(i 1) Sennacherib, great king, [strong] king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the fou[r] quarters (of the world), capable shepherd, favorite of the grea[t] gods, guar[dian of truth] who lov[es] justi[ce, (i 5) renders assis]tance, goes to the aid of the w[eak], (and) str[ives after] good deeds, perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that controls the insubmissive, (and) the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

(i 9b) The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and made my weapons greater than (those of) all who sit on (royal) daises. He made all of the black-headed (people) from the Upper Sea of the Setting Sun to the Lower Sea of the Rising Sun bow down at my feet. (i 15) Thus did recalcitrant rulers come to fear battle with me. While they were abandoning their settlements, they flew away alone like bats (living) in crevices to inaccessible place(s).

(i 18) On my first campaign, I brought about the defeat of Marduk-apla-iddina (II) (Me­ro­dach-ba­la­dan), king of Karduniaš (Babylonia), together with the troops of (the land) Elam, his [al]lies, (i 20) in the plain of Kish. [I]n the midst of that batt[le] he abandoned his camp, [f]led alone, and (thereby) saved his life. I seized the [chariots], horses, wagons, (and) mules that he had abandoned in the thick of battle.

(i 25) I joyfully entered his palace, which is in Babylon, then I opened his treasury and brought out gold, silver, gold (and) silver utensils, precious stones, all kinds of possessions (and) property with[out] number, a substantial tribute, (together with) his palace women, courtiers, attendants, male singers, female singers, [all] of (i 30) the craftsmen, as many as there were, (and) his palace attend[ants], and I counted (them) as booty.

(i 31b) With the strength of the god Aš[šur], my lord, I surrounded, conquered, (and) plundered 75 of his fortified cities, fortresses of Chaldea, and 420 small(er) settlements in their environs. (i 35) I brought out the auxiliary forces of the Arameans (and) Chaldeans who were in [Uruk], Nippur, Kish, Ḫursagkalamma, Cutha, (and) Sippar, together with the guilty citizens, and [I cou]nted (them) [as bo]oty.

(i 38) On my return march, I defeated [all toget]her the Tuʾ­mū­na, [Riḫi]ḫu, Yadaqqu, Ubudu, Gib[rê], (i 40) Malaḫu, Gurumu, [Ubulu], Damunu, Gambulu, [Ḫ]in[daru], Ruʾuʾa, Pu­qu­du, Ḫamrānu, Ḫa­ga­rā­nu, Nabatu, (and) Liʾtaʾu, insubmissive Arameans. (i 45) I carried off into Assyria a substantial booty (consisting of) 208,000 people, young (and) old, [male] and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats, which were without number.

(i 48) In the course of my campaign, I received a substantial audience gift from Nabû-bēl-šumāti, the official in [charge of the city] Ḫararatu (Ḫarutu): gold, silver, (i 50) large mu[sukkannu]-trees, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats.

(i 52) I pu[t to the sword the popul]ation of the city Ḫirimmu, a dangerous enemy, [and] I did not spare a single one. I hung their [corp]ses on poles and (i 55) placed (them) [aro]und the city. I reorganized that district (and) imposed for eternity [on]e ox, ten sheep, ten homers of wine, (and) twenty homers of [dat]es as his first-fruits offerings to the gods of Assyria, my lords.

(i 59) On my second campaign, the god Aš[šur], my [lor]d, encouraged me and I marched to the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians, who since time immemorial had not submitted to [the kin]gs, my ancestors. I[n the] high [mountai]ns, difficult terrain, I rode on [horseback] and had my personal chariot carried on (men’s) necks. (i 65) In very rugged terrain I roamed about on foot like a wild bull.

(i 66) I surrounded (and) conquered the cities Bīt-Kilamzaḫ, Ḫar[diš]pu, (and) Bīt-Kubatti, their fortified walled [cit]ies. I brought out of th[e]m people, horses, mule[s], donkeys, oxen, [and] sheep and goats, and (i 70) I counted (them) [as bo]oty. Moreover, I destroyed, deva[stated, (and) tu]rned into ruins [their] small(er) settlements, which were with[out] number. I burned with fire pavilions (and) tents, their ab[odes], and reduced (them) to a[shes].

(i 74) I made that city Bīt-Kilamza[ḫ] a fortress again (and) I strengthened its [wall]s more [than be]fore, then I settled therein the people of the la[nds] that I had conquered. I brought [down] from the mountains the people of the land of the Kassites (ii 1) and the land of the Yasubigall[ians] who had fl[ed] from my weapons [and] I made (them) dwell [in the] cities Ḫardišpu (and) Bīt-Kubatti. (ii 5) I placed them [un]der the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Arrapḫa. I had a stele made, had all the victorious conquests that I achieved over them written on it, and I erected (it) in (that) city.

