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The Babylonian Legends of the Creation

FOURTH TABLET.

Project Gutenberg EPUB edition Budge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir
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81. "[Thou hast exalted Kingu to be [thy] husband,
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82. "[Thou hast made him to usurp] the attributes of Anu
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83. "... thou hast planned evil.
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84. "[Against] the gods, my fathers, thou hast wrought evil.
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85. "Let now thy troops gird themselves up, let them bind on their weapons.
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86. "Stand up! Thou and I, let us to the fight!"
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87. On hearing these words Tiâmat
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88. Became like a mad thing, her senses became distraught,
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89. Tiâmat uttered shrill cries again and again.
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90. That on which she stood split in twain at the words,
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91. She recited an incantation, she pronounced her spell.
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92. The gods of battle demanded their weapons.37
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93. Tiâmat and Marduk, the envoy of the gods, roused themselves,
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94. They advanced to fight each other, they drew nigh in battle.
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95. The Lord cast his net and made it to enclose her,
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96. The evil wind that had its place behind him he let out in her face.
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97. Tiâmat opened her mouth to its greatest extent,
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98. Marduk made the evil wind to enter [it] whilst her lips were unclosed.
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99. The raging winds filled out her belly,
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100. Her heart was gripped, she opened wide her mouth [panting].
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101. Marduk grasped the spear, he split up her belly,
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102. He clave open her bowels, he pierced [her] heart,
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103. He brought her to nought, he destroyed her life.
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104. He cast down her carcase, he took up his stand upon it,
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105. After Marduk had slain Tiâmat the chief,
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106. Her host was scattered, her levies became fugitive,
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107. And the gods, her allies, who had marched at her side,
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108. Quaked with terror, and broke and ran
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109. And betook themselves to flight to save their lives.
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110. But they found themselves hemmed in, they could not escape,
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111. Marduk tied them up, he smashed their weapons.
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112. They were cast into the net, and they were caught in the snare,
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113. The ... of the world they filled with [their] cries of grief.
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114. They received [Marduk's] chastisement, they were confined in restraint,
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115. And [on] the Eleven Creatures which Tiâmat had filled with awfulness,
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116. The company of the devils that marched at her ...
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117. He threw fetters, he ... their sides.
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118. They and their resistance he trod under his feet.
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119. The god Kingu who had been magnified over them
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120. He crushed, he esteemed him [as little worth] as the god Dugga, (as a dead god?).

Source attribution

The Babylonian Legends of the Creation, Project Gutenberg eBook #9914

THIRD TABLET. FIFTH TABLET.