1 Gilgamish said unto Uta-Napishtim, to Uta-Napishtim the remote:

2 "I am looking at thee, Uta-Napishtim.

3 Thy person is not altered; even as am I so art thou.

4 Verily, nothing about thee is changed; even as am I so art thou.

5 [Moved is my] heart to do battle,

6 But thou art at leisure and dost lie upon thy back.

7 How then wast thou able to be granted favour by God and see life?"

8 Uta-Napishtim said unto him, to Gilgamish:

9 "I will reveal unto thee, O Gilgamish, a hidden mystery,

10 And a matter from God I will declare unto thee.

11 Shurippak, a city which thou thyself knowest,

12 On the bank of the river Puratti (Euphrates) is situated,

13 That city was old, and its people had grown corrupt--

14 The decree of God, the Mighty, went forth to send a wind-storm (a-bu-bi),

15-18. And the angels of God, His servants, were charged with His command.

19 The angel of wisdom was with them [in the matter], and

20 brought the word to the house of reeds.

[First Speech to Uta-Napishtim, who is sleeping in a reed hut.]

21 O House of reeds, O House of reeds! O Wall, O Wall!

22 O House of reeds, hear! O Wall, understand!

23 O man of Shurippak, son of Ubara-Tutu.

24 Throw down the house, build a ship,

25 Forsake wealth, seek after life,

26 Abandon possessions, save thy life,

27 Carry grain of every kind into the ship.

28 The ship which thou shalt build,

29 The dimensions thereof shall be measured,

30 The breadth and the length thereof shall be the same.

31 ... the ocean, provide it with a roof."

[Uta-Napishtim's answer.]

32 "I understood and I said unto my Lord:

33 [I comprehend] my Lord, that which Thou hast ordered,

34 I will regard it with great reverence, and will perform it.

35 But what shall I say to the town, to the multitude, and to the elders?"

[The Second Speech.]

36 "God opened His speech

37 And said unto His servant, myself,

38 ... Thus shalt thou say unto them:

39 Ill-will hath come upon me from you,

40 Therefore I can no longer dwell in your city,

41 And never more will I turn my face upon your soil.

42 I will go forth and dwell by the sea, in the care of my Lord.

43 But upon you He will rain riches:

44 A catch of birds, a catch of fish

45 ... an [abundant] harvest,

46 ... the darkness

47 ... shall make a violent cyclone [to fall upon you]."

[The Building of the Ship.]

48 As soon as [the dawn] broke...

55 The weak [man] ... brought bitumen,

56 The strong [man] ... brought what was needed.

57 On the fifth day I decided upon its plan.

58 According to the plan its walls were 10 Gar (i.e. 120 cubits) high,

59 And the circuit of the roof thereof was equally 10 Gar.

60 I measured out the hull thereof and marked it out.

61 I covered it six times.

62 Its exterior I divided into seven,

63 Its interior I divided into nine,

64 Water bolts I drove into the middle of it.

65 I provided a steering pole, and fixed what was needful for it,

66 Six sar of bitumen I poured over the inside wall,

67 Three sar of pitch I poured into the inside.

68 The men who bear loads brought three sar of oil,

69 Besides a sar of oil which the offering consumed,

70 And two sar of oil which the boatman hid.

71 I slaughtered oxen for the people,

72 I slew sheep every day.

73 Sesame oil, grape juice and oil

74 I gave the people to drink as if they were water from the river.

75 I celebrated a feast-day as if it had been New Year's Day.

76 I opened [a box of ointment], I laid my hands in unguent.

77 Before the sunset the ship was finished.

78 [Since] ... was difficult.

79 The shipbuilders brought the ... of the ship, above and below,

80 ... two-thirds of it.

[The Loading of the Ship.]

81 With everything that I possessed I loaded it.

82 With everything that I possessed of silver I loaded it.

83 With everything that I possessed of gold I loaded it.

84 With all that I possessed of living grain I loaded it.

85 I made to go up into the ship all my family and kinsfolk,

86 The cattle of the field, the beasts of the field, all handicraftsmen I made them go up into it.

87 God had appointed me a time (saying):

88 The darkness will at eventide make a rain-flood to fall;

89 Then enter into the ship and shut thy door.

90 The appointed time drew nigh;

91 The rain-flood fell at eventide.

92 I watched the coming of the [approaching] storm,

93 "When I saw it terror possessed me,

94 I went into the ship and shut my door.

95 To the pilot of the ship, Puzur-Bêl (or Puzur-Amurri) the sailor

96 I committed the great house (i.e. ship), together with the contents thereof.

[The Cyclone and its Effects.]

