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Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters (of the world), capable shepherd, favorite of the great gods, guardian of truth (i 5) who loves justice, renders assistance, goes to the aid of the weak, (and) strives 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:
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. (i 15) 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. 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).
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) Elam, 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 25) 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, (i 30) precious stones, all kinds of possessions (and) property without number, a substantial tribute, (together with) his palace women, courtiers, attendants, male singers, female singers, all of the craftsmen, as many as there were, (and) his palace attendants, and I counted (them) as booty.
With the strength of the god Aššur, my lord, I surrounded, conquered, (and) plundered 75 of his fortified cities, fortresses of Chaldea, and 420 small(er) settlements in their environs. I brought out the auxiliary forces of the Arameans (and) Chaldeans (i 40) who were in Uruk, Nippur, Kish, Ḫursagkalama, Cutha, (and) Sippar, together with the guilty citizens, and I counted (them) as booty.
On my return march, I defeated all together the Tuʾumuna, Riḫiḫu, Yadaqqu, Ubudu, (i 45) Gibrê, Malaḫu, Gurumu, Ubulu, Damunu, Gambulu, Ḫindaru, Ruʾuʾa, Puqudu, Ḫamrānu, Ḫagarānu, Nabatu, (and) Liʾtaʾu, insubmissive Arameans. (i 50) 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.
In the course of my campaign, I received a substantial audience 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.
I put to the sword the population of the city Ḫirimmu, a dangerous enemy, and I did not spare a single one. (i 60) I hung their corpses on poles and placed (them) around the city. I reorganized that district (and) imposed for eternity one ox, ten sheep, ten homers of wine, (and) twenty homers of dates as his first-fruits offerings to the gods of Assyria, my lords.
ruling
On my second campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, 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 kings, my ancestors. In the high mountains, difficult terrain, I rode on horseback and (i 70) had my personal chariot carried on (men’s) necks. In very rugged terrain I roamed about on foot like a wild bull.
I surrounded (and) conquered the cities Bīt-Kilamzaḫ, Ḫardišpu, (and) Bīt-Kubatti, their fortified walled cities. I brought out of them people, horses, (i 75) mules, donkeys, oxen, and sheep and goats, and I counted (them) as booty. Moreover, I destroyed, devastated, (and) turned into ruins their small(er) settlements, which were without number. I burned with fire pavilions (and) tents, their abodes, and reduced (them) to ashes.
I made that city Bīt-Kilamzaḫ a fortress again (and) I strengthened its walls more than before, then (ii 1) I settled therein the people of the lands that I had conquered. I brought down from the mountains the people of the land of the Kassites and the land of the Yasubigallians who had fled from my weapons and (ii 5) I made (them) dwell in the cities Ḫardišpu (and) Bīt-Kubatti. I placed them under 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.
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, abandoned his fortified cities (and) his treasury and fled far away. (ii 15) I overwhelmed all of his wide land like a fog. I surrounded, conquered, destroyed, devastated, (and) burned with fire the cities Marʾubištu (and) Akkuddu, cities of his royal house, together with thirty-four small(er) settlements in their environs.
I carried off people, young (and) old, male and female, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats without number, then I brought him (Ispabāra) to nought and made his land smaller. I detached from his land the cities Ṣi(ṣ)ṣirtu (and) Kummaḫlum, fortified cities, together with the small(er) settlements in their environs (ii 25) (and) the district of the land Bīt-Barrû in its entirety, and I added (this area) to the territory of Assyria.
I took the city Elenzaš as a royal city and a fortress for that district, then I changed its former name and (ii 30) called it Kār-Sennacherib. I settled therein the people of the lands that I had conquered. I placed (it) under the authority of a eunuch of mine, the governor of the city Ḫarḫar, and (thus) enlarged my land.
On my return march, I received a substantial payment from the distant Medes, (ii 35) of whose land none of the kings, my ancestors, had heard mention. (Thus) I made them bow down to the yoke of my lordship.