(ii 9) I turned around (lit. “I turned the front of my yoke”) and took the road to the land Ellipi. Before my arrival, Ispabāra, their [king, ab]andoned his fortified cities (and) his treasury and fled far away. I overwhelmed all of his wide land like a fog. I surrounded, conquered, destroyed, devastated, (and) burned with fi[re] the cities [Mar]ubištu (and) Akkuddu, cities of (ii 15) his royal house, together with thirty-four small(er) settlements in their en[vir]ons.

(ii 17b) I carried off people, young (and) old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and [sheep] and goats without number, then (ii 20) I brought him (Ispabāra) to nought and made his land smaller. I detached from his land the cities Ṣi(ṣ)ṣirtu (and) [Kumm]aḫ[lum], fortified cities, together with the small(er) settlement[s] in their environs (and) [the district] of the land Bīt-Barrû in its [entire]ty, and I added (this area) to the terri[tory of As]syria.

(ii 25b) [I took] the city Elenzaš as a [roy]al city and a fortress for that district, then I changed its former name and called it Kār-Sennacherib. I settled therein the people of the lands that [I] had conquered. [I pla]ced (it) under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Ḫarḫar, and (thus) enlarged my land.

(ii 31) On my return march, I received a substantial payment from the distant Medes, of whose land none of the kings, my ancestors, had heard mention. (Thus) I made them bow down to the yoke of my lordship.

(ii 35) On my [third] campaign, I marched [t]o the land Ḫatti. Fear of my lordly brilliance overwhelmed Lulî, the king of the city Si[d]on, [and] he fled afar into the midst of the sea and disappeared. The awesome terror of the weapon of the god Aššur, my lord, [overwhelmed] the cities [Great] Sido[n], Lesser Sidon, Bīt-[Z]itti, (ii 40) Ṣarepta, Maḫalliba, Ušû, Akzibu, (and) Acco, his fortified cities (and) [fort]resses, an area of pasture(s) and [wat]er-place(s), resources upon which he relied, and they bowed down at my feet.

(ii 44b) I placed Tu-Ba[ʾlu on the royal throne] over th[em] and im[posed upon him] tribute (and) [payment (in recognition) of my overlordship] (to be delivered) year[ly] (and) with[out] interruption.

(ii 47) [As for M]in(u)ḫ[im]mu of the city Sam­si­[mu­ru­na], Tu-Baʾ­lu [of] the city Sidon, Abdi-Liʾ[ti of] the city Arwad, (ii 50) [Ūru]-Mil[ki] of the city Byblos, [Mit]inti of the city Ashdod, Būdi-il of the land Bīt-Ammon, Kammūsu-na[d]bi of the land Moab, Aya-rāmu of [the land] Edom, (ii 55) all [of] the kings of the land Amurru, [they br]ought extensive gifts, four [times] (the normal amount), as their substantial [audience g]ift before me and kissed my feet.

(ii 57b) [Moreover, (as for) Ṣ]idqâ, the king of the city Ashkelon who had not bowed down [to my yoke], I forcibly removed the gods of his father’s house, himself, his wife, his sons, [his daughters], (ii 60) his brothers, (and other) offspring of his father’s house and took him to As[syria].

(ii 61b) I set Šarru-lū-dāri, son of Rūkibtu, their former king, over the people of the city Ashkelon and imposed upon him the payment of tribute (and) gifts (in recognition) of my overlordship so that he (now) pulls my yoke.

(ii 65) In the course of my campaign, I surrounded, conquered, (and) plundered the cities Bīt-Daganna, Joppa, Banayabarqa, (and) Azuru, the cities of Ṣidqâ that had not submitted to me quickly.

(ii 69) (As for) the governors, the nobles, and the people of the city Ekron (ii 70) who had thrown Padî, their king who was bound by treaty and oaths to Assyria, into iron fetters and who had handed him over to Hezekiah of the land Judah in a hostile [manner, t]hey became frightened on account of the villainous acts they had committed. They formed a confederation with the kings of Egypt (and) the archers, ch[ariots], (ii 75) (and) horses of the king of the land Meluḫḫa, forces [without number], and they came to their aid.

(ii 77) In the plain of the city Eltekeh, they sharpen[ed] their weapons while drawing up in battleline [bef]ore me. (iii 1) [Wi]th the support of the god Aššur, [my] lord, [I fo]ught [with them] and de[feated them]. In the thick of battle, I captured alive [the Egyptian] charioteers and prin[ces (lit. “the sons of the king”), to]gether with the [charioteers of] the king of [the land Meluḫḫa].

(iii 5b) I surrounded, conquered, (and) plundered the cities Eltekeh (and) Tamnâ. I approached the city Ekron and I killed the governors (and) nobles who had committed crime(s) and hung their corpses on towers around the city; I counted the citizens who had committed (iii 10) the criminal acts as booty; (and) I com[manded] that the rest [of them], (those) who were not guilty of crimes or wrongdoing, (to) whom no penalty was due, be allowed to go free.