30 "'So that their bodies might rear up, and no man resist their attack.

31 "'She set up the Viper, and the Snake, and the rebel host,

32 "'The Whirlwind, the ravening Dog, the Scorpion-man,

33 "'The Storm-wind, the Fish-man, the Horned Beast.

34 "'They carried the weapon which spared not, nor flinched from the battle,

35 "'Most mighty were her allies, they could not be resisted.

36 "'Thus she caused eleven monsters of this kind to come into being.

37 "'Among the rebels, her first-born, who had collected her company,

38 "'That is to say, Kingu, she set on high, she made him the great one among them,

39 "'Leader of the hosts in the battle, disposer of the troops,

40 "'Bearer of the firmly-grasped weapon, attacker in the fight.

41 "'He who in the battle is the master of the weapon,

42 "'She appointed, she made him to sit down in goodly apparel.

43 "'Saying: I have magnified thee in the assembly of the rebels.

44 "'I have filled thy hand with the sovereignty of the whole company.

45 "'Mayest thou be magnified, thou who art my chosen one,

46 "'May the host make great thy renown over all of them.'

47 "She gave him authority that was not his, she fastened it on his head, saying:

48 "'As for thee, thy command shall not fall empty, what goeth forth from thy mouth shall be established.'

49 "When Kingu was raised on high and had usurped the heavens,

50 "He fixed decrees for his host, saying:

51 "'Open your mouths, let the Light be quenched.

52 "'He who is glorious in battle and is most mighty shall do great deeds.'

53 "'I sent one of the angels, but he could not prevail against her.

54 "'The wise one was afraid and turned back,

55 "'The chosen servant, the envoy of the angels, hath set out.

56 "'His heart is stirred up to oppose the chaos.

57 "'He opened his mouth, he spoke unto me, saying:

58 "'Should I, as your avenger,

59 "'Overcome the chaos, and bestow safety upon you,

60 "'Gather together, and proclaim that the command is God's alone,

61 "'Sit ye down together in friendly fashion in the assembly,

62 "'Let me carry out decrees by the leave of God, even as ye do,

63 "'Whatsoever God brings to pass let it remain unaltered.

64 "'That which the mouth of God uttereth shall neither fail nor be brought to nought.'

65 "Hasten ye therefore, carry out your duty speedily

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

67 Gaga departed and hastened upon his way

68 To the elder angels, reverently

69 He did homage, and he bowed before them.

70 He bowed down, stood up, and spake unto them, saying:

71 "O ye angels, the chief of the host hath charged me,

72 "The intention of his heart he hath made me to know in this wise:--

73 "The mother of the deep hath sown these things,

74 "She hath set in order her assembly, she rageth furiously.

75 "All the rebels have joined themselves to her.

76 "They march by her side together with those whom ye have created,

77 "They formed a band and went forth to battle to help the chaos.

78 "They were exceedingly wroth, they made plans by day and by night without ceasing.

79 "They offered battle, foaming and raging.

80 "They set the battle in array, they uttered cries of defiance.

81 "The mother of the deep, who is only a created thing,

82 "Set up the unrivalled weapon, she spawned huge serpents,

83 "Sharp of tooth, pitiless in attack.

84 "She filled their bodies with venom instead of blood,

85 "Grim, monstrous serpents, arrayed in terror,

86 "She decked them with brightness, she fashioned them in exalted forms,

87 "So that fright and horror might overcome him that looked upon them,

88 "So that their bodies might rear up, and no man resist their attack.

89 "She set up the Viper, and the Snake, and the rebel host,

90 "The Whirlwind, the ravening Dog, the Scorpion-man,

91 "The Storm-wind, the Fish-man, the Horned Beast,

92 "They carried the weapon which spared not, nor flinched from the battle.

93 "Most mighty were her allies, they could not be resisted.

94 "Thus she caused eleven monsters of this kind to come into being.

95 "Amongst the rebels, her first-born, who had collected her company,

96 "That is to say, Kingu, she set on high, she made him the great one among them.

97 "Leader of the hosts in the battle, disposer of the troops,

98 "Bearer of the firmly-grasped weapon, attacker in the fight,

99 "He who in the battle is the master of the weapon

100 "She appointed, she made him to sit down in goodly apparel,

101 "Saying: 'I have magnified thee in the assembly of the rebels.

102 "'I have filled thy hand with the sovereignty of the whole company.

103 "'Mayest thou be magnified, thou who art my chosen one.

104 "'May the host make great thy renown over all of them.'

105 "She gave him authority that was not his, she fastened it on his head, saying:

106 "'As for thee, thy command shall not fall empty, what goeth forth from thy mouth shall be established.'

107 "When Kingu was raised on high, and had usurped the heavens,

108 "He fixed decrees for his host, saying:

109 "'Open your mouths, let the Light be quenched,

110 "'He who is glorious in battle and is most mighty shall do great deeds.

111 "'I sent one of the angels, but he could not prevail against her.

112 "'The wise one was afraid and turned back.

113 "'The chosen servant, the envoy of the angels, hath set out.

114 "'His heart is stirred up to oppose the chaos.

115 "'He opened his mouth, he spoke unto me, saying:

116 "'Should I, as your avenger,

117 "'Overcome the chaos, and bestow safety upon you,

118 "'Gather together, and proclaim that the command is God's alone,

119 "'Sit down together in friendly fashion in the assembly,

120 "'Let me carry out decrees by the leave of God, even as ye do,

121 "'Whatsoever God brings to pass let it remain unaltered.

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

123 "Hasten ye therefore, carry out your duty speedily

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

125 The elder angels heard, they wailed loudly,

126 All the host wept bitterly, saying:

127 "Who were our enemies until we were posted in heaven?

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

129 They gathered themselves together, they went,

130 All the great ones, who carry out the commands of God.

131 They entered in, they filled the court before the chief of the angels.

132 Brother greeted brother in the assembly,

133 They held a meeting, they sat down together,

134 They took counsel together,

135 ...

136 ...

137 ...

138 They agreed on the decree for the chosen servant as their avenger.

Fourth Tablet

1 They founded for him a majestic canopy,

2 He seated himself in the seat of honour in the presence of his elders, who said unto him:

3 "Thou art honourable by reason of thy greatness among us.

4 "Thy position is high, and the words thou utterest are as fixed as the sky.

5 "Thou art honourable by reason of thy greatness among us.

6 "Thy position is high, and the words thou utterest are as fixed as the sky.

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

8 "By the leave of God, the power to exalt and to cast down shall be in thy hand,

9 "That which goeth forth from thy mouth by God's leave shall be established.

10 "No one among us shall overstep thy boundary,

11 "Worship, which is the object of the sanctuary of the angels,