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On my third campaign, I marched to the land Ḫatti. Fear of my lordly brilliance overwhelmed Lulî, the king of the city Sidon, and (ii 40) 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 Sidon, Lesser Sidon, Bīt-Zitti, Ṣarepta, Maḫalliba, Ušû, Akzibu, (and) Acco, his fortified cities (and) fortresses, an area of pasture(s) (ii 45) and water-place(s), resources upon which he relied, and they bowed down at my feet.
I placed Tu-Baʾlu on the royal throne over them and imposed upon him tribute (and) payment (in recognition) of my overlordship (to be delivered) yearly (and) without interruption.
As for Min(u)ḫimmu of the city Samsimuruna, Tu-Baʾlu of the city Sidon, Abdi-Liʾti of the city Arwad, Ūru-Milki of the city Byblos, Mitinti of the city Ashdod, (ii 55) Būdi-il of the land Bīt-Ammon, Kammūsu-nadbi of the land Moab, Aya-rāmu of the land Edom, all of the kings of the land Amurru, they brought extensive gifts, four times (the normal amount), as their substantial audience gift before me and kissed my feet.
Moreover, (as for) Ṣidqâ, 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, his brothers, (and other) offspring of his father’s house and took him to Assyria.
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.
In the course of my campaign, I surrounded, conquered, (and) plundered the cities Bīt-Daganna, Joppa, (ii 70) Banayabarqa, (and) Azuru, the cities of Ṣidqâ that had not submitted to me quickly.
(As for) the governors, the nobles, and the people of the city Ekron who had thrown Padî, their king who was bound by treaty and oaths (ii 75) to Assyria, into iron fetters and who had handed him over to Hezekiah of the land Judah in a hostile manner, they became frightened on account of the villainous acts they had committed. They formed a confederation with the kings of Egypt (and) the archers, chariots, (and) horses (ii 80) of the king of the land Meluḫḫa, forces without number, and they came to their aid.
In the plain of the city Eltekeh, they sharpened their weapons while drawing up in battleline before me. (iii 1) With the support of the god Aššur, my lord, I fought with them and defeated them. In the thick of battle, I captured alive the Egyptian charioteers and princes (lit. “the sons of the king”), together with the charioteers of the king of the land Meluḫḫa.
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 (iii 10) hung their corpses on towers around the city; I counted the citizens who had committed the criminal acts as booty; (and) I commanded 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.
I brought out Padî, their king, from the city Jerusalem and placed (him) on the lordly throne over them, then I imposed upon him payment (in recognition) of my overlordship.
Moreover, (as for) Hezekiah of the land Judah, who had not submitted to my yoke, I surrounded (and) conquered forty-six of his fortified cities, (iii 20) fortresses, and small(er) settlements in their environs, which were without number, by having ramps trodden down and battering rams brought up, the assault of foot soldiers, sapping, breaching, and siege engines. I brought out of them 200,150 people, young (and) old, male and female, (iii 25) horses, mules, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats, which were without number, and I counted (them) as booty.
As for him (Hezekiah), I confined him inside the city Jerusalem, his royal city, like a bird in a cage. I set up blockades against him and (iii 30) made him dread exiting his city gate. I detached from his land the cities of his that I had plundered and I gave (them) to Mitinti, the king of the city Ashdod, Padî, the king of the city Ekron, and Ṣilli-Bēl, the king of the city Gaza, and (thereby) made his land smaller. (iii 35) To the former tribute, their annual giving, I added the payment (of) gifts (in recognition) of my overlordship and imposed (it) upon them (text: “him”).
As for him, Hezekiah, fear of my lordly brilliance overwhelmed him and, after my (departure), he had the auxiliary forces and his elite troops whom (iii 40) he had brought inside to strengthen the city Jerusalem, his royal city, thereby gaining reinforcements, along with 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver, choice antimony, large blocks of ..., ivory beds, armchairs of ivory, elephant hide(s), elephant ivory, (iii 45) ebony, boxwood, every kind of valuable treasure, as well as his daughters, his palace women, male singers, (and) female singers brought into Nineveh, my capital city, and he sent a mounted messenger of his to me to deliver (this) payment and to do obeisance.
