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Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of Assyria, unrivalled king, true shepherd, favorite of the great gods, guardian of truth 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.
At the beginning of my kingship, after I sat on the lordly throne (and) set to governing the people of Assyria in obedience and peace, Marduk-apla-iddina (II) (Merodach-baladan), king of Karduniaš (Babylonia), an evil foe, a rebel (with) a treacherous mind, an evildoer whose villainous acts are true, sought friendship with Šutur-Naḫundu (Šutur-Naḫḫunte II), an Elamite, by presenting him with gold, silver, (and) precious stones; then, he continuously requested reinforcements from him.
To the land of Sumer and Akkad, he (Šutur-Naḫundu) sent to his (Marduk-apla-iddina’s) assistance Imbappa, his field marshal, together with the massed body of his troops, Tannānu, (his) third man, ten unit commanders, including Nergal-nāṣir, a Sutian who marches before them, 80,000 archers (and) lancers, 850 wagons, (and) the 12,200 horses that were with them.
Moreover, he, the evil Chaldean, evildoer, (and) offspring of murder, gathered together Uruk, Larsa, Ur, Eridu, Kullaba, Kissik, (and) Nēmed-Laguda, the lands of the Bīt-Yakīn, Bīt-Amukāni, Bīt-Ašillāni (Bīt-Šillāni), Bīt-Saʾalli, (and) Bīt-Dakkūri, all of the Chaldeans, as many as there were; on the bank(s) of the Tigris River, the Tuʾumuna, Riḫiḫu, Yadaqqu, Gibrê, (and) Maliḫu (Malaḫu); on the bank(s) of the Surappu River, the Gurumu, Ubulu, Damunu, Gambulu, Hindaru, Ruʾuʾa, (and) Puqudu; on the bank(s) of the Euphrates River, the Ḫamrānu, Ḫagarānu, Nabatu, (and) Liʾtaʾu — Arameans who did not know (fear of) death; (15) Nippur, Dilbat, Marad, Kish, Ḫursagkalama, Babylon, Borsippa, (and) Cutha, all of Karduniaš (Babylonia) and prepared (them) for battle.
When they reported his (Marduk-apla-iddina's) evil deeds to me, Sennacherib, the attentive man of the steppe, I raged up like a lion and ordered the march into [Babyl]on to confront him. He (Marduk-apla-iddina), the (very) image of an evil gallû-demon, heard about the advance of my expeditionary force, and (then) he reinforced their companies with horses (and) Elamite, Aramean, (and) Chaldean archers, together with Nergal-nāṣir and ten unit commanders of the king of the land Elam who did not know (fear of) death, (and) the countless forces who were with them. He brought their contingents together in Cutha and had (them) keep watch at outposts for the approach of my expeditionary force.
I put my yoked teams in order. On the twentieth day of the month Šabāṭu (XI), like a powerful wild ox, I took the lead of my troops from Baltil (Aššur), but I did not wait for the main force of my army, nor did I wait for the rear guard. (20) I sent (my) chief eunuch (and) my provincial governors to Kish ahead of me, (saying): “Find out news of Marduk-apla-iddina (II) (Merodach-baladan), and do not be careless about putting a strong watch on him!”
He (Marduk-apla-iddina) saw my provincial governors, and (then) came out of the Zababa Gate with all of his troops and did battle with my magnates in the plain of Kish. The enemy prevailed over my magnates in the thick of battle and they (my magnates) were afraid to clash with his ... They sent their messenger to me in the plain of Cutha for help.
In my rage, I unleashed a fierce assault on Cutha, and (then) I slaughtered the warriors surrounding its wall like sheep and took possession of the city. I brought out horses, the Elamite, Aramean, (and) Chaldean archers, the Elamite unit commanders, and Nergal-nāṣir, together with the guilty citizens, and I counted them (as) booty.
I raged up like a lion and became furious like the Deluge. With my merciless warriors, I set out for Kish against Marduk-apla-iddina (II) (Merodach-baladan). Moreover, he, (that) evildoer, saw the disturbance from afar and fear fell upon him. He abandoned all of his troops and fled to the land Guzummānu.
I defeated Tannānu, together with the Elamite, Chaldean, and Aramean troops who had stood by him and had come to his aid, and I scattered his forces. I captured alive Adinu, a nephew of Marduk-apla-iddina (II) (Merodach-baladan), together with Basqānu, a brother of Iatiʾe, queen of the Arabs, along with their troops. I seized the chariots, wagons, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, (and) Bactrian camels that he had abandoned during the battle.
With a rejoicing heart and a radiant face, I rushed to Babylon and entered the palace of Marduk-apla-iddina (II) (Merodach-baladan) to plunder the possessions and property therein. I opened his treasury and brought out gold, silver, gold (and) silver utensils, precious stones, beds, armchairs, a processional carriage, royal paraphernalia of his with gold (and) silver mountings, all kinds of possessions (and) property, a substantial treasure, (together with) his wife, his palace women, female stewards, eunuchs, courtiers, attendants, male singers, female singers, palace servant(s) who cheered up his princely mind, all of the craftsmen, as many as there were, (and) his palace attendants, and I counted (them) as booty.
I pursued him to the land Guzummānu and sent (my) warriors into the midst of swamps and marshes. For five days they sought him out, but his (hiding) place could not be found. I gathered all together the rest of his horses and troops, who were weary, (and) who had fled like deer instead of going with him, from the midst of the open country and plain.
