ot be changed,
the power to raise or to abase shall be in thy hand, the word of thy
mouth shall endure, and thy commandment shall not meet with opposition.
None of the gods shall transgress thy law; but wheresoever a sanctuary
of the gods is decorated, the place where they shall give their oracles
shall be thy place.*** Marduk, it is thou who art our avenger! We bestow
on thee the attributes of a king; the whole of all that exists, thou
hast it, and everywhere thy word shall be exalted. Thy weapons shall not
be turned aside, they shall strike thy enemy. O master, who trusts in
thee, spare thou, his life; but the god who hath done evil, put out
his life like water. They clad their champion in a garment, and thus
addressed him: 'Thy will, master, shall be that of the gods. Speak the
word, 'Let it be so,' it shall be so. Thus open thy mouth, this garment
shall disappear; say unto it, 'Return,' and the garment shall be there."
He spoke with his lips, the garment disappeared; he said unto it,
"Return," and the garment was restored.

* The Assyrian runs, "thy destiny is second to none." This
refers not to the _destiny_ of the god himself, but to the
fate which he allots to others. I have substituted, here and
elsewhere, for the word "destiny," the special meaning of
which would not have been understood, the word "will,"
which, though it does not exactly reproduce the Assyrian
expression, avoids the necessity for paraphrases or formulas
calculated to puzzle the modern reader.

** Or, to put it less concisely, "When thou commandest, it
is Anu himself who commands," and the same blind obedience
must be paid to thee as to Anu.

*** The meaning is uncertain. The sentence seems to convey
that henceforth Merodach would be at home in all temples
that were constructed in honour of the other gods.

Merodach having been once convinced by this evidence that he had the
power of doing everything and of undoing everything at his pleasure, the
gods handed to him the sceptre, the throne, the crown, the insignia of
supreme rule, and greeted him with their acclamations: "Be King!--Go!
Cut short the life of Tiamat, and let the wind carry her blood to the
hidden extremities of the universe."* He equipped himself carefully for
the struggle. "He made a bow and placed his mark upon it;"** he had a
spear brought to him and fitted a point to it; the god lifted the lance,
brandi