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On my fourth campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me so that I mustered my numerous troops and ordered the march to the land Bīt-Yakīn. In the course of my campaign, I defeated Šūzubu (Mušēzib-Marduk), a Chaldean who lives in the marshes, at the city Bittūtu. (iii 55) As for him, terror of doing battle with me fell upon him and his heart pounded. He fled alone like a lynx and his (hiding) place could not be found.
I turned around (lit. “I turned the front of my yoke”) and took the road to the land Bīt-Yakīn. He — Marduk-apla-iddina (II) (Merodach-baladan), whom (iii 60) I had defeated and whose forces I had scattered during my first campaign — became frightened by the clangor of my mighty weapons and my fierce battle array, then dislodged the gods of the (full) extent of his land from their abodes, and loaded (them) onto boats. (iii 65) He flew away like a bird to the city Nagīte-raqqi, which is in the midst of the sea. I brought his brothers, the seed of his father’s house, whom he had abandoned at the shore of the sea, together with the rest of the people of his land, out of the land Bīt-Yakīn, which is in the swamps and marshes, and I counted (them) as booty.
Once again I destroyed (and) devastated his cities, (and) turned (them) into ruins. I poured out awe-inspiring brilliance upon his ally, the king of the land Elam.
On my return march, I placed Aššur-nādin-šumi, my first-born son (whom I) raised on my (own) knee, on his lordly throne and entrusted him with the wide land of Sumer and Akkad.
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On my fifth campaign: The population of the cities Tumurrum, Šarum, Ezāma, Kibšu, Ḫalbuda, Qūa, (and) Qana, whose dwellings are situated like the nests of eagles, the foremost of birds, on the peak of Mount Nipur, a rugged mountain, and who had not bowed down to the yoke — (iii 80) I had my camp pitched at the foot of Mount Nipur.
Like a fierce wild bull, with my select bodyguard and my merciless combat troops, I took the lead of them (the soldiers in my camp). I proceeded through the gorges of the streams, the outflows of the mountains, (and) rugged slopes in (my) chair. (iv 5) Where it was too difficult for (my) chair, I leapt forward on my (own) two feet like a mountain goat. I ascended the highest peaks against them. Where my knees became tired, I sat down upon the mountain rock and drank cold water from a water skin to (quench) my thirst.
I pursued them on the peaks of the mountains and defeated them. I conquered, plundered, destroyed, devastated, (and) burned with fire their cities.
I turned around (lit. “I turned the front of my yoke”) and took the road against Maniye, the king of the city Ukku (and) an insubmissive mountain-dweller. (iv 15) Before my time, none of the former kings of the past had marched through the untrodden paths (and) difficult trails on account of the rugged mountains. I had my camp pitched at the foot of Mount Anara and Mount Uppa, mighty mountains, and I myself, in an armchair, (iv 20) with my crack combat troops, entered their narrow passes with great difficulty and ascended with a struggle the steep mountain peaks.
He, Maniye, saw the dust cloud (stirred up) by the feet of my troops, then he abandoned the city Ukku, his royal city, and fled afar. I surrounded, conquered, (and) plundered the city Ukku. I brought out of it every kind of possession (and) property, the treasures of his palace, and I counted (it) as booty.
Moreover, I conquered thirty-three cities on the borders of his district and carried off from them people, donkeys, oxen, and sheep and goats. (Then) I destroyed (them), devastated (them), (and) burned (them) with fire.
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On my sixth campaign: The rest of the people of the land Bīt-Yakīn, who had groveled like onagers before my mighty weapons, dislodged the gods of the (full) extent of their land from their abodes, (iv 35) then crossed the Great Sea of the Rising Sun and set up their residences in the city Nagītu of the land Elam — I crossed over the sea in boats of the land Ḫatti. I conquered the cities Nagītu (and) Nagītu-diʾbina, together with the lands Ḫilmu, Pillatu, and Ḫupapanu, districts of the land Elam.
