the_behistun_inscription Sir Austen Henry Layard, discovered the Cyrus cylinder, Terracotta, Babylonian, ca. 539-530 BC. From Babylon, southern Iraq.

Translation of the text on the Cyrus Cylinder
Translation by Irving Finkel
Assistant Keeper, Department of the Middle East
British Museum where the Cyrus the Great Cylinder Is Housed.

1. [When ... Mar]duk, king of the whole of heaven and earth, the ....... who, in his ..., lays waste his .......
2. [........................................................................]broad ? in intelligence, ...... who inspects} (?) the wor]ld quarters (regions)
3. [..............................................................…] his [first]born (=Belshazzar), a low person was put in charge of his country,
4. but [..................................................................................] he set [a (…) counter]feit over them. 
5. He ma[de] a counterfeit of Esagil, [and .....….......]... for Ur and the rest of the cult-cities.
6. Rites inappropriate to them, [impure] fo[od- offerings ….......................................................] disrespectful […] were daily gabbled, and, as an insult,
7. he brought the daily offerings to a halt; he inter[fered with the rites and] instituted […....] within the sanctuaries. In his mind, reverential fear of Marduk, king of the gods, came to an end.   
8. He did yet more evil to his city every day; … his [people ................…], he brought ruin on them all by a yoke without relief.  
9. Enlil-of-the-gods became extremely angry at their complaints, and […] their territory.  The gods who lived within them left their shrines,
10. angry that he had made (them) enter into Shuanna (Babylon).  Ex[alted Marduk, Enlil-of-the-Go]ds, relented.  He changed his mind about all the settlements whose sanctuaries were in ruins, 
11. and the population of the land of Sumer and Akkad who had become like corpses, and took pity on them.  He inspected and checked all the countries, 
12. seeking for the upright king of his choice.  He took the hand of Cyrus, king of the city of Anshan, and called him by his name, proclaiming him aloud for the kingship over all of everything.  
13. He made the land of Guti and all the Median troops prostrate themselves at his feet, while he shepherded in justice and righteousness the black-headed people 
14. whom he had put under his care.  Marduk, the great lord, who nurtures his people, saw with pleasure his fine deeds and true heart, 
15. and ordered that he should go to Babylon  He had him take the road to Tintir (Babylon), and, like a friend and companion, he walked at his side.  
16. His vast troops whose number, like the water in a river, could not be counted, were marching fully-armed at his side.  
17. He had him enter without fighting or battle right into Shuanna; he saved his city Babylon from hardship.  He handed over to him Nabonidus, the king who did not fear him.  
18. All the people of Tintir, of all Sumer and Akkad, nobles and governors, bowed down before him and kissed his feet, rejoicing over his kingship and their faces shone.  
19. The lord through whose help all were rescued from death and who saved them all from distress and hardship, they blessed him sweetly and praised his name.
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20. I am Cyrus, king of the universe, the great king, the powerful king, king of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four quarters of the world, 
21. son of Cambyses, the great king, king of the city of Anshan, grandson of Cyrus, the great king, ki[ng of the ci]ty of Anshan, descendant of Teispes, the great king, king of the city of Anshan, 
22. the perpetual seed of kingship, whose reign Bel (Marduk)and Nabu love, and with whose kingship, to their joy, they concern themselves.  When I went as harbinger of peace i[nt]o Babylon 
23. I founded my sovereign residence within the palace amid celebration and rejoicing.  Marduk, the great lord, bestowed on me as my destiny the great magnanimity of one who loves Babylon, and I every day sought him out in awe.  
24. My vast troops were marching peaceably in Babylon, and the whole of [Sumer] and Akkad had nothing to fear.  
25. I sought the safety of the city of Babylon and all its sanctuaries.  As for the population of Babylon […, w]ho as if without div[ine intention] had endured a yoke not decreed for them, 
26. I soothed their weariness; I freed them from their bonds(?).    Marduk, the great lord,  rejoiced at [my good] deeds, 
27. and he pronounced a sweet blessing over me, Cyrus, the king who fears him, and over Cambyses, the son [my] issue, [and over] my all my troops, 
28. that we might live happily in his presence, in well-being.  At his exalted command, all kings who sit on thrones, 
29. from every quarter, from the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea, those who inhabit [remote distric]ts (and) the kings of the land of Amurru who live in tents, all of them, 
30. brought their weighty tribute into Shuanna, and kissed my feet. From [Shuanna] I sent back to their places to the city of Ashur and Susa, 
31. Akkad, the land of Eshnunna, the city of Zamban, the city of Meturnu, Der, as far as the border of the land of Guti - the sanctuaries across the river Tigris - whose shrines had earlier become dilapidated, 
32. the gods who lived therein, and made permanent sanctuaries for them.  I collected together all of their people and returned them to their settlements, 
33. and the gods of the land of Sumer and Akkad which Nabonidus – to the fury of the lord of the gods – had brought into Shuanna, at the command of Marduk, the great lord, 
34. I returned them unharmed to their cells, in the sanctuaries that make them happy.  May all the gods that I returned to their sanctuaries, 
35. every day before Bel and Nabu, ask for a long life for me, and mention my good deeds, and say to Marduk, my lord, this: “Cyrus, the king who fears you, and Cambyses his son,
36. may they be the provisioners of our shrines until distant (?) days, and the population of Babylon call blessings on my kingship. I have enabled all the lands to live in peace.  
37. Every day I increased by [… ge]ese, two ducks and ten pigeons the [former offerings] of  geese, ducks and pigeons.
38. I strove to strengthen the defences of the wall Imgur-Enlil, the great wall of Babylon,
39. and [I completed] the quay of baked brick on the bank of the moat which an earlier king had bu[ilt but not com]pleted its work.  
40. [I …… which did not surround the city] outside, which no earlier king had built, his workforce, the levee [from his land, in/int]o Shuanna.  
41. [… .......................................................................with bitum]en and baked brick I built anew, and [completed] its [work].  
42. […...........................................................] great [doors of cedarwood] with bronze cladding,  
43. [and I installed] all their doors, threshold slabs and door fittings with copper parts.   [….......................] I saw within it an inscription of Ashurbanipal, a king who preceded me;
44. […..................................................................] his … Marduk, the great lord, creator (?) of [ ... ]
45. [….................................................] my [… I presented] as a gift.....................] your pleasure  forever.

