[To] the god Ašš[ur], the great mou[ntain], king of all the Igīgū gods and Anunnakū gods, [...] ... whose command ... rea[ches ...]; the Assyrian Enlil without whom judgment cannot be rendered, ... [...] sanctuaries be altered, (or) decisions be canceled by any other god; the important one who [...] (5) heaven (and) netherworld are constantly put in difficulty, lands and sea(s) tremble; the king of king[s, (...) the one by whom] no [oath (sworn)] is broken and the flood-tide, (who)se limits cannot be transgressed, the fierce deluge, the sickle [sword, ...] who overwhelms all the uncompliant (and) crushes the wild; the furious storm, who for the imp[ious ...] seals quickly the one who changes his design(s); the awesome god who from his royal dais, from [his] throne [...] plunders every land; lordly one, lord of lords; one clothed in awesome splendor who defeats the wicked, tramples on [all enemies], (10) (and) overwhelms foes; the judicious one who loves humankind, (but) whose anger is great; the fe[roc]ious one, [...] who dwe[lls] in Eḫursaggalkurkurra (“House, the Great Mountain of the Lands”) — the mighty shrine, primordial reflection (lit.: “design”) of the whole world — the lord of (the city) Baltil (Aššur) — the city of privileged status, the dynastic seat (and) oldest inhabited settlement — the prince, his lord:

Sargon (II), vice-regent of the land of the god Ašš[ur], just shepherd, offspring of the gods Enlil (and) Marduk, your servant; me, upon whom, among all the black-headed people, he (the god Aššur) duly looked to renovate the structure of the temple, to make the ritual performances perfect, (and) to make the cult centers brilliant. He then exalted me (and) handed over to me the ru[lership] and governance of Assyria. He made [my] weapons prevail over the four quarters (of the world).

In my second regnal year, having ascended the royal throne and been [crowned] with the crown of lordship, I dispersed the forces of Ḫumba(n)igaš (Ḫumban-nikaš I), king of the land Elam (and) brought about his defeat.

[Iaū-biʾdī (Ilu-biʾdī)] of Hamath — who had no right to the throne, who was not worthy to (live in) a palace, (and) who [had not been] fate[d] to shepherd the people — [came down], sought evil, (things that were) not good, for (the god) Aššur, his land, (and) his people, and held (them) in cont[empt]. He assembled the cities [Ṣimirra, Damascus], Arpad, (and) Samaria and made (them) side with him. [...] ... he killed (them) altogether and le[ft] no one alive.

[...] ... and I prayed (to the god Aššur) in order to (be able to) conquer the land Hamath, [overthrow Iaū-biʾdī (and) ... the] wide [land Amu]rru. Aššur, the [great] god, then [... li]stened [to my prayer] and accepted my supplication. [I mustered my vast] tr[oops (...) and] (25) had (them) take [the road to the land Am]urru.

The land Ha[math ...] corpses were spread wide (lit.: “the/a corpse was spread out”). Fame [...] I made [the people of the land Am]urru bow [down] at my feet. I brought [...] to my city Aššur, and, because [they (the people of the city Aššur) li]st[ened to my] comma[nd and ...] came to my aid, [I showed favor to] (the city) Baltil (Aššur), the city of privileged-status since ancient dynasties.

(With regards to this) august cult center (the city Aššur) that the god Aššur, his lord, had selected to be the (central) link [of kingship ...] for the (four) quarters (of the world), (the city) which has no rival (and) whose people have not known (state) service (or) corvée duty since the distant past, [Shalmaneser (V)], who did not revere the king of all (the world), raised his hand against that city with evil intent and esta[blished ...]. He imposed oppressively (state) service (and) corvée-duty upon its people (and) treated (them) as if (they were of the) lower class. At [that time, ...] the Enlil of the gods angrily overthrew his reign. (As for) me, Sargon, the ... king [...], (35) he exalted me (and) had me take hold of scepter, throne, (and) crown. [...] In order to make (my) throne secure, to firmly establish my reign, [to restore] their exemption (from obligations), [...] so that (I) might walk about in his presence in Ešarra, (and) in order that [I be] well of he[art ...] I planned the exemption (from obligations) of those citizens of the city. [(...)] I exempted them [from (state) service, corvée duty], the levy of the land, (and) the proclamation of the herald, from quay [(and) ferry] dues [...] all the temples of Assyria.

(The god) Aššur, my lord, [...] I had [...] made and a silver ḫaṣbu-pot (weighing) twenty minas ... [...] I inscribed upon it and placed it before him.

(As for) the one who [removes] that object (lit.: “work”) fro[m its (current) location (...)] (or) mutilates (its) represention(s), may (the god) Aššur, the great lord, [glare at him] angrily [(...)].