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Enūma eliš

Tablet IV

Translated by L. W. King, The Seven Tablets of Creation, vol. 1 (1902), pp. 59–77

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The Seven Tablets of Creation, vol. 1 (1902)

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  1. p. 59see the 1902 page (opens archive.org in a new tab)
  2. 1They prepared for him a lordly chamber,
  3. 2Before his fathers as prince he took his place.
  4. 3“Thou art chiefest among the great gods,
  5. 4“Thy fate is unequalled, thy word is Anu!
  6. 5“O Marduk, thou art chiefest among the great gods,
  7. 6“Thy fate is unequalled, thy word is Anu!
  8. 7“Henceforth not without avail shall be thy command,
  9. 8“In thy power shall it be to exalt and to abase.
  10. 9“Established shall be the word of thy mouth, irresistible shall be thy command;
  11. 10“None among the gods shall transgress thy boundary.
  12. 11“Abundance, the desire of the shrines of the gods,
  13. 12“Shall be established in thy sanctuary, even though they lack (offerings).
  14. 13“O Marduk, thou art our avenger!
  15. 14“We give thee sovereignty over the whole world.
  16. 15“Sit thou down in might, be exalted in thy command.
  17. 16“Thy weapon shall never lose its power, it shall crush thy foe.
  18. p. 61see the 1902 page (opens archive.org in a new tab)
  19. 17“O lord, spare the life of him that putteth his trust in thee,
  20. 18“But as for the god who began the rebellion, pour out his life.”
  21. 19Then set they in their midst a garment,
  22. 20And unto Marduk their first-born they spake:
  23. 21“May thy fate, O lord, be supreme among the gods,
  24. 22“To destroy and to create; speak thou the word, and (thy command) shall be fulfilled.
  25. 23“Command now and let the garment vanish;
  26. 24“And speak the word again and let the garment reappear!”
  27. 25Then he spake with his mouth, and the garment vanished;
  28. 26Again he commanded it, and the garment reappeared.
  29. 27When the gods, his fathers, beheld (the fulfilment of) his word,
  30. 28They rejoiced, and they did homage (unto him, saying), “Marduk is king!”
  31. 29They bestowed upon him the sceptre, and the throne, and the ring,
  32. 30They give him an invincible weapon, which overwhelmeth the foe.
  33. 31“Go, and cut off the life of Tiamat,
  34. 32“And let the wind carry her blood into secret places.”
  35. p. 63see the 1902 page (opens archive.org in a new tab)
  36. 33After the gods his fathers had decreed for the lord his fate,
  37. 34They caused him to set out on a path of prosperity and success.
  38. 35He made ready the bow, he chose his weapon,
  39. 36He slung a spear upon him and fastened it . . .
  40. 37He raised the club, in his right hand he grasped (it),
  41. 38The bow and the quiver he hung at his side.
  42. 39He set the lightning in front of him,
  43. 40With burning flame he filled his body.
  44. 41He made a net to enclose the inward parts of Tiamat,
  45. 42The four winds he stationed so that nothing of her might escape;
  46. 43The South wind and the North wind and the East wind and the West wind
  47. 44He brought near to the net, the gift of his father Anu.
  48. 45He created the evil wind, and the tempest, and the hurricane,
  49. 46And the fourfold wind, and the sevenfold wind, and the whirlwind, and the wind which had no equal;
  50. p. 65see the 1902 page (opens archive.org in a new tab)
  51. 47He sent forth the winds which he had created, the seven of them;
  52. 48To disturb the inward parts of Tiamat, they followed after him.
  53. 49Then the lord raised the thunderbolt, his mighty weapon,
  54. 50He mounted the chariot, the storm unequalled for terror,
  55. 51He harnessed and yoked unto it four horses,
  56. 52Destructive, ferocious, overwhelming, and swift of pace;
  57. 53[ . . . ] were their teeth, they were flecked with foam;
  58. 54They were skilled in [ . . . ], they had been trained to trample underfoot.
  59. 55[ . . . ], mighty in battle,
  60. 56Left and [right . . . ].
  61. 57His garment was [ . . . ], he was clothed with terror,
  62. p. 67see the 1902 page (opens archive.org in a new tab)
  63. 58With overpowering brightness his head was crowned.
  64. 59Then he set out, he took his way,
  65. 60And towards the [rag]ing Tiamat he set his face.
  66. 61On his lips he held [ . . . ],
  67. 62. . . [ . . . ] he grasped in his hand.
  68. 63Then they beheld him, the gods beheld him,
  69. 64The gods his fathers beheld him, the gods beheld him.
  70. 65And the lord drew nigh, he gazed upon the inward parts of Tiamat,
  71. 66He perceived the muttering of Kingu, her spouse.
  72. 67As (Marduk) gazed, (Kingu) was troubled in his gait,
  73. 68His will was destroyed and his motions ceased.
  74. 69And the gods, his helpers, who marched by his side,
  75. 70Beheld their leader's [ . . . ], and their sight was troubled.
  76. 71But Tiamat [ . . . ], she turned not her neck,
  77. 72With lips that failed not she uttered rebellious words:
  78. p. 69see the 1902 page (opens archive.org in a new tab)
  79. 73“[ . . . ] thy coming as lord of the gods,