Source: Rawlinson, H. C. and T. G. Pinches. A Selection from the Miscellaneous Inscriptions of Assyria and Babylonia. Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia 5. London: Harrison, 1909.

The Cyrus Cylinder Translation – (Transcription) […] his troops […four] quarters of the world […] an incompetent was appointed as ruler over his land and […] a similar one he appointed over them, like Esaglia he made […] to Ur and the rest of the cities, a command dishonoring them […] he planned daily and in enmity, he caused the daily offering to cease; he appointed […] he established within the city. The worship of Marduk, king of the gods […] he showed hostility toward his city daily […] his people; he brought all of them to ruin through servitude without rest. On account of their complaints, the lords of the gods became furiously angry and left their land; the gods, who dwelt among them, left their homes, in anger over his bringing into Babylon. Marduk […] to all the dwelling places, which had become ruins, and the people of Sumer and Akkad, who were like corpses […] he turned and granted mercy. In all lands everywhere he searched; he looked through them and sought a righteous prince after his own heart, whom he took by the hand. He called Cyrus, king of Anshan, by name; he appointed him to lordship over the whole world.

The land of Qutu, all the Umman-manda, he cast down at his feet. The black headed people, whom he gave his hands to conquer, he took them in justice and righteousness. Marduk, the great lord, looked joyously on the caring for his people on his pious works and his righteous heart. To his city, Babylon, he caused him to go; he made him take the road to Babylon, going as a friend and companion at his side. His numerous troops, in unknown numbers, like the waters of a river, marched armed at his side. Without battle and conflict, he permitted him to enter Babylon. He spared his city, Babylon, a calamity, Nabonidus, the king, who did not fear him, he delivered into his hand.

All the people of Babylon, Sumer and Akkad, princes and governors fell down before him and kissed his feet. They rejoiced in his sovereignty; their faces shone. The lord, who by his power brings the dead to life, who amid destruction and injury had protected them, they joyously blessed him, honoring his name. I am Cyrus, king of the world, the great king, the powerful king, king of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four quarters of the world, son of Cambyses, the great king, king of the city of Anshan; great grandson of Teispes, the great king, king of the city of Anshan; eternal seed of royalty whose rule Bel and Nabu love, In whose administration they rejoice in heart. When I made my triumphal entrance into Babylon, I took up my lordly residence in the royal palace with joy and rejoicing; Marduk, the great lord, moved the noble heart of the residents of Babylon to me, while I gave daily attention to his worship. My numerous troops marched peacefully into Babylon. In all Sumer and Akkad I permitted no enemy to enter. The needs of Babylon and of all its cities I gladly attended to. The people of Babylon [and…], and the shameful yoke was removed from them. Their dwellings, which had fallen, I restored. I cleared out their ruins. Marduk, the great lord, rejoiced in my pious deeds, and graciously blessed me, Cyrus, the king who worships him, and Cambyses, my own son, and all my troops, while we, before him, joyously praised his exalted godhead.

All the kings, dwelling in palaces, of all the quarters of the earth, from the Upper to the Lower sea dwelling […] all the kings of the Westland dwelling in tents brought me their heavy tribute, and in Babylon kissed my feet. From […] to Asshur and Susa, Agade, Eshnunak, Zamban, Meturnu, Deri, with the territory of the land of Qutu, the cities on the other side of the Tigris, whose sites were of ancient foundation – the gods, who resided in them, I brought back to their places, and caused them to dwell in a residence for all time. And the gods of Sumer and Akkad – whom Nabonidus, to the anger of the lord of the gods, had brought into Babylon – by the command of Marduk, the great lord, I caused them to take up their dwelling in residences that gladdened the heart. May all the gods, whom I brought into their cities, pray daily before Bel and Nebo for long life for me, and may they speak a gracious word for me and say to Marduk, my lord, “May Cyrus, the king who worships you, and Cambyses, his son, their […] I permitted all to dwell in peace […]