“The lord rejoiced at his father’s word, His heart was glad, and he saith to his father: ‘O lord of the gods, fate of the great gods! If then I be your avenger, (If) I bind Tiamtu and save you, Assemble together, cause to be great, (and) proclaim ye, my lot. In Upšukenaku assembled, come ye joyfully together, Having opened my mouth, like you also, let me the fates decide, That naught be changed that I do, (even) I. May the word of my lips neither fail nor altered be!’ ” Anšar, without delay, calls his messenger Gaga, and directs him to summon all the gods to a festival, where with appetite they may sit down to a feast, to eat the divine bread and drink the divine wine, and there let Merodach “decide the fates,” as the one chosen to be their avenger. Then comes the message that Gaga was to deliver to Laḫmu and Laḫamu, in which the rebellion of Tiamtu is related in practically the same words as the writer used at the beginning of the narrative to describe Tiamtu’s revolt. Merodach’s proposal and request are then stated, and the message ends with the following words— “Hasten, and quickly decide for him your fate— Let him go, let him meet your mighty foe!” Laḫmu and Laḫamu having heard all the words of Anšar’s message, which his messenger Gaga faithfully repeated to them, they, with the Igigi, or gods of the heavens, broke out in bitter lamentation, saying that they could not understand Tiamtu’s acts. Then all the great gods, who “decided the fates,” hastened to go to the feast, where they ate and drank, and, apparently with loud acclaim, “decided the fate” for Merodach their avenger. Here follow the honours conferred on Merodach on account of the mighty deed that he had undertaken to do. They erected for him princely chambers, wherein he sat as the great judge “in the presence of his fathers,” and they praised him as the highest honoured among the great gods, incomparable as to his ordinances, changeless as to the word of his mouth, uncontravenable as to his utterances. None of them would go against the authority that was to be henceforth his domain. “Merodach, thou art he who is our avenger, (Over) the whole universe have we given thee the kingdom.” His weapons were never to be defeated, his foes were to be smitten down, but as for those who trusted in him, the gods prayed him that he would grant them life, “pouring out,” on the other hand, the life of the god who had begun the evil against which Merodach was about to fight. Then, so that he should see that they had indeed given him the power to which they referred, they laid in their midst a garment, and in accordance with their directions, Merodach spoke, and the garment vanished,—he spoke, and it reappeared—