1 When in the height heaven was not yet named,

2 And the earth beneath did not yet bear a name,

3 And the primeval deep, the source of all the waters,

4 And chaos, Tiamat, the womb of the waters,

5 Their waters were mingled together,

6 And no field was formed, no marsh was to be seen;

7 When none of the angels had been called into being,

8 And none bore a name, and no destinies were ordained;

9 Then God created the angels in the midst of heaven.

10 The angels Lahmu and Lahamu were called into being.

11 Ages increased.

12 Then the angels Anshar and Kishar were created.

13 Long were the days, then there came forth

14 Anu, who came after them.

15 Anshar and Anu.

16 And the angel Anu.

17 Nudimmud, who is also called Ea, was created.

18 Abounding in wisdom,

19 He was exceeding strong.

20 He had no rival.

21 Thus were the great angels established.

22 But the deep and chaos were still in confusion.

23 They were troubled.

25 The deep was not diminished in might,

26 And chaos roared.

27 She smote, and their deeds were evil.

28 Their way was evil.

29 Then the rebel Apsu,

30 Cried unto Mummu, his minister, and said unto him:

31 "O Mummu, thou minister that rejoicest my spirit,

32 "Come, unto Tiamat let us go."

33 So they went and before Tiamat they sat down,

34 They took counsel against the angels whom God had created.

35 Apsu opened his mouth and spoke,

36 And unto Tiamat he addressed the word:

38 "By day I cannot rest, by night I cannot lie down in peace.

39 "But I will destroy their way.

40 "Let there be lamentation, and let us lie down again in peace."

41 When Tiamat heard these words,

42 She raged and cried aloud.

44 She uttered a curse, and unto Apsu she spoke:

45 "What then shall we do?

46 "Let their way be made difficult, and let us lie down again in peace."

47 Mummu answered, and gave counsel unto Apsu,

48 And hostile to the angels was the counsel Mummu gave:

49 "Come, their way is strong, but thou shalt destroy it;

50 "Then by day shalt thou have rest, by night shalt thou lie down in peace."

51 Apsu hearkened unto him and his countenance grew bright,

52 Since he planned evil against the angels.

54 His knees became weak, they gave way beneath him,

55 Because of the evil which their first-born had planned.

58 Lamentation, they sat in sorrow.

60 Then Ea, the angel endowed with wisdom, went up and he beheld their muttering.

62 His pure prayer.

85 The angel Anu.

86 An avenger.

88 And he shall confound Tiamat.

90 For ever.

91 The evil.

92 He spoke:

93 "He hath conquered.

94 "He weepeth and sitteth in tribulation.

95 "Of fear.

96 "We shall not lie down in peace.

97 "Apsu is laid waste.

98 "And Mummu, who were taken captive.

100 "Let us lie down in peace.

102 "Let us lie down in peace.

103 "Thou shalt take vengeance for them.

104 "Unto the tempest shalt thou."

105 And Tiamat hearkened unto the word of the rebel, and said:

106 "Thou shalt entrust, let us wage war."

107 The angels in the midst.

108 For the angels she gathered.

109 They banded themselves together and at the side of Tiamat they advanced;

110 They were furious, they devised mischief without resting night and day;

111 They prepared for battle, fuming and raging;

112 They joined their forces and made war.

113 Ummu-Hubur, the mother of the deep,

114 Made in addition weapons invincible, she brought forth monster-serpents,

115 Sharp of tooth, and merciless of fang;

116 With poison instead of blood she filled their bodies.

117 Fierce monster-vipers she clothed with terror,

118 With splendour she decked them, she made them of lofty stature.

119 Whoever beheld them, terror overcame him,

120 Their bodies reared up and none could withstand their attack.

121 She set up vipers, and dragons, and the monster Lahamu,

122 And hurricanes, and raging hounds, and scorpion-men,

123 And mighty tempests, and fish-men, and rams;

124 They bore cruel weapons, without fear of the fight.

125 Her commands were mighty, none could resist them;

126 After this fashion, huge of stature, she gathered eleven kinds of monsters.

127 Among the angels who followed her, inasmuch as he had given her support,

128 She exalted Kingu; in their midst she raised him to power.

129 To march before the forces, to lead the host,

130 To give the battle-signal, to advance to the attack,

131 To direct the battle, to control the fight,

132 Unto him she entrusted; in costly raiment she made him sit, saying:

133 "I have uttered thy spell, in the assembly I have raised thee to power.

134 "The dominion over all the angels who follow us have I entrusted unto him.

135 "Be thou exalted, thou my chosen ally,

136 "May they magnify thy name over all of them."

137 She gave him a tablet of pretended destiny, on his breast she laid it, saying:

138 "Thy command shall not be without avail, and the word of thy mouth shall be established."

139 Now Kingu, thus exalted, having received the power of Anu,

140 Decreed the fate among the angels who followed him, saying:

141 "Let the opening of your mouth quench the fire;

142 "Whoso is exalted in the battle, let him display his might!"