600 years, less than 600, passed And the country became too wide, the people too numerous.⁠a The country was as noisy as a bellowing bull.⁠b The God grew restless at their clamour, Ellil had to listen to their noise. He addressed the great gods, The noise of mankind has become too much. I am losing sleep over their racket. Cut off food supplies to the people! Let the vegetation be too scant for their hunger Let Adad wipe away his rain. Below let no flood-water flow from the springs. Let wind go, let it strip the ground bare, Let clouds gather (but) not drop rain, Let the field yield a diminished harvest, Let Nissaba stop up her bosom. No happiness shall come to them. Let their ... be dejected. Call the [elders, the senior men], Start an uprising in your house, Let heralds proclaim ... Let them make a loud noise in the land : Do not revere your god(s)! Do not pray to your goddess! Search out the door of Adad, Bring a baked loaf into his presence. May the flour offering reach him, May he be shamed by the presents And wipe away his hand. (Then) he will make a mist form in the morning And in the night he will steal out and make dew drop, Deliver the field (of its produce) ninefold, like a thief They built a temple for Adad in the city, Ordered heralds to proclaim And make a loud noise in the land. They did not revere their god(s), Did not pray to their goddess, But searched out the door of Adad, Brought a baked (loaf) into his presence. The flour offering reached him; He was shamed by the presents And wiped away his hand. He made mist form in the morning And in the night he stole out and made dew drop, Delivered the field (of its produce) ninefold, like a thief. [The drought] left them, [The gods] went back [to their (regular) offerings]. Not three epochs had passed. The country became too wide, the people too numerous. The country was as noisy as a bellowing bull. The gods grew restless at their noise. Enlil organized his assembly again, Addressed the gods his sons: The noise of mankind has become too much, Sleep cannot overtake me because of their racket. Command that Anu and Adad keep the (air) above (earth) locked, Sin and Nergal keep the middle earth locked. As for the bolt that bars the sea, Ea with his lahmu-creatures shall keep it locked He ordered, and Anu and Adad kept the (air) above (earth) locked, Sin and Nergal kept the middle earth locked. As for the bolt that bars the sea, Ea with his lahmu-creatures kept it locked. Then the very wise man Atra-hasis Wept daily. He would carry a massakku-offering along the riverside pasture, Although the irrigation-water was silent. Half-way through the night he offered a sacrifice. As sleep began to overtake him He addressed the irrigation-water: May the irrigation-water take it, may the river carry it, May the gift be placed in front of Ea my lord. May Ea see it and think of me! So may I see a dream in the night. When he had sent the message by water, He sat facing the river, he wept , The man wept facing the river As his plea went down to the Apsu. Then Ea heard his voice. He summoned his Zahmu-creaturesl and addressed them. Above, [rain did not fill the canals] Below, flood-water did not flow from the springs. Earths womb did not give birth, No vegetation sprouted ... People did not look The dark pastureland was bleached, The broad countryside filled up with alkali. In the first year they ate old grain In the second year they depleted the storehouse. When the third year came, Their looks were changed by starvation, Their faces covered with scabs like malt. They stayed alive by ... Their faces looked sallow. They went out in public hunched, Their well-set shoulders slouched, Their upstanding bearing bowed. They took a message [from Atrahasis to the gods]. In front of [the assembly of the great gods], They stood [and] The orders [of Atrahasis they repeated] In front of 600 years, less than 600 years, passed. The country became too wide, the people too numerous. He grew restless at their noise. Sleep could not overtake him because of their racket. Ellil organized his assembly, Addressed the gods his sons, The noise of mankind has become too much. I have become restless at their noise. Sleep cannot overtake me because of their racket. Give the order that suruppu-disease shall break out, Let Namtar put an end to their noise straight away! Let sickness: headache, suruppu, asakku, Blow in to them like a storm. They gave the order, and suruppu-disease did break out. Namtar put an end to their noise straight away. Sickness: headache, suruppu, asakku, Blew into them like a storm. The thoughtful man, Atrahasis Kept his ear open to his master Ea; He would speak with his god, [And his god ] Ea would speak with him. Atrahasis made his voice heard and spoke, Said to Ea his master, Oh Lord, people are grumbling! Your [sickness] is consuming the country! Oh Lord Ea, people are grumbling! [Sickness] from the gods is consuming the country! Since you created us [You ought to] cut off sickness: headache, suruppu and asakku. Ea made his voice heard and spoke, Said to Atrahasis, Order the heralds to proclaim, To make a loud noise in the land: Do not revere your gods, Do not pray to your goddesses! withhold his rites! the flour as an offering to her presence say a prayer the presents his hand. Ellil organized his assembly, Addressed the gods his sons, You are not to inflict disease on them again, (Even though) the people have not diminished- they are more than before! I have become restless at their noise, Sleep cannot overtake me because of their racket! Cut off food