Translation of Column iii

[iii.1] ... Nin ...

[iii.2] When the proud lord, the freedom of Babylon, Borsippa, and Cutha

[iii.3] and the sworn agreements of Enlil-ina-mati, the son of KU... BREAK, the governor of Larak, in their time had established

[iii.4] and when he had offered sacrifices at Babylon, Borsippa, and Cutha before Bêl, Nabû, and Nergal.

[iii.5] Year after year, he made unbearable their burden of slaughter, robbery, murder, corvée, and forced labor.

[iii.6] In only one day, he burned alive sixteen Cutheans at Zababa's gate in the heart of Babylon.

[iii.7] He delivered inhabitants of Babylon to Hatti and Elam as a token of respect.

[iii.8] He made the inhabitants of Babylon with woman, children, and servants go out and settled them into the countryside.

[iii.9] He heaped up the houses of Babylon's inhabitants BREAK BREAK into piles of rubble, and he turned them into royal property.

[iii.10] The main street, the avenue of Šarur, his lord's beloved, who passes through the streets of his city in the month of Ululu,

[iii.11] its passage he blocked off and turned into royal property, making him pass into a cul-de-sac.

[iii.12] He seized Mudammiq-Adad, son of Adad-šuma-ereš, his court opponent, without having committed either a crime or a rebellion, and

[iii.13] his people, as many as there were, he carried off to the Chaldaeans and the Aramaeans, as a sign of respect.

[iii.14] His towns, his fields, his houses, his gardens, and everything that belonged to him, as many as there were, he appropriated for himself.

[iii.15] The man Iltagal-il of the town Dur-ša-Karbi, which is on the bank of the Euphrates, came to his presence and swore agreements and oaths, but

[iii.16] he committed insult and unspeakable slander, that are forbidden of princes, against him and counted his town as booty.

[iii.17] In the sixth year, he turned his attention toward the Esagila, the palace of the Enlil of the gods (i.e., Marduk), with a view to restoring it, but

[iii.18] the possessions of the Esagila, as much as was there, what earlier kings had brought there,

[iii.19] he took out, gathered them into his own palace, and made them his own:

[iii.20] silver, gold, choice and priceless stones, and everything that befits a deity, as much as was there.

[iii.21] According to his good pleasure, he made offerings of them to the gods of the Sealand, of the Chaldeans, and of the Aramaeans.

[iii.22] He would adorn the women of his palace with them, and would give them to Hatti and Elam as signs of respect.

[iii.23] At the beginning of the seventh year, he marched on the Bit-Dakkuri for evil.

[iii.24] Afterward, Nabû-šuma-iškun, the Dakkurean, in violation of the sworn agreements and the oath taken by the great gods,

[iii.25] ordered out horses, troops, and chariots and sent them to go on campaign with him.

[iii.26] He distributed bread, beer of the first quality, and flour to all his camp.

[iii.27] In the month of Addaru, the twentieth day, the days of games in honor of Šamaš and Marduk, he felt no fear with regard to the sworn agreements and oaths.

[iii.28] The people, as many as were lying like cattle in a meadow, made merry and celebrated.