The Babylonian Legends of the Creation Part 10

119. "'Sit down together in friendly fas.h.i.+on in Upshukkinaku,

120. "'Let me issue decrees by the opening of my mouth, even as ye do,

121. "'Whatsoever I bring to pa.s.s let it remain unaltered.

122. "'That which my mouth uttereth shall neither fail nor be brought to nought."'

123. "Hasten ye therefore, issue your decrees speedily

124. "That he may go to meet your mighty enemy."

125. The G.o.ds Lakhmu and Lakhamu heard, they wailed loudly,

126. All the Igigi G.o.ds wept bitterly [saying]:

127. "Who were [our] enemies until [the G.o.ds] were posted [in heaven]?

128. "We cannot comprehend the work of Tiamat."

129. They gathered themselves together, they went,

130. All the great G.o.ds, who issue decrees.

131. They entered in, they filled [the court] before Anshar.

132. Brother [G.o.d] kissed brother [G.o.d] in the [divine] a.s.sembly,

133. They held a meeting, they sat down to a feast,

134. They ate bread, they heated the [sesame wine],

135. The taste of the sweet drink confused their ...

136. They drank themselves drunk, their bodies were filled to overflowing,

137. They were overcome by heaviness [of drink], their livers (i.e., spirits) were exalted,

138. They issued the decree for Marduk as their avenger.

FOURTH TABLET.

1. They founded for him a majestic canopy,

2. He (i.e., Marduk) seated himself in the seat of kings.h.i.+p in the presence of his fathers [who said unto him]:

3. "Thou art honourable by reason of thy greatness among the G.o.ds.

4. "Thy position is unrivalled, the words thou utterest become Anum (i.e., as fixed as the sky).

5. "Thou art honourable by reason of thy greatness among the G.o.ds.

6. "Thy position is unrivalled, the words thou utterest become Anum (i.e., as fixed as the sky).

7. "From this day onward thy command shall not be abrogated.

8. "The power to exalt to heaven and to cast down to the earth both shall be in thy hand,

9. "That which goeth forth from thy mouth shall be established, against thy utterance shall be no appeal.

10. "No one among the G.o.ds shall overstep thy boundary,

11. "Wors.h.i.+p, which is the object of the sanctuary of the G.o.ds,

12. "Whensoever they lack [it] shall be forthcoming in thy sanctuary,

13. "O G.o.d Marduk, thou art our avenger.

14. "We have given unto thee sovereignty over the whole creation,

15. "Thou shalt sit down, in the council thy word shall be exalted,

16. "Thy weapon shall never fall [from thy hands], it shall break the head of thy foe.

17. "Lord, whosoever putteth his trust in thee, spare thou his life,

18. "And the G.o.d who deviseth evil, pour thou out his soul."

19. Then a cloak (literally, one cloak) was set in their midst,

20. They addressed the G.o.d Marduk their first-born [saying]:

21. "Thou, Lord, shalt hold the foremost position among the G.o.ds.

22. "Decree thou the throwing down[1] and the building up,[2] and it shall come to pa.s.s.

[Footnote 1: _I.e._, the destruction of Tiamat.]

[Footnote 2: _I.e._, the establis.h.i.+ng of a new creation to take the place of the old.]

23. "Speak but the word, and the cloak shall disappear,

24. "Speak a second time and the cloak shall return uninjured."

25. Marduk spoke the word, the cloak disappeared,

26. He spoke a second time, the cloak reappeared.