compassionate one, who bestows for future days power and victory;

         (Marduk, spouse Sarpanit, & son Nabu)

         most important son of the god Asari (Marduk), offspring of the goddess Erua (Marduk‘s spouse Sarpanit)

         (Borsippa, Nabu’s Ezida, “True House” residence, a mud-brick mountain)

         queen (and) goddess of ladies — who dwells in Ezida — the true house, (located) in [Bor]sippa,

        the cult centre which is worthy of honour — great lord, my lord:

         (giant god Marduk & mixed-breed Babylonian king)

       I, Šamaš-šuma-ukīn, [mighty] king, [ki]ng of Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Akkad,

         wise viceroy, valiant prince, […], who reveres the lord of lords, wise vice-regent, true shepherd,

         [who is assid]uous toward the sanctuaries (residences) of the great gods,

         who (re)settl[ed Babyl]on, (re)built (Marduk’s) Esagila, (and) provides for (Nabu’s) Ezida;

         the one during whose [reign] the Enlil of the gods, the god Marduk,

          

                               (Ezida in Borsippa;                                                                       Esagila in Babylon)

         relented, entered Babylon amidst rejoicing, and took up his residence in Esagila forevermore;

         the one who (re)confirmed the regular offerings (in) Esagila (for) the gods of the land of Sumer and Akkad;

        

                            (Esarhaddon; Ashurbanipal; Sennicherib; & Sargon II mixed-breed descendant-kings)

         son of Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria,

         viceroy of Babylon, (and) king of the land of Sumer and Akkad;  

         favourite (brother) of Ashurbanipal, great king, mighty king, king of the world, (and) king of Assyria;

         grandson of Sennacherib, great king, mighty king, king of the world, (and) king of Assyria;

         descendant of Sargon (II), great king, mighty king, king of the world, (and) king of Assyria;

          (giant alien god Ashur above the king in his winged sky-disc)

         descendant of the enduring royal lineage of Bēl-bāni, son of Adasi, scion (descendants) of Baltil (Aššur(Ashur)

              (mixed-breed brothers Ashurbanipal & Samas-suma-ukin)

       In order to ensure the good health of Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria, my favourite brother,

         to prolong (his) life, to ensure the well-being of (his) descendant(s)‬,

         to confirm (his) reign, and to defeat (his) enemy, and, with regard to me,

         to ensure my good health, to prolong my life, to ensure the well-being of my descendant(s),

         to confirm my reign, (and) to ensure that I might have no illness, […] together,

          (Nabu’s Ezida, mud bricks high as a mountain in Borsippa)

         I had the storehouses of Ezida built anew and made (them) high as a mountain.

       May [any] future [pr]ince, during whose reign this work falls into disrepair

         (and) sustains damage, repair [its dilapidated state]!

         May he write my name with his (own) name, look at my royal inscription,

         [anoint (it) with oil], offer a sacrifice, (and) place (my royal inscription) with his (own) royal inscription!

          (Nabu statue unearthed in Nimrod)

         The god Nabû will (then) listen to his prayers.

       [(But) as for the one who] erases [my inscribed name or the name] of my favourite brother

         by some crafty device, [(or) destroys my royal inscription, or] changes its position

         and does not place (it) with his (own) royal inscription,

          (Nabu with animal horn crown, patron god over Borsippa, a mini Babylon)

         may [the god Nabû, august lord], glare at him [ang]rily

         and make his name (and) his descendant(s) disappear from the lands!