I carried off the people of the land Bīt-Yakīn, together with their gods and the people of the king of the land Elam, and I did not leave a (single) escapee. I loaded (them) onto boats and brought (them) to this side (of the sea), then I made (them) take the road to Assyria. I destroyed, devastated, (and) burned with fire the cities that are in those districts. I turned (them) into a mound of ruins (lit. “a mound and ruins”).
On my return march, in a pitched battle, I defeated Šūzubu (Nergal-ušēzib), a citizen of Babylon who had taken the lordship of the land of Sumer and Akkad for himself during the confusion in the land. (iv 50) I captured him alive, bound him with tethering ropes and iron fetters, and brought him to Assyria. I defeated the king of the land Elam, who had aligned himself with him and come to his aid. I dispersed his forces and scattered his assembled host.
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On my seventh campaign, the god Aššur, my lord, encouraged me and (iv 55) I marched to the land Elam. In the course of my campaign, I conquered (and) plundered the cities Bīt-Ḫaʾiri (and) Raṣā, cities on the border of Assyria that the Elamites had taken away by force in the time of my ancestor(s). I had my garrisons stationed inside them. (iv 60) I brought (those cities) back inside the border of Assyria and placed (them) under the authority of the garrison commander of Dēr.
The cities Bubê, Dunni-Šamaš, Bīt-Risiya, Bīt-Aḫlamê, Dūru, Dannat-Sulāya, Šilibtu, Bīt-Aṣusi, Kār-Zēra-iqīša, Bīt-Giṣṣi, Bīt-Katpalāni, Bīt-Imbiya, (iv 65) Ḫamānu, Bīt-Arrabi, Burutu, Dimtu-ša-Sulāya, Dimtu-ša-Mār-bīti-ēṭir, Ḫarri-ašlakê, Rabbāya, Rāsu, Akkabarina, Tīl-Uḫuri, Ḫamrānu, Nadītu,
together with the cities of the passes, namely Bīt-Bunaki, Tīl-Ḫumbi, Dimtu-ša-Dume-ili, Bīt-Ubiya, Baltī-līšir, Taqab-līšir, Ša-nāqidāte, Masūtu-šaplīti, Sarḫudēri, Ālum-ša-Bēlet-bīti, (iv 75) Bīt-Aḫḫē-iddina, (and) Ilteuba — I surrounded, conquered, plundered, destroyed, devastated, (and) burned with fire (those) thirty-four fortified cities, together with the small(er) settlements in their environs, which were without number. I made the smoke from their conflagration cover the wide heavens like a heavy cloud.
Kudur-Naḫundu (Kudur-Naḫḫunte), the Elamite, heard about the conquest of his cities and fear fell upon him. He brought (the people of) the rest of his cities into fortresses. He abandoned the city Madaktu, his royal city, and (v 5) took the road to the city Ḫaydala, which is in the distant mountains.
I ordered the march to the city Madaktu, his royal city. In the month Tamḫīru, bitter cold set in and a severe rainstorm sent down its rain. I was afraid of the rain and snow in the gorges, the outflows of the mountains, (so) I turned around (lit. “I turned the front of my yoke”) and took the road to Nineveh.
At that time, by the command of the god Aššur, my lord, Kudur-Naḫundu (Kudur-Naḫḫunte), the king of the land Elam, did not last three months and suddenly died a premature death. After him, Umman-menanu (Ḫumban-menanu), (v 15) who does not have sense or insight, his younger brother, sat on his throne.
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On my eighth campaign, after Šūzubu (Mušēzib-Marduk) had rebelled and the citizens of Babylon, evil gallû-demons, had locked the city gates, they plotted to wage war. (v 20) Arameans, fugitives, runaways, murderers, (and) robbers rallied around Šūzubu (Mušēzib-Marduk), a Chaldean, a person of lowly status, a coward (lit. “who has no knees”), (and) a servant who belonged to the governor of the city Laḫīru, and they went down into the marshes and incited rebellion.
