Enuma Elish Tablet IV

1. They erected for him a lordly throne-dais,

2. And he took his place before his fathers to (receive) sovereignty.
3. Tho! art (the most) important among the great gods.
". Thy destiny is !ne#!aled, thy command is (like that of) An!.
$. %ard!k, tho! art (the most) important among the great gods,
&. Thy destiny is !ne#!aled, thy command is (like that of) An!.
'. (rom this day on)ard thy command shall not be changed.
*. To e+alt and abase -- this shall be thy po)er,
-. .ependable shall be the !tterance of thy mo!th, thy command shall not prove vain.
1/. 0one among the gods shall infringe !pon thy prerogative.
11. %aintenance is the re#!irement of the sanct!aries of the gods1
12. And so at (each) place of their shrines shall be appointed a place for thee.
13. %ard!k, tho! art o!r avenger1
1". To these )e have given kingship over the totality of the )hole !niverse,
1$. 2o that )hen tho! sittest in the assembly, thy )ord shall be e+alted.
1&. %ay thy )eapons not miss, may they smite thy foes.
1'. 3 lord, preserve the life of him )ho p!ts his tr!st in thee1
1*. 4!t as for the god )ho has espo!sed evil, po!r o!t his life,
1-. Then they placed a garment in their midst1
2/. To %ard!k, their first-born, they said5
21. Thy destiny, 3 lord, shall be s!preme among the gods.
22. 6ommand to destroy and to create, (and) they shall be,
23. 4y the )ord of thy mo!th, let the garment be destroyed1
2". 6ommand again, and let the garment be )hole,
2$. 7e commanded )ith his mo!th, let the garment be destroyed1
2&. 7e commanded again, and the garment )as restored.
2'. 8hen the gods his fathers beheld the po)er of his )ord,
2*. They )ere glad (and) did homage, (saying5) %ard!k is king,
2-. They besto)ed !pon him the scepter, the throne, and the royal robe(9)1
3/. They gave him an irresistible )eapon smiting the enemy, (saying5)
31. :o and c!t off the life of Tiamat.
32. %ay the )inds carry her blood to o!t-of-the-)ay places.
33. After the gods his fathers had determined the destiny of 4el,
3". They set him on the road -- the )ay to s!ccess and attainment.
3$. 7e made a bo) and decreed (it) as his )eapon1
3&. An arro)head he p!t (on the arro) and) fastened the bo)string to it.
3'. 7e took !p the cl!b and grasped (it) in his right hand1
3*. The bo) and the #!iver he h!ng at his side.
3-. The lightning he set before him1
"/. 8ith a bla;ing flame he filled his body.
"1. 7e made a net to inclose Tiamat )ithin (it),
"2. (And) had the fo!r )inds take hold that nothing of her might escape1
"3. The so!th )ind, the north )ind, the east )ind, (and) the )est )ind,
"". The gift of his (grand)father, An!, he ca!sed to dar) nigh to the border(s) of the net.
"$. 7e created the imhullu5 the evil )ind, the cyclone, the h!rricane,
"&. The fo!rfold )ind, the sevenfold )inds, the )hirl)ind, the )ind incomparable.
"'. 7e set forth the )inds )hich he had crested, the seven of them1
"*. To tro!ble Tiamat )ithin, they arose behind him.
"-. The lord raised the rain flood, his might )eapon.
$/. 7e mo!nted (his) irresistible, terrible storm chariot1
$1. 7e harnessed for it a team of fo!r and yoked (them) to it,
$2. The .estr!ctive, the <itiless, the Trampler, the (lier.
$3. They )ere sharp of tooth, bearing poison1
$". They kne) ho) to destroy, they had learned to overr!n1
$$. =....> thy =smo>te, they )ere frightf!l in battle1
$&. To the left =....>.
$'. 7e )as clad in a terrifying coat of mail1
$*. Terror-inspiring splendor he )ore on his head.
$-. The lord took a direct (ro!te) and p!rs!ed his )ay1
&/. To)ard the place of raging tiamat he set his face.
&1. 4et)een his lips he holds =a talisman(9)> of red paste1
&2. An herb to destroy the poison he grasped in his hand.
&3. Then the gods r=!n> abo!t him, the gods r!n abo!t him1
&". The gods his fathers r!n abo!t him, the gods r!n abo!t him.
&$. The lord dre) nigh to look into the heart of Tiamat,
&&. (And) to see the plan of ?ing!, her spo!se.
&'. As he ga;es, (?ing!) is conf!sed in his plan1
&*. .estroyed is his )ill and disordered his action.
&-. As for the gods his helpers, )ho )ere marching at his side,
'/. 8hen they sa) the valiant hero, their vision became bl!rred.
'1. Tiamat set !p a roar(9) )itho!t t!rning her neck,
'2. @pholding )ith her li=ps> (her) meanness(9) (and) rebellion.
'3. =....> .. have the gods risen !p to thee9
'". (3r) have they gathered from their =place> to thy place9
'$. Then the lord =raised> the rain flook, his might )eapon.
'&. =As for> Tiamat, )ho )as f!rio!s, th!s he ans)ered her5
''. =An arrogance(9)> tho! art risen (and) hast highly e+alted thyself(9)
'*. =Tho! hast ca!sed> thy heart to plot the stirring-!p of conflict.
