The Seven Tablets of the History of Creation: The Fourth Tablet

The Fourth Tablet

1. They prepared for him a lordly chamber,

2 . Before his fathers as prince he took his place.

3. "Thou art chiefest among the great gods,

4. "Thy fate is unequalled, thy word is Anu!

5. "O Marduk, thou art chiefest among the great gods,

6. "Thy fate is unequalled, thy word is Anu!

7. "Henceforth not without avail shall be thy command,

8. "In thy power shall it be to exalt and to abase.

9. "Established shall be the word of thy mouth, irresistible shall be thy command;

10. "None among the gods shall transgress thy boundary.

11. "Abundance, the desire of the shrines of the gods,

12. "Shall be established in thy sanctuary, even though they lack (offerings).

13. "O Marduk, thou art our avenger!

14. "We give thee sovereignty over the whole world.

15. "Sit thou down in night, be exalted in thy command.

16. "Thy weapon shall never lose its power, it shall crush thy foe.

17. "O lord, spare the life of him that putteth his trust in thee,

18. "But as for the god who began the rebellion, pour out his life."

19. Then set they in their midst a garment,

20. And unto Marduk their first-born they spake:

21. "May thy fate, O lord, be supreme among the gods,

22. "To destroy and to create; speak thou the word, and (thy command) shall be fulfilled.

23. "Command now and let the garment vanish;

24. "And speak the word again and let the garment reappear!"

25. Then he spake with his mouth, and the garment vanished;

26. Again he commanded it, and the garment reappeared.

27. When the gods, his fathers, beheld (the fulfilment of) his word,

28. They rejoiced, and they did homage (unto him, saying), " Marduk is king! "

29. They bestowed upon him the sceptre, and the throne, and the ring,

30. They give him an invincible weapon, which overwhelmeth the foe.

31. "Go, and cut off the life of Tiamat,

32. "And let the wind carry her blood into secret places."

33. After the gods his fathers had decreed for the lord his fate,

34. They caused him to set out on a path of prosperity and success.

35 . He made ready the bow, he chose his weapon,

36. He slung a spear upon him and fastened it . . .

37. He raised the club, in his right hand he grasped (it),

38. The bow and the quiver he hung at his side.

39. He set the lightning in front of him,

40. With burning flame he filled his body.

41. He made a net to enclose the inward parts of Tiamat,

42. The four winds he stationed so that nothing of her might escape;

43. The South wind and the North wind and the East wind and the West wind

44. He brought near to the net, the gift of his father Anu.

45. He created the evil wind, and the tempest, and the hurricane,

46. And the fourfold wind, and the sevenfold wind, and the whirlwind, and the wind which had no equal;

47. He sent forth the winds which he had created, the seven of them;

48. T o disturb the inward parts of Tiamat, they followed after him.

49. Then the lord raised the thunderbolt, his mighty weapon,

50. He mounted the chariot, the storm unequalled for terror,

51. He harnessed and yoked unto it four horses,

52. Destructive, ferocious, overwhelming, and swift of pace;

53. [...] were their teeth, they were flecked with foam;

54. They were skilled in [...], they had been trained to trample underfoot.

55. [...], mighty in battle,

56. Left and [right ...

57. His garment was [...], he was clothed with terror,

58. With overpowering brightness his head was crowned.

59. Then he set out, he took his way,

60. And towards the [rag]ing Tiamat he set his face.

61. On his lips he held [...],

62. ... [...] he grasped in his hand.

63. Then they beheld him, the gods beheld him,

64. The gods his fathers beheld him, the gods beheld him.

65. And the lord drew nigh, he gazed upon the inward parts of Tiamat,

66. He perceived the muttering of Kingu, her spouse.

67. As (Marduk) gazed, (Kingu) was troubled in his gait,

68. His will was destroyed and his motions ceased.

69. And the gods, his helpers, who marched by his side,

70. Beheld their leader's [...], and their sight was troubled.

71. But Tiamat [...], she turned not her neck,

72. With lips that failed not she uttered rebellious words:

73. "[...] thy coming as lord of the gods,

74. "From their places have they gathered, in thy place are they!"