I besieged him and put him in dire straits. On account of fear and hunger, he fled to the land Elam. When there were conspiracy and treachery against him, he hurried out of the land Elam and entered Šuanna (Babylon). The Babylonians inappropriately placed him (back) on the throne (and) entrusted him with the lordship of the land of Sumer and Akkad.
They (the Babylonians) opened the treasury of Esagil and took out the gold (and) silver of the god Bēl (Marduk) and the goddess Zarpanītu, the property of the temple of their gods. They sent it as a bribe to Umman-menanu (Ḫumban-menanu), the king of the land Elam, who does not have sense or insight, (saying): (v 35) “Gather your army, muster your forces, hurry to Babylon, and align yourself with us! Let us put our trust in you.”
That Elamite, whose cities I had conquered and turned into ruins during a previous campaign to the land Elam, (v 40) accepted the bribe from them without thinking, then gathered his troops (and) his forces, inspected (his) chariots (and) wagons, (and) checked his teams (of) horses (and) mules.
The lands Parsuaš, Anzan, Pašeru, (and) Ellipi, the people of Yasil, (v 45) Lakab(e)ra, Ḫarzunu, Dummuqu, Sulāya, (and) Samʾuna, (who was) a son of Marduk-apla-iddina (II) (Merodach-baladan), the lands Bīt-Adini, Bīt-Amukāni, Bīt-Šilāni, Bīt-Sāla (Bīt-Saʾalli), Larak, the city Laḫīru, the people (of the tribes of the) Puqudu, Gambulu, Ḫalatu, Ruʾuʾa, (v 50) Ubulu, Malaḫu, Rapiqu, Ḫindaru, (and) Damunu, a large host, formed a confederation with him.
In their multitude, they took the road to Akkad and, as they were advancing towards Babylon, they met up with Šūzubu (Mušēzib-Marduk), a Chaldean (who is) the king of Babylon, and banded their forces together. Like a spring invasion of a swarm of locusts, they were advancing towards me as a group to do battle. The dust of their feet covered the wide heavens like a heavy cloud in the deep of winter.
While drawing up in battleline before me at the city Ḫalulê, which is on the bank of the Tigris River, (and) keeping me from the water source, they sharpened their weapons.
I myself prayed to the deities Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Bēl, Nabû, Nergal, Ištar of Nineveh, (and) Ištar of Arbela, the gods who support me, (v 65) for victory over (my) strong enemy and they immediately heeded my prayers (and) came to my aid.
I raged up like a lion, then put on armor (and) placed a helmet suitable for combat on my head. (v 70) In my anger, I rode quickly in my exalted battle chariot, which lays enemies low. I took in my hand the mighty bow that the god Aššur had granted to me (and) I grasped in my hand an arrow that cuts off life.
I roared loudly like a storm (and) thundered like the god Adad against all of the troops of the wicked enemies. By the command of the god Aššur, the great lord, my lord, I blew like the onset of a severe storm against the enemy on (their) flanks and front lines. With the weapons of the god Aššur, my lord, and my fierce battle array, I turned them back and made them retreat. (v 80) I shot the troops of the enemy with uṣṣu-arrows (and) mulmullu-arrows, and pierced all of their corpses like ...
I quickly slaughtered and defeated Ḫumban-undaša, the herald of the king of the land Elam, a trusted man who leads his troops, his main support, together with his magnates, who wear gold (decorated) belt-daggers and have reddish gold sling straps fastened to their forearms, like fattened bulls restrained with fetters.
