"I am Kourosh
(Cyrus), King of the world, great king, mighty king, king of
Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four
quarters, son of Camboujiyah (Cambyases), great king, king of Anshân,
grandson of Kourosh (Cyrus), great king, king of Anshân, descendant
of Chaish-Pesh (Teispes), great king, king of Anshân, progeny of an
unending royal line, whose rule Bel and Nabu cherish, whose kingship
they desire for their hearts, pleasure. When I disposed, entered
Babylon, I set up a seat of domination in the royal palace amidst
jubilation and rejoicing. Marduk the great god, caused the
big-hearted inhabitations of Babylon to .... me, I sought daily to
worship him.
At my deeds Marduk, the great
lord, rejoiced and to me, Kourosh (Cyrus), the king who worshipped
him, and to Kaboujiyah (Cambyases), my son, the offspring of (my)
loins, and to all my troops he graciously gave his blessing, and in
good sprit before him we glorified exceedingly his high divinity.
All the kings who sat in throne rooms, throughout the four quarters,
from the Upper to the Lower Sea, those who dwelt in ...., all the
kings of the West Country, who dwelt in tents, brought me their
heavy tribute and kissed my feet in Babylon. From ... to the cities
of Ashur, Susa, Agade and Eshnuna, the cities of Zamban, Meurnu, Der
as far as the region of the land of Gutium, the holy cities beyond
the Tigris whose sanctuaries had been in ruins over a long period,
the gods whose abode is in the midst of them, I returned to their
places and housed them in lasting abodes.
I gathered together all their
inhabitations and restored (to them) their dwellings. The gods of
Sumer and Akkad whom Nabounids had, to the anger of the lord of the
gods, brought into Babylon. I, at the bidding of Marduk, the great
lord, made to dwell in peace in their habitations, delightful
abodes.
May all the gods whom I have placed
within their sanctuaries address a daily prayer in my favour before
Bel and Nabu, that my days may be long, and may they say to Marduk
my lord, "May Kourosh (Cyrus) the King, who reveres thee, and
Kaboujiyah (Cambyases) his son ..."
Now that I put the crown of
kingdom of Iran, Babylon, and the nations of the four directions on
the head with the help of (Ahura) Mazda, I announce that I will
respect the traditions, customs and religions of the nations of my
empire and never let any of my governors and subordinates look down
on or insult them until I am alive. From now on, till (Ahura) Mazda
grants me the kingdom favor, I will impose my monarchy on no nation.
Each is free to accept it , and if any one of them rejects it , I
never resolve on war to reign. Until I am the king of Iran, Babylon,
and the nations of the four directions, I never let anyone oppress
any others, and if it occurs , I will take his or her right back and
penalize the oppressor.
And until I am the monarch, I will
never let anyone take possession of movable and landed properties of
the others by force or without compensation. Until I am alive, I
prevent unpaid, forced labor. To day, I announce that everyone is
free to choose a religion. People are free to live in all regions
and take up a job provided that they never violate other's rights.
No one could be penalized for his or
her relatives' faults. I prevent slavery and my governors and
subordinates are obliged to prohibit exchanging men and women as
slaves within their own ruling domains. Such a traditions should be
exterminated the world over.
I implore to (Ahura) Mazda to make
me succeed in fulfilling my obligations to the nations of Iran,
Babylon, and the ones of the four directions."
