134 They brought unto him gifts of triumph and peace,

135 The champion paused, he examined the carcase of the chaos.

136 He separated flesh from hair, he worked cunningly.

137 He slit her open like a flat fish into two pieces,

138 The one half he raised up and shaded the heavens therewith,

139 He pulled the bolt, he posted a guard,

140 He ordered them not to let her water escape.

141 He crossed heaven, he contemplated the regions thereof.

142 He betook himself to the abode that is opposite to the Deep,

143 The champion measured the dimensions of the Deep,

144 He founded a place like unto it,

145 The abode which he made to be heaven.

146 He made the angels to inhabit their own dwellings.

Fifth Tablet

1 He appointed the stations for the great ones,

2 He set in heaven the stars, which are signs of God.

3 He fixed the year, he appointed the limits thereof.

4 He set up for the twelve months three stars apiece.

5 According to the day of the year he ... figures.

6 He founded the station of the great planet to settle their boundaries,

7 That none might exceed or fall short.

8 He set the stations thereby.

9 He opened great gates under shelter on both sides.

10 He made a strong corridor on the left and on the right.

11 He fixed the zenith in the heavenly vault.

12 He gave the moon its brightness and committed the night to its care.

13 He set it for the government of the night, to determine the day

14 Monthly, without fail, he set it in a crown, saying:

15 "At the beginning of the month when thou risest over the land,

16 "Make thy horns to project to limit six days of the month

17 "On the seventh day make thyself like a crown.

18 "On the fourteenth day ..."

[Lines 19-26 dealt further with the instructions to the moon, but are too fragmentary to translate. After line 26 comes a break in the text of 40 lines; lines 66-74 are too fragmentary to translate, but they seem to have described further acts of Creation.]

75 The angels, his elders, looked on the net which he had made,

76 They observed how craftily the bow had been constructed,

77 They extolled the work which he had done.

78 Then one of the angels lifted up the bow in the company of the angels,

79 Saying: "That ..."

80 He proclaimed the names of the bow to be as follows:--

81 "Verily, the first is 'Long Wood,' the second is ...

82 "Its third name is 'Bow Star in heaven' ..."

83 He fixed a station for it ...

Sixth Tablet

1 On hearing the words of the angels, the heart of the servant moved him to carry out the works of a craftsman.

2 He opened his mouth, he spake that which he had planned in his heart, he gave counsel, saying:

3 "God will fashion man from clay.

4 "He will set up man, 'Man' shall be his name.

5 "God will create the man 'Man.'

6 "The service of God shall be established, and men shall be His servants.

7 "He will make twofold the ways, and He will beautify them.

8 "They are now grouped together in one place, but they shall be partitioned in two."

9 The wise one answered and spake a word unto him

10 For the consolation of the angels he repeated unto him a word of counsel, saying:

11 "Let the rebel be judged, let him suffer destruction, that men may be fashioned.

12 "Let the great ones be assembled, let judgement be given in order that they may be established."

13 The champion assembled the great ones, he came near graciously, he issued a decree,

14 He opened his mouth, he addressed the angels, saying:

15 "Verily, that which I spake unto you aforetime was true.

16 "This time also I speak truth. Some there were who opposed me.

17 "Who was it that created the strife,

18 "Who caused the chaos to revolt, to join battle with me?

19 "Let him who created the strife be brought to judgement,

20 "That his sin may be made an end of."

21 The great ones, the host, answered him,

22 Unto the one chosen over them they said:

23 "It was Kingu who created the strife,

24 "Who made the chaos to revolt, to join battle with thee."

25 They bound him in fetters, they brought him to judgement, they inflicted punishment on him,

26 And God fashioned mankind from clay to serve Him, as He willed.

27 After God had fashioned man He laid upon him the duty of service.

28 For that work man was chosen, ...

29 ... the host He set up on high.

30 He laid down a decree that protected ... as a guard.

31 He made twofold the ways on the earth and in the heavens.

32 By decrees ...

33 The host who ...

34 The host ...

35 They spake, saying:

36 "O Lord, who hast established our splendour,

37 "What benefit have we conferred upon Thee?

38 "Come, let us make a house of worship, whose name shall be renowned;

39 "Come at night, our time of rest, let us take our ease therein,

40 "Come, the staff shall rule ...

41 "On the day that we reach thereto we will take our ease therein."

42 On hearing this ...

43 The features of his face shone like the day exceedingly.

44 He said, "Like unto ... Babylon, the construction whereof ye desire

45 "I will make ... a city, I will fashion a splendid house of worship."

46 The workers worked the mould for making bricks, their bricks were ...

47 In the second year the house was as high as a hill, and its summit reached the celestial ocean.

48 They made the tower to reach the celestial ocean, and places of prayer to God they appointed,

49 It stood before them majestically: at the bottom and at the top they observed its two horns.

50 After they had finished the construction of the house, and had completed the making of the places of prayer,

51 They gathered together from the ... of the Ocean. In the abode which they had made,

52 He made his elders to take their seats ... saying: "This Babylon shall be your abode.

53 "No mighty one shall destroy his house, the great ones shall dwell therein."

[After line 53 the middle portions of several lines of text are obliterated. When the text again becomes connected we find the host singing a hymn of praise.]

94 "Whatever is ... those shall bear

95 "They shall never forget, they shall cleave to ...

96 "... they shall make bright, they shall make places of prayer.

97 "Verily, the decision concerning the black-headed belongeth to God,

98 "... all our names have they called, he is most holy

99 "... they proclaimed and venerated his names.

100 "His ... is exceedingly bright, his work is ...

101 "The champion, whose name was proclaimed from his birth,

102 "Who hath set the day at his door ... his going,

103 "By whose help the storm wind was bound ...

104 "Delivered his elders in the time of trouble.

105 "Verily, they have proclaimed his service to God.

106 "In his bright light let them walk for ever.

107 "On men whom God hath formed, the created things fashioned by His fingers

108 "He hath imposed the duty of service to God, and by it they are set free

109 "...

110 "... they looked at him,

111 "He is the far-seeing, verily ...

112 "Who hath made glad the hearts of the host, who hath made them to ...

113 "Verily, he is the object of trust of his country ...

114 "Let men praise God ...

115 "The King of the Protecting Heart hath arisen and hath bound the Serpent ...

116 "Broad is His mercy, mighty His power.

117 "King of the heaven and of the earth, whose name our company hath proclaimed,

118 "We will fulfil the utterance of His mouth. Over all that is,