The deities Aššur — great lord, the father of the gods — Anu, Enlil, and Ea, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad, Marduk, Nabû, Nergal, Ištar, (and) the Sebetti, the great gods who stand at the side of the king who reveres them and make his weapons prevail over all enemies:

Sennacherib, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters (of the world), the king who was chosen by you, 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 sovereig[nty] and made my weapons greater than (those of) all who sit on (royal) daises. He made all of the rulers of the (four) quarters (of the world) from the Upper Sea of the Setting Sun to the Lower Sea of the Rising Sun bow down at my feet and they (now) pull my yoke. On four of my campaigns (during) which I went down to Chaldea and marched to the city Kār-Nabû, which is on the shore of the Bitter Sea, I conquered their cities, and (then) plundered (them), destroyed (them), devastated (them), (10) (and) burned (them) with fire; and on three of my campaigns (during) which I marched to Elam, I destroyed its settlements.

On my eighth campaign, I ordered the march to Babylon. (As for) the Babylonians who heard about the approach of my expeditionary force, terror and fear fell upon [th]em. They opened the treasury of Esagil and took out the gold, silver, (and) choice stones of the god Bēl (Marduk) and the goddess Zarpanītu in abundance. They sent (it) to Umman-menanu (Ḫumban-menanu), the king of the land Elam. They wrote to him as follows: “Come to Babylon to our aid and align yourself with us! Let us put our trust in you!”

He, the king of the land Elam, was a rash fellow who does not have sense or insight. On the first occasion, in the time of Ḫallušu-(Inšušinak I), his father, I went down to his district and captured the cities Nagītu (and) Nagītu-diʾbina, (and) the lands Ḫilmu, Pillatu, and Ḫupapanu, districts of his that are on the other side of Bitter Sea, and plundered (them), destroyed (them), devastated (them), and burned (them) with fire.

On the second occasion, in the time of Kudurru (Kudur-Naḫḫunte), his brother, I went to the land Elam and, in the course of my campaign, I surrounded, conquered, (and) plundered the cities Bīt-Ḫaʾiri (and) Raṣā, cities on the border of Assyria that the king of the land Elam had taken away by [fo]rce in the time of my ancestor(s). I had archers (and) shield bearers stationed inside them. I brought (those cities) back inside the border of Assyria and placed (them) under the authority of the garrison commander of Dēr.

The cities Bīt-Arrabi, Ālum-qašti, Bubê, Dunni-Šamaš, Ekal-šalla, Burutu, Bīt-Ri­si­ya, Dūr-Dan­nu-Ner­gal, Bīt-Aḫlamê, (25) Ālum-ša-Bē­let-bī­ti, Ib­rat, Kuṣurtain, Dūru, Dannat-Sulāya, Šilibtu, Bīt-Aṣūsi, Kār-Zēra-iqīša, Bīt-Giṣṣi, Bīt-Katpalāni, Dimtu-ša-Sul[āya], Dimtu-ša-Mār-bīti-ēṭir, Ḫarri-ašlakê, Rabbāya, Rāsu, Tīl-U[ḫuri], Ḫamrānu, Tīl-Ḫumbi, Dimtu-ša-Dume-ili, Bīt-Ubiya, Baltī-[līšir], Taqab-līšir, Ša-nāqidāte, Sar­ḫu­dē­ri, Bīt-Aḫḫē-iddina, [Ilteuba], (30) Mu­ḫu­ṣē­..., Dam­tê, Dim­tu-ša-Bē­let-bī­ti, Ak­ka­ba­ri­na, Bīt-[Im­bi­ya], Ma­sū­tu, Bīt-Unziya, Bīt-Kisiya, Dimtu-ša-Šullume, [...], Dimtu-ša-Nabû-šarḫi-ilī, Apdinu, Tīl-Raqu, Ālum-šarri, [...], the walled fortresses of the land Rā[ši], and the small(er) cities in [their] environs, [which were without number], the cities Ḫamānu (and) Nadītu, as far as the pa[ss] of the land Bīt-Bunaki — I conqu[ered, and plundered (them), (35) destr]oyed (them), devastated (them), [bu]rned (them) with fire, (and) turned (them) into a heap of ruins.

When he, [the king of the land Elam, ...] heard about [the conquest] of his cities, terr[or] and fear fell upon [him]. He brought [the rest of the people of his land] into fortresses. He [abandoned] the city Ma[dak]tu, [his] royal city, [and] s[et out] for the city Ḫaydala, which is in the mountains, far aw[ay].

I ordered the mar[ch to the city Madaktu], his royal city. In the month Ṭebētu (X), bitter cold [set in and continuous rain fell, and (then) w]ind, rain, (and) snow came in equal force. [I was afraid] of the gorges, the out[flows of the mountains, (so) I turned around and too]k the ro[a]d [t]o As[syria].

After my (departure), he, the king of [the land Elam], rou[sed ... Then, he] brought down [...] the rest of [the people of] his land, who [...] fr[om ...] to the land [... and settled (them) on the alluvium. ...] to the land [...] ... [...] not ha[ving sense or insight] ... [...] ... [...] ... [...] he received [...] ... [...] He did not [order their work, (but) gathered] his army] (and) for[ces ...] ... [...].

[...] ... [... the land B]īt-Adi[ni, ...] ... [... the U]bu[lu, Mal]aḫu, R[apiqu, ...]