  80. 74“From their places have they gathered, in thy place are they!”
  81. 75Then the lord [raised] the thunderbolt, his mighty weapon,
  82. 76[And against] Tiamat, who was raging, thus he sent (the word):
  83. 77“[Thou] art become great, thou hast exalted thyself on high,
  84. 78“And thy [heart hath prompted] thee to call to battle.
  85. 79“[ . . . ] their fathers [ . . . ],
  86. 80“[ . . . ] their [ . . . ] thou hatest [ . . . ].
  87. 81“[Thou hast exalted King]u to be [thy] spouse,
  88. 82“[Thou hast . . . ] him, that, even as Anu, he should issue decrees.
  89. 83“[ . . . ] thou hast followed after evil,
  90. 84“And [against] the gods my fathers thou hast contrived thy wicked plan.
  91. 85“Let then thy host be equipped, let thy weapons be girded on!
  92. 86“Stand! I and thou, let us join battle!”
  93. p. 71see the 1902 page (opens archive.org in a new tab)
  94. 87When Tiamat heard these words,
  95. 88She was like one possessed, she lost her reason.
  96. 89Tiamat uttered wild, piercing cries,
  97. 90She trembled and shook to her very foundations.
  98. 91She recited an incantation, she pronounced her spell,
  99. 92And the gods of the battle cried out for their weapons.
  100. 93Then advanced Tiamat and Marduk, the counsellor of the gods;
  101. 94To the fight they came on, to the battle they drew nigh.
  102. 95The lord spread out his net and caught her,
  103. 96And the evil wind that was behind (him) he let loose in her face.
  104. 97As Tiamat opened her mouth to its full extent,
  105. 98He drove in the evil wind, while as yet she had not shut her lips.
  106. 99The terrible winds filled her belly,
  107. 100And her courage was taken from her, and her mouth she opened wide.
  108. 101He seized the spear and burst her belly,
  109. 102He severed her inward parts, he pierced (her) heart.
  110. 103He overcame her and cut off her life;
  111. p. 73see the 1902 page (opens archive.org in a new tab)
  112. 104He cast down her body and stood upon it.
  113. 105When he had slain Tiamat, the leader,
  114. 106Her might was broken, her host was scattered.
  115. 107And the gods her helpers, who marched by her side,
  116. 108Trembled, and were afraid, and turned back.
  117. 109They took to flight to save their lives;
  118. 110But they were surrounded, so that they could not escape.
  119. 111He took them captive, he broke their weapons;
  120. 112In the net they were caught and in the snare they sat down.
  121. 113The [ . . . ] . . . of the world they filled with cries of grief.
  122. 114They received punishment from him, they were held in bondage.
  123. 115And on the eleven creatures which she had filled with the power of striking terror,
  124. 116Upon the troop of devils, who marched at her [ . . . ],
  125. 117He brought affliction, their strength [he . . . ];
  126. 118Them and their opposition he trampled under his feet.
  127. p. 75see the 1902 page (opens archive.org in a new tab)
  128. 119Moreover, Kingu, who had been exalted over them,
  129. 120He conquered, and with the god Dug-ga he counted him.
  130. 121He took from him the Tablets of Destiny that were not rightly his,
  131. 122He sealed them with a seal and in his own breast he laid them.
  132. 123Now after the hero Marduk had conquered and cast down his enemies,
  133. 124And had made the arrogant foe even like . . . ,
  134. 125And had fully established Anšar's triumph over the enemy,
  135. 126And had attained the purpose of Nudimmud,
  136. 127Over the captive gods he strengthened his durance,
  137. 128And unto Tiamat, whom he had conquered, he returned.
  138. 129And the lord stood upon Tiamat's hinder parts,
  139. 130And with his merciless club he smashed her skull.
  140. 131He cut through the channels of her blood,
  141. 132And he made the North wind bear it away into secret places.
  142. 133His fathers beheld, and they rejoiced and were glad;
  143. p. 77see the 1902 page (opens archive.org in a new tab)
  144. 134Presents and gifts they brought unto him.
  145. 135Then the lord rested, gazing upon her dead body,
  146. 136While he divided the flesh of the . . . , and devised a cunning plan.
  147. 137He split her up like a flat fish into two halves;
  148. 138One half of her he stablished as a covering for heaven.
  149. 139He fixed a bolt, he stationed a watchman,
  150. 140And bade them not to let her waters come forth.
  151. 141He passed through the heavens, he surveyed the regions (thereof),
  152. 142And over against the Deep he set the dwelling of Nudimmud.
  153. 143And the lord measured the structure of the Deep,
  154. 144And he founded E-šara, a mansion like unto it.
  155. 145The mansion E-šara which he created as heaven,
  156. 146He caused Anu, Bēl, and Ea in their districts to inhabit.

Source: L. W. King, trans., The Seven Tablets of Creation, vol. 1 (London: Luzac and Co., 1902), pp. 59–77. Public domain in the United States (published 1902). Transcribed by AKASHA Archive from the page images (archive.org); last revised 2026-11-10.

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