from the people, Let vegetation be too scant for their stomachs! Let Adad on high make his rain scarce, Let him block below, and not raise flood-water from the springs! Let the field decrease its yield, Let Nissaba turn away her breast, Let the dark fields become white, Let the broad countryside breed alkali Let earth clamp down her womb So that no vegetation sprouts, no grain grows. Let asakku be inflicted on the people, Let the womb be too tight to let a baby out! They cut off food for the people, Vegetation . . . became too scant for their stomachs. Adad on high made his rain scarce, Blocked below, and did not raise flood-water from the springs. The field decreased its yield, Nissaba turned away her breast, The dark fields became white, The broad countryside bred alkali. Earth clamped down her womb: No vegetation sprouted, no grain grew. Asakku was inflicted on the people. The womb was too tight to let a baby out. v Ea kept guard over the bolt that bars the sea, Together with his lahmu-heroes. Above, Adad made his rain scarce, Blocked below, and did not raise flood-water from the springs. The field decreased its yield, Nissaba turned away her breast, The dark fields became white, The broad countryside bred alkali. Earth clamped down her womb: No vegetation sprouted, no grain grew. Asakku was inflicted on the people, The womb was too tight to let a baby out. When the second year arrived They had depleted the storehouse. When the third year arrived [The peoples looks] were changed [by starvation]. When the fourth year arrived Their upstanding bearing bowed, Their well-set shoulders slouched, People went out in public hunched over. When the fifth year arrived, A daughter would eye her mother coming in; A mother would not even open her door to her daughter. A daughter would watch the scales (at the sale of her) mother, A mother would watch the scales (at the sale of her) daughter. When the sixth year arrived They served up a daughter for a meal, Served up a son for food. Only one or two households were left. Their faces were covered with scabs like malt. People stayed alive by ... The thoughtful man Atrahasis Kept his ear open to his master Ea. He would speak with his god, And his god Ea would speak with him. He left the door of his god, Put his bed right beside the river, (For even) the canals were quite silent. When the second year arrived, they had depleted the storehouse. When the third year arrived The peoples looks were changed by starvation. When the fourth year arrived Their upstanding bearing bowed, Their well-set shoulders slouched, People went out in public hunched over. When the fifth year arrived, A daughter would eye her mother coming in; A mother would not even open her door to her daughter. A daughter would watch the scales (at the sale) of her mother, A mother would watch the scales (at the sale) of her daughter. When the sixth year arrived, They served up a daughter for a meal, Served up a son for food. Only one or two households were left. Their faces were covered with scabs like malt, The people stayed alive by ... They took a message Entered and The order of Atrahasis Saying, How long He (Eilil) was furious (with the Igigi) We, the great Anunna, all of us, Agreed together on [a plan]. Anu and [Adad] were to guard [above], I was to guard the earth [below]. Where Enki (went], He was to undo the [chain and set (us) free], He was to release [produce for the people]. He was to exercise [control] by holding the balance Ellil made his voice heard And [spoke] to the vizier Nusku, Have the fifty lahmu-heroes ... fetched for me! Have them brought in to my presence! The fifty lahmu-heroes were fetched for him. The warrior [Ellil] addressed them, We, the great Anunna, [all of us], Agreed together on a plan. Anu and Adad were to guard above, I was to guard the earth below. Where you [went], [You were to undo the chain and set (us) free] , You were to release produce for the people], You were to exercise control by holding the balance The warrior Ellil Adad made his rain pour down, filled the pasture land And clouds veiled Do not feed his people, And do not give Nissabas corn, luxury for people, to eat. Then [the god] grew anxious as he sat In the gods assembly worry gnawed at him. [Enki ] grew anxious as he sat, In the gods assembly worry gnawed at him. [They were furious with each other], Enki and Ellil. We, the great Anunna, all of us, Agreed together on a plan. Anu and Adad were to guard above, I was to guard the earth below. Where you went, You were to undo the chain and set (us) free! You were to release produce for the people! [You were to exercise control ] by holding the balance . The warrior Ellil [You] imposed your loads on man, You bestowed noise on mankind, You slaughtered a god together with his intelligence, You must ... and [create a flood] . It is indeed your power that shall be used against [your people!] You agreed to [the wrong ] plan! Have it reversed! Let us make far-sighted Enki swear ... an oath. Enki made his voice heard And spoke to his brother gods, Why should you make me swear an oath? Why should I use my power against my people? The flood that you mention to mt. What is it? I dont even know! Could I give birth to a flood? That is Ellil s kind of work! Let him choose Let Shullat and [Hanish] march [ahead] [Let Erakal pull out] the mooring poles Let [Ninurta] march, let him make [the weirs] overflow. The assembly Do not listen to The gods gave an explicit command.⁠c Ellil performed a bad deed to the people. Atrahasis made his voice heard And spoke to his master