In their multitude, [...] ... [...] ... [...] ... [... Like a spring in]vas[ion] of a swarm of [locu]sts, [... to d]o bat[tle (...)] ... [... The dust of their feet covered the] wide [heavens like a heavy cloud in the deep of w]inter.

I [myself prayed to the deities Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Bēl, Nabû, Nergal], Ištar of Nineveh, (and) Ištar of Arbe[la, the gods who support me, for victory over (my) strong enemy and] they immediately heeded my [pr]ayers (and) cam[e to my aid].

[...] I raged up [like a fer]ocious [...], and (then) put on ar[mor (and) placed a helmet suitable for combat on my head. In my anger, I rode quickly in] my exalted battle chariot, which lays [enemies low. I took in my hands the mig]hty [bow] that the god Aššur had granted to me [...] ... my chariot on (their) flan[ks and front lines ...].

[...] I roared [loudly] like a storm (and) thun[dered] like the god Adad. [By the command of the god Aššur, the great lord, my lord], I blew [like the onset of a severe storm against the] enemy. With the weapon of the god Aššu[r, my lord, and my fierce battle array, I turned them back and] made them [retre]at. The massed body of tro[ops ...] ... upon them. Ḫu[mbān-undaša ...]

(No translation possible)

his sons [...] they burned [...] ... [...] the god Aššur, my lord [...]

[I] qu[ick]ly [slaughtered and defeated his magnates], who wear [gold (decorated)] bel[t]-daggers and [have reddish gold sling] strap[s fastened to their forearms, like] fattened [bulls restrain]ed with fetters.

I s[lit their throats like sheep (and thus) cut off] the[ir] precious [li]ves [like thread. Like a flood in full spate after a] seasonal [rainstorm ...], I made [the]ir blood f[low over the broad earth. The swift] thorough[breds harnessed to] my [ch]ari[ot plunged] into [floods] of their blood [(just) like a river. The wheels of my war chariot, which lays criminals and villains low], were bath[ed] in blood and gore. [I filled the plain with the corpses of their warriors like grass. When the second] double-hour of the night had passed, [I stopped their] slaughter. [I cut off (their) lips and (thus) destroyed their pride]. I cu[t off their hands] like the stems of cucumbers in season.

I received [gold (and) shining silver sling straps from their wrists (and) slashed off their belts] with sharp swords. I took away gold (and) silver (decorated) [be]lt-[daggers] from their waists.

(As for) him, U[mman-menanu (Ḫumban-menanu), along with the king of Babylon, terror of doing battle] with me overwhelmed them like alû-demons. [Their hearts throbbed] like the [pursued] young of pigeons, they passed their [uri]ne hotly (and) they released [their excrement] inside their chariots. [In order to save their lives], they trampled the [corp]ses of their troops as they pushed on.

To the midst of the wag[ons ...]. At my [fe]et, they beseeched my lordship, (saying): “Let us live [... so that we might proclaim] your [f]ame.” After I myself had seen that they had released their excrement [inside their chariots], I left them alone, sparing (their) lives.

(As for) the rest of the magnates of the land [Elam, including Nabû-šuma-iškun], a son of Marduk-apla-iddina (II) (Merodach-baladan), descendant of Yakīn, who [were standing] in si[lver (decorated)] chariots, [...] ..., who had raised their arms because they were terrified of (doing) serious battle with me, [...] ... with the sword (and) I captured the living in the thick of battle.

[I brought back] all toget[her ... the wagons alo]ng with their mules and the chariots along with with their horses, whose drivers I had killed in the thick of (that) [mighty] ba[ttle] and which had themselves been released so that they galloped about on their own. I took away from them their camps and their royal tents. They, like runaways, returned empty-ha[nded] to their (own) land(s).

So that no one will ever forget the might of the god Aššur, my lord, (and) that all humanity might magnify the prai[se] of his heroism, on the (very) spot where I defeated the king of Babylon and Umman-menanu (Ḫumban-menanu), the king of the land Elam, all of their lands, together with the lands Parsuaš, Anzan, Paširu, Ellipi, all of Chaldea, as many as there were, (and) all of the Arameans, I reaped their skulls like withered grain and piled (them) up like pyramids.

I had a stele made, had all the victorious conquests that I achieved over my enemies with the support of the great gods, my lords, written on it, and I erected (it) on the plain of the city Ḫalulê.

At that time, the city Sūr-marrati, which is on the bank of the Tigris River (and) which had been abandoned from distant days and had gone to ruin — after I myself had arranged a march to the lands Elam and Chaldea, because I had spent the night inside it in the course of my campaign, the (re)populating of that city came to my attention at that time and I put my mind to it, and (then) I greatly enlarged the site of the city, had its wall built anew, and raised (it) as high as a mountain. Beside the wall, I dug a moat around its (entire) circumference. I planted palm grove(s and) grape vine(s) in the meadow.

I had an inscribed object made and had inscribed on it all the mighty victories that I achieved over my enemies wi[th] the support of the god Aššur, my lord, and (then) I placed (it) inside the wall.

At any time (in the future), [may] one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur names for shepherding the land and people, renovate its dilapidated section(s) when that wall becomes old and dilapidated. May he find an inscribed object bearing my name, anoint (it) with oil, make an offering, and return (it) to its place [wi]th his own inscription. The god Aššur will (then) hear his prayers.

Araḫsamna (VIII), the twenty-fifth day, eponymy of Nabû-kēnu-uṣur, governor of the city Samaria, fourteenth year of Sennacherib, king of the world, king of Assyria.