[Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, unrivalled king], pious [shep]herd who reveres the great gods, [guardian of truth who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the wea]k, (and) strives after good deeds, [perfect man, virile warrior, foremost of all rulers, the bridle that con]trols the insubmissive, (and) the one who strikes enemies with lightning:

[The god Aššur, the great mountain, granted to me unrivalled sovereignty and] made my weapons greater [than (those of) all who sit on (royal) da]ises.

ruling

[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) Ela]m, his allies, in the plain of Kish. [In the midst of that battle he abandoned his camp, fled alone, and (thereby) saved his life. I] seized [the chariots, horses, wagons, (and) mules] that he had abandoned in the thick of battle.

[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, a substan[tial] treasure, (together with) [his wife, his palace women, courtiers, attendants, all of the craftsmen, as many as there were], (and) his palace [attendan]ts, and [I counted] (them) as booty.

[With the strength of the god Aššur, my lord], I surrounded, conquered, (and) plunder[ed 89 of his fortified cities, fortresses of Chaldea, and 620 small(er) settlements in their environs]. (10) I brought out [the auxiliary forces of the Arameans (and) Chaldeans who were in Uruk, Nippur, Kish, Ḫursagkalama, Cutha, (and) Sippar, together with] the guilty [citizens], and [I counted (them) as] bo[oty].

[I placed Bēl-ibni, a son of a rab banî, on his royal throne (and) entrusted him with the people of Akkad. I ap]pointed [my eunuchs to be governors over all of the districts of Chaldea] and [I imposed] the yoke of my lordship [upon them].

[On my return march, I defeated] all together [the Tuʾumuna, Riḫiḫu, Yadaqqu, Ubudu, Gibrê, Maliḫu (Malaḫu), Gurumu], Ubulu, [Damunu, Gambulu, Ḫindaru, Ruʾuʾa, Puqudu, Ḫamrānu, Ḫagarānu, Nabatu, (and) Liʾtaʾu, in]submissive [Arameans. I carried] off into [Assyria a substantial booty (consisting of) 208,000 people, young (and) old, male and female, 7,200 horses (and) mules, 11,073 donkeys, 5,230 camels, 80,100 oxen, (and) 600,600 sheep and goats].

[In the course of my campaign, I received a substantial aud]ience gift [from Nabû-bēl-šumāti, the official in charge of the city Ḫararatu: gold, silver, large musukkannu-trees, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats].

[...] ... [...].

Lacuna

[To plant gardens, I subdivided the meadowland upstream of the city into plots of two pānu each for the citizens of Nineveh and I handed] (them) over [to them].

[To make (these) planted areas luxuriant, I cut with picks a canal] st[raight through mountain and valley, from the border of the city Kisiru to the plain of Nineveh. I caused an inexhaustible supply of water to flow there for a distance of one and a half leagues from the Ḫusur River (and) ma]de (it) gush through [feeder canals into those gardens].

[By divine will, vines, all kinds of fruit trees, olive trees, and aromatic trees flourished greatly in (those) gardens. Cypress trees, musukkannu-trees, (and) all kinds of trees gr]ew tall and sent [out shoots. (5´) I created a marsh to moderate the flow of water for (those) gardens and had a canebrake planted (in it). I let loose] in i[t herons, wild boa]rs (lit. “[pigs of the ree]ds”), (and) roe deer. [The marshes thrived greatly. Birds of the heavens, heron(s) whose home(s) are far away, made nest(s) and wild boars (and) roe deer] ga[ve birth] in abundance.

[I cut down musukkannu-trees (and) cypress trees grown in the orchards (and) marsh reeds from the swamps and] I us[ed (them) in the work required] (to build) my [lor]dly [palatial halls].

[... At the inauguration of the palace, I had the heads of the subjects of my land drenched] (and) I wa[tered] their insides with [sw]eet [wine].

[Nineveh, the site of whose circumference had been 9,300 cubits since former times (and) for which no earl]ier ruler [had had an inner or outer wall built — (10´) I added 12,515 (cubits) in the plain around the city to (its) previous measurement and] (thus) established its dimensions [as 21,815 lar]ge [cubits].

[I laid the foundation of its great wall, Badnigalbilukurašušu, (which means) “Wall Whose Brilliance Overwhelms Enemies,” upon limestone and made (it) 40 bricks thick]. I raised its superstructure [180 cou]rses of brick high.

[I opened up a foundation pit for the outer wall, Badnigerimḫuluḫa, (which means) “Terrorizer of Enemies,” then I dug down forty-five nindanu and made (it) reach] the water table. [I bound together strong mountain stone in the water below and above] I expertly carried out its construction [with large limestone (blocks) up to its copings].

[I enlarged the site of Nineveh, my capital city. I broadened its squares, making (them) as bright as day]. I had [an inner (and) outer wall] built and I raised (them) as high as mountain(s).

[So that there would be outflow from the Ḫusur River in the city (and) the passage of water upstream and downstream], I built aqueducts beneath it (the city wall) [with baked bricks, ...].

I had a bridge constructed [opposite the Citadel Gate with paving stones of white limestone for the passage of my lordly chariot].

[I had an inscribed object made and] had [all the mighty victories that I] achieved [over all of (my) enemies with the support of (the god) Aššur, the great lord, my lord], and all of my (other) achievements inscribed thereon. [With inscribed objects of earlier rulers, my ancestors], I deposited (it) for ever after [in the wall of Nineveh, my capital city, for the kings], my [descendant]s.

[In the future, may one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur names for shepherding the land and people, renovate their dilapidated section(s) when] these inner and outer walls become old and dilapidated. (20´) [May he find an inscribed object bearing my name, anoint (it) with oil, make an offering], (and) return (it) [to its place]. The god Aššur will (then) hear his prayers.

ruling

[The line count of the inscription is ... (lines). ... eponymy of] Bēl-šarrāni (699).