97 As soon as the gleam of dawn shone in the sky

98 A black cloud from the foundation of heaven came up.

99 Inside it the thunder of God, the Thunderer, rolled,

100 The angels went before,

101 Marching as messengers over high land and plain,

102 The post of the ship was torn away,

103 The storm went on, and by God's command it descended.

104 The angels brandished their torches,

105 With their glare they lighted up the land.

106 The whirlwind (or cyclone) swept up to heaven.

107 Every gleam of light was turned into darkness.

108 ...... the land ...... as if ...... had laid it waste.

109 A whole day long [the flood descended] ...

110 Swiftly it mounted up ..... [the water] reached to the mountains

111 [The water] attacked the people like a battle.

112 Brother saw not brother.

113 Men could not be known (or recognized) from heaven.

128 For six days and nights

129 The storm raged, and the cyclone overwhelmed the land.

[The Abating of the Storm.]

130 When the seventh day approached the cyclone and the raging flood ceased:

131 --now it had fought like an army.

132 The sea became quiet and went down, and the cyclone and the rain-storm ceased.

133 I looked over the sea and a calm had come,

134 And all mankind were turned into mud,

135 The land had been laid flat like a terrace.

136 I opened the air-hole and the light fell upon my face,

137 I bowed myself, I sat down, I cried,

138 My tears poured down over my cheeks.

139 I looked over the quarters of the world--open sea!

140 After twelve days an island appeared.

141 The ship took its course to the land of Nisir.

142 The mountain of Nisir held the ship, it let it not move.

143 The first day, the second day, the mountain of Nisir held the ship and let it not move.

144 The third day, the fourth day, the mountain of Nisir held the ship and let it not move.

145 The fifth day, the sixth day, the mountain of Nisir held the ship and let it not move.

146 When the seventh day had come

147 I brought out a dove and let her go free.

148 The dove flew away and [then] came back;

149 Because she had no place to alight on she came back.

150 I brought out a swallow and let her go free.

151 The swallow flew away and [then] came back;

152 Because she had no place to alight on she came back.

153 I brought out a raven and let her go free.

154 The raven flew away, she saw the sinking waters.

155 She ate, she pecked in the ground, she croaked, she came not back.

[Uta-Napishtim Leaves the Ship.]

156 Then I brought out everything to the four winds and offered up a sacrifice for the sake of God;

157 I poured out an offering on the peak of the mountain.

158 Seven by seven I set out the vessels,

159 Under them I piled reeds, cedarwood and myrtle.

160 God accepted it,

161 God accepted the sweet offering.

[The Mercy of God.]

171 Now when the decree of judgement had been fulfilled,

172 God saw the ship, and the servants of God, the angels, were attentive:

174 "What kind of a being hath escaped with his life?"

176 Then one of the angels spoke

177 And said unto the Mighty:

183 Wilt Thou destroy the righteous with the wicked?

184 He who is sinful, on him lay his sin,

185 He who transgresseth, on him lay his transgression.

186 But be merciful that [everything] be not destroyed; be long-suffering that [man be not blotted out].

187 Instead of a cyclone,

188 A lion might come and diminish mankind.

189 Instead of a cyclone

190 A wolf might come and diminish mankind.

191 Instead of a cyclone

192 A famine might arise and [lay waste] the land.

193 Instead of a cyclone

194 A plague might rise up and [lay waste] the land.

195-197. [The righteous servant was granted a vision, and thus he heard the secret of the matter; now therefore counsel him with counsel.]

[God Honours Uta-Napishtim and His Wife.]

198 "Then an angel of God went up into the ship,

199 He seized me by the hand and brought me forth.

200 He brought forth my wife and made her to kneel by my side.

201 He turned our faces towards each other, he stood between us, he blessed us [saying],

202 Formerly Uta-Napishtim was a man merely,

203 But now let Uta-Napishtim and his wife be honoured as righteous servants of God.

204 Uta-Napishtim shall dwell afar off, at the mouth of the rivers."

[Uta-Napishtim Ends his Story of the Deluge.]

205 "And they took me away to a place afar off, and made me to dwell at the mouth of the rivers."