75. Then the lord [raised] the thunderbolt, his mighty weapon,

76. [And against] Tiamat, who was raging, thus he sent (the word):

77. "[Thou] art become great, thou hast exalted thyself on high,

78. "And thy [heart hath prompted] thee to call to battle.

79. "[...] their fathers [...],

80. "[...] their [...] thou hatest [...].

81. "[Thou hast exalted King]u to be [thy] spouse,

82. "[Thou hast . . . ] him, that, even as Anu, he should issue decrees.

83. "[...] thou hast followed after evil,

84. "And [against] the .gods my fathers thou hast contrived thy wicked plan.

85. "Let then thy host be equipped, let thy weapons be girded on!

86. "Stand! I and thou, let us join battle!"

87. When Tiamat heard these words,

88. She was like one possessed, she lost her reason.

89. Tiamat uttered wild, piercing cries,

90. She trembled and shook to her very foundations.

91. She recited an incantation, she pronounced her spell,

92. And the gods of the battle cried out for their weapons.

93. Then advanced Tiamat and Marduk, the counsellor of the gods;

94. To the fight they came on, to the battle they drew nigh.

95. The lord spread out his net and caught her,

96. And the evil wind that was behind (him) he let loose in her face.

97. As Tiamat opened her mouth to its full extent,

98. He drove in the evil wind, while as yet she had not shut her lips.

99. The terrible winds filled her belly,

100. And her courage was taken from her, and her mouth she opened wide.

101. He seized the spear and burst her belly,

102. He severed her inward parts, he pierced (her) heart.

103. He overcame her and cut off her life;

104. He cast down her body and stood upon it.

105. When he had slain Tiamat, the leader,

106. Her might was broken, her host was scattered.

107. And the gods her helpers, who marched by her side,

108. Trembled, and were afraid, and turned back.

109. They took to flight to save their lives;

110. But they were surrounded, so that they could not escape.

111. He took them captive, he broke their weapons;

112. In the net they were caught and in the snare they sat down.

113. The [...] ... of the world they filled with cries of grief.

114. They received punishment from him, they were held in bondage.

115. And on the eleven creatures which she had filled with the power of striking terror,

116. Upon the troop of devils, who marched at her [...],

117. He brought affliction, their strength [he ...];

118. Them and their opposition he trampled under his feet.

119. Moreover, Kingu, who had been exalted over them,

120. He conquered, and with the god Dug-ga he counted him.

121. He took from him the Tablets of Destiny that were not rightly his,

122. He sealed them with a seal and in his own breast he laid them.

123. Now after the hero Marduk had conquered and cast down his enemies,

124. And had made the arrogant foe even like ...,

125. And had fully established Anshar's triumph over the enemy,

126. And had attained the purpose of Nudimmud,

127. Over the captive gods he strengthened his durance,

128. And unto Tiamat, whom he had conquered, he returned.

129. And the lord stood upon Tiamat's hinder parts,

130. And with his merciless club he smashed her skull.

131. He cut through the channels of her blood,

132. And he made the North wind bear it away into secret places.

133. His fathers beheld, and they rejoiced and were glad;

134. Presents and gifts they brought unto him.

135. Then the lord rested, gazing upon her dead body,

136. While he divided the flesh of the ..., and devised a cunning plan.

137. He split her up like a flat fish into two halves;

138. One half of her he stablished as a covering for heaven.

139. He fixed a bolt, he stationed a watchman,

140. And bade them not to let her waters come forth.

141. He passed through the heavens, he surveyed the regions (thereof),

142. And over against the Deep he set the dwelling of Nudimmud.

143. And the lord measured the structure of the Deep,

144. And he founded E-shara, a mansion like unto it.

145. The mansion E-shara which he created as heaven,

146. He caused Anu, Bêl, and Ea in their districts to inhabit.