In the course of my campaign, I surrounded, conquered, (and) plundered the cities Amatu, Ḫauae, Supapu, Bīt-Sannabi, Qudayyin, Kidrina, Dūr-Ladini, Bitāti, Bānītu, Guzummānu, Dūr-Yanṣuri, Dūr-Abī-Yataʾ, Dūr-Rudumme, Bīt-Raḫê, Ḫapiša, Sadian, Ḫurudu, Ṣaḫrina, Iltuk, Allallu, Sabḫānu, Kār-Nergal, Apak, Bīt-Dannāya, Bīt-Abdāya, Baḫir, Marirâ, Marad, Yaqimuna, Kupruna, Bīt-Kudurri, Sūqa-Marusi, altogether 34 fortified walled cities of the land of the Bīt-Dakkūri, together with 250 small(er) settlements in their environs;
the cities Dūr-Appê, Dūr-Tanê, Dūr-Samaʾ, Sarrabātu, Ṣalaḫatu, Dūr-Abdāya, Sappi-ḫimari, Ṣibtu-ša-Makkamê, altogether 8 fortified walled cities of the land of the Bīt-Saʾalli, together with 120 small(er) settlements in their environs;
the cities Sapīya (Šapīya), Sarrabānu, Larak, Parak-Marri, Bīt-Ilu-bāni, Aḫudu, Ša-iṣṣur-Adad, Šaḫarratu, Manaḫḫu, Ša-amēlê, Dūr-Aqqīya, Nagītu, Nūr-abīnu, Ḫar-Ṣuarra, Dūr-Rukbi, Danda-Ḫulla, Dūr-Bir-Dada, Bīt-Reʾê, Dūr-Ugurri, Gindaina, Dūr-Uayyit, Bīt-Taurâ, Sapḫuna, Bu-ḫarru, (45) Ḫarbat-Iddina, Ḫarbat-Kalbi, Ša-barê, Bīt-Bāni-ilūya, Sulādu, Bīt-Iltama-samaʾa, Bīt-Dīni-ili, Daqala, Ḫameza, Bēlā, Tairu, Kiprānu, Iltaratu, Aqqar-ša-kīna, Sagabatu-ša-Mardukīya, altogether 39 fortified walled cities of the land of the Bīt-Amukāni, together with 350 small(er) settlements in their environs;
(and) the cities Bīt-Zabidīya, Larsa, Kullaba, Eridu, Kissik, Nēmed-Laguda, (and) Dūr-Yakīn, including the city Kār-Nabû, which is on the shore of the Bitter Sea, altogether 8 fortified walled cities of the land of the Bīt-Yakīn, together with 100 small(er) settlements in their environs;
the (grand) total is 88 fortified walled cities of Chaldea, together with 820 small(er) settlements in their environs.
I let (my) troops eat the grain (and) dates in their gardens (and) their crops in the countryside. I destroyed (them), devastated (them), burned (them) with fire, (and) I turned (them) into forgotten ruin hills.
I brought out the auxiliary forces of the Arameans (and) Chaldeans who were in Uruk, Nippur, Kish, (and) Ḫursagkalama, together with the guilty citizens, and I counted (them) as booty.
I let (my) army eat the grain (and) dates in their gardens, the fields they had labored in, (and) the crops in the countryside, which is their life’s necessity.
I appointed over them Bēl-ibni, a son of a rab banî (and) a scion of Šuanna (Babylon), who had grown up like a young puppy in my palace, as king of the land of Sumer and Akkad.
On my return march, I defeated all together the Tuʾumuna, Riḫiḫu, Ubudu, Gibrê, Maliḫu (Malaḫu), Gurumu, Ubulu, Damunu, Gambulu, Ḫindaru, Ruʾuʾa, Puqudu, Ḫamrānu, Ḫagarānu, Nabatu, (and) Liʾtaʾu, insubmissive Arameans, and I plundered them.
In the course of my campaign, I received a substantial payment 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 who since time immemorial had not submitted to the kings, my ancestors, and I did not leave one alive. 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 for the ginû-offerings to the gods of Assyria, my lords.
I carried off into Assyria a substantial booty (consisting of) 208,000 people, male and female, 7,200 horses (and) mules, 11,073 donkeys, 5,230 camels, 80,100 oxen, (and) 800,100 sheep and goats. This is apart from the people, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep and goats that all of my troops had carried away and appropriated for themselves.
Moreover, I struck with the sword the soldiers of the enemy, a recalcitrant force who had not submitted quickly to my yoke, and hung (their corpses) on poles.
At that time, Egallammes, the temple of the god Nergal that is inside the city Tarbiṣu, which Shalmaneser (III), a former ruler, son of Ashurnasirpal (II), (and grand)son of Tukultī-Ninurta (II), had built, became dilapidated. I tore down that temple in its entirety (and) reached its foundation pit. I filled in a terrace in an area (measuring) 200 cubits along (its) longer side (and) 100 cubits along (its) shorter side, (thus) adding to the size of the former temple. I made Egallammes larger than before. I built (and) completed (it) from its foundations to its battlements through the craft of clever master builders. For the god Nergal, who (lives) in the city Tarbiṣu, my lord, I indeed did a splendid job, which surpassed previous (work) and was worthy of (high) praise.
I brought the god Nergal, the lord of exalted strength, almighty (and) perfect, the foremost (warrior who has) no rival, inside it and I graciously settled (him) in his august dwelling. I made splendid (and) pure offerings (of) plump bulls (and) fattened sheep before him, and I held festivities inside that temple. I had the victorious conquests that I achieved over all of (my) enemies with his great support written on (my) inscribed object(s) and I deposited (them) for posterity, for the kings, my descendants.
In the future, may a future ruler, when this temple becomes old and dilapidated, find my inscribed objects, anoint (them) with oil, make an offe[ring], (and) securely place (them) with inscribed object(s) bearing his name. The god Nergal will (then) hear his prayers.
The line count of the inscription is 69 (lines).