I slit their throats like sheep (and thus) cut off their precious lives like thread. Like a flood in full spate after a seasonal rainstorm, I made their blood flow (vi 5) over the broad earth. The swift thoroughbreds harnessed to my chariot plunged into floods of their blood (just) like the river ordeal. The wheels of my war chariot, which lays criminals and villains low, were bathed in blood and gore. (vi 10) I filled the plain with the corpses of their warriors like grass. I cut off (their) lips and (thus) destroyed their pride. I cut off their hands like the stems of cucumbers in season.
I received gold (and) shining silver sling straps as their wrist-trappings (and) slashed off their belts with sharp swords. I took away gold (and) silver (decorated) belt-daggers as their waist-trappings.
(As for) the rest of his magnates, including Nabû-šuma-iškun, a son of Marduk-apla-iddina (II) (Merodach-baladan), who had raised their arms because they were terrified of doing battle with me, I captured them alive in the thick of battle.
I brought back all together the chariots along with their horses, whose drivers had been killed in the thick of (that) mighty battle and which had themselves been released so that they galloped about on their own. When the second double-hour of the night had passed, I stopped their slaughter.
(As for) him, Umman-menanu (Ḫumban-menanu), the king of the land Elam, along with the king of Babylon (and) the sheikhs of Chaldea who marched at his side, terror of doing battle with me overwhelmed them like alû-demons. They abandoned their tents and, in order to save their lives, they trampled the corpses of their troops as they pushed on.
Their hearts throbbed like the pursued young of pigeons, they passed their urine hotly, (and) released their excrement inside their chariots. I ordered my chariots (and) horses to pursue them. Wherever they caught (them), they killed with the sword the runaways amongst them, who had fled for (their) lives.
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At that time, after I had completed the palace in the citadel of Nineveh for my royal residence (and) had filled it with luxuriousness to be an object of wonder for all of the people:
The Rear Palace that earlier kings, my ancestors, had had built for the proper running of the military camp, (vi 40) the care of horses, (and) the overseeing of everything — its terrace did not exist, its site had become too small, and its construction was inexpert. With the passage of time, its base had fallen into disrepair, then its foundations had become loose (and) its superstructure had collapsed.
I tore down that palace in its entirety. I took much fallow land from the meadow and plain of the city as an addition (and) I added (it) to (the site). I abandoned the site of the former palace and filled in a terrace in the area of the meadow that I had taken from the river bank. I raised its superstructure 200 courses of brick high.
In a favorable month, on an auspicious day, upon that terrace, with my innate expertise, I had a palatial wing of limestone and cedar in the style of the land Ḫatti and (vi 55) a magnificent palatial wing of Assyrian workmanship, which greatly surpassed the previous one in size and expertise, built through the craft of well-trained master builders, for my lordly residence.
I roofed them with magnificent beams of cedar grown on Mount Amanus, the holy mountain. I fastened bands of bright copper on doors of white cedar and I installed (them) in their gates. I had magnificent bull colossi fashioned from white limestone that was discovered in the territory of the city Balāṭāya and on the right and left I made (them) hold their door bolts.
I greatly enlarged its outer courtyard for the proper administration of the black-headed (people), the inspection of thoroughbred horses, mules, agālu-donkeys, military equipment, chariots, carts, wagons, quivers, bows, and uṣṣu-arrows, every type of implement of war, (and) the submission of teams of horses (and) mules, which have great strength, to the yoke.
I built (and) completed that palace from its foundations to its battlements. I deposited in it inscribed objects bearing my name.
In the future, one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur and the goddess Ištar name for shepherding the land and people — when that palace becomes old and dilapidated, may a future ruler renovate its dilapidated section(s). 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 and the goddess Ištar will (then) hear his prayers.
(As for) the one who alters my inscription or my name, may the god Aššur, the great lord, the father of the gods, become angry with him as if (he were) an enemy. May he take away (his) scepter and (his) throne from him and overthrow his dynasty.
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Duʾūzu (IV), eponymy of Gaḫilu, governor of the city Ḫatarikka (689).
Addaru (XII), twentieth day, eponymy of Bēl-ēmuranni, governor of the city Carchemish (691).