'-. =....> the sons treat their fathers !nB!stly1
*/. (And) tho!, their bearer, dost hate (them) )i=tho!t ca!se(9)>.
*1. Tho! has e+alted ?ing! to by =thy> spo!se1
*2. Thine illegal =a!thority> tho! has set !p in place of the a!thority of An!.
*3. =Against> Anshar, the king of the gods, tho! seekest evil.
*". And hast proven thy )ickedness =against the god>s my fathers.
*$. Cet thin army be e#!ipped, let them be girded )ith thy )eapons,
*&. 6ome tho! forth (alone) and let !s, me and thee, do single combat,
*'. 8hen Tiamat heard this,
**. 2he became like one in a fren;y (and) lost her reason.
*-. Tiamat cried o!t lo!d (and) f!rio!sly,
-/. to the (very) roots her t)o legs shook back and forth.
-1. 2he recites and incantation, repeatedly casting her spell1
-2. As for the gods of battle, they sharpen their )eapons.
-3. Tiamat (and) %ard!k, the )isest of the gods, advanced against one another1
-". They pressed on to single combat, they approached for battle.
-$. the lord spread o!t his net and enmeshed her1
-&. The evil )ind, follo)ing after, he let loose in her face.
-'. 8hen Tiamat opened her mo!th to devo!r him,
-*. 7e drove in the evil )ind, in order that (she sho!ld)not (be able) to close her lips.
--. The raging )inds filled her belly1
1//. 7er belly became distended, and she opened )ith her mo!th.
1/1. 7e shot off an arro), and it tore her interior1
1/2. At c!t thro!gh her in)ard parts, it split (her) heart.
1/3. 8hen he had s!bd!ed her, he destroyed her life.
1/". 7e cast do)n her carcass (and) stood !pon it.
1/$. After he had slain Tiamat, the leader,
1/&. 7er band broke !p, her host dispersed.
1/'. As for the gods her helpers, )ho marched at her side,
1/*. They trembled for fear (and) faced abo!t.
1/-. They tried to break a)ay to save their lives,
11/. (4!t) they )ere completely s!rro!nded, (so that) it )as impossible to flee.
111. 7e imprisoned them and broke their )eapons.
112. An the net they lay and in the snare they )ere1
113. They hid in the corners (and) )ere filled )ith lamentation1
11". They bore his )rath, being confined in prison.
11$. As for the eleven (kinds of) creat!res )hich she had laden )ith terror-inspiring
splendor,
11&. The host of demons that marched impet!o!sly before her,
11'. 7e cast (them) into fetters (and) =tied(9)> their arms =togehter(9)>1
11*. 8ith (all) their resistance, =he tr>ambled (them) !nderfoot.
11-. As for ?ing!, )ho had become cheif among them,
12/. 7e bo!nd him and co!nted him among the dead gods.
121. 7e took from him the tablet of destinies, )hich )as not his rightf!l possession.
122. 7e sealed (it) )ith (his) seal and fastened (it) on his breast.
123. After he had van#!ished (and) s!bd!ed his enemies,
12". 7ad overpo)ered the arrogant foe like a b!ll(9),
12$. 7ad f!lly established AnsharDs victory over the enemy,
12&. 7ad attained the desire of 0!dimm!d, the valiant %ard!k
12'. 2trengthened his hold !pon the captive gods1
12*. And then he ret!rned to Tiamat, )hom he had s!bd!ed.
12-. The lord trod !pon the hinder part of Tiamat,
13/. And )ith his !nsparing cl!b he split (her) sk!ll.
131. he c!t the arteries of her blood.
132. And ca!sed the north )ind to carry (it) to o!t-of-the-)ay places.
133. 8hen his fathers say (this), thy )ere glad and reBoiced
13". (And) sent him d!es (and) greeting-gifts.
13$. The lord rested, e+amining her dead body,
13&. To divide the abortion (and) to create ingenio!s things (there)ith).
13'. 7e split her open like a m!ssel(9) into t)o (parts)1
13*. 7alf of her he set in place and formed the sky (there)ith) as a roof.
13-. he fi+ed the crossbar (and) posted g!ards1
1"/. 7e commanded them not to let her )aters escape.
1"1. 7e crossed the heavens and e+amined the regions.
1"2. 7e placed himself opposite the Apsu, the d)elling of 0!dimm!d.
1"3. The lord meas!red the dimensions of the Apsu.
1"". And a great str!ct!re, its co!nterpart, he established, (namely,) Esharra,
1"$. The great str!ct!re Esharra )hich he made as a canopy.
1"&. An!, Enlil, and Ea he (then) ca!sed them to inhabit their residences.
Catch Line
7e created stations for the great gods.
Colophon
1. 1"& lines. (o!rth tablet of Enuma elish. Ancomplete.
2. 8ritten according to a table )hose te+t )as crossed o!t.
3. 0ab!-belsh!, (the son of) 0aid-%ard!k, the son of a smith, )rote (it) for the life of his
so!l.
". And the life of his ho!se and deposited (it) in (the temple) E;ida.
2o!rce5 The 4abylonian :enesis by Ale+ander 7eidel