He opened his mouth and spake unto me: 'If I am indeed your avenger, Tiamat to overpower, you to rescue, make ready an assembly, prepare a banquet (?). Enter joyfully into Ubsugina, all together. With my mouth, like you, will I then pronounce an oracle, what I create shall never be changed; the word of my lip shall never go back or be unfulfilled.' Hasten therefore and determine at once for him his destiny that he may go forth and meet your mighty foe!' Lakhmu and Lakhamu heard this and lamented, the gods of heaven, all of them, bitterly grieved: 'Foolish are they who thus desire battle (?); nor can we understand the [design] of Tiamat.' Then they came together and marched ... the great gods, all of them, who determine [destinies]. They came before (?) Ansar, they filled [his abode], they crowded one on the other in the gathering ... they sat down to the feast, [they devoured] the food; they eat bread, they drank [wine], with sweet honey wine they filled themselves, they drank beer, and delighted their soul (?) ....they ascended into their [seats], to determine the destiny of Merodach their avenger. * * * * * TABLET IV. Then they set him on a princely throne; before his fathers he seated himself as ruler. 'Yea, thou art glorious among the great gods, thy destiny has no rival, thy name (?) is Anu; from this day forward unchanged be thy command, high and low entreat thy hand! Let the word of thy mouth be established, thy judgment never be violated, let none among the gods overpass thy bounds! as an adornment has (thy hand) founded the shrine of the gods, may the place of their gathering (?) become thy home. O Merodach, thou art he that avenges us, we give unto thee the sovereignty over the multitudes of the universe. Thou givest counsel, let thy word be exalted; may thy weapons be victorious, may thine enemies tremble! O lord, be gracious to the soul of him who putteth his trust in thee, but pour out the soul of the god who has hold of evil.' Then place they in their midst a robe; they spake to Merodach their first-born: 'May thy destiny, O lord, excel that of the gods; command destruction and creation, and so it shall be done. Set thy mouth that it may destroy the robe; bid it return and the robe shall be restored!' He spake and with his mouth destroyed the robe; he spake to it again, and the robe was re-created. When the gods his fathers beheld (the power) of the word of his mouth, they rejoiced, they saluted Merodach the king, they bestowed upon him the sceptre, the throne and reign, they gave him a weapon unrivalled, consuming the hostile: 'Go,' (they said,) 'and cut off the life of Tiamat, let the winds carry her blood to secret places.' (Thus) the gods, his fathers, determined for Bel his destiny, they showed his path, and they bade him listen and take the road. He made ready the bow and used it as his weapon; he made the club swing, he fixed its seat;