Esarhaddon, great king, mighty king, king of the world, king of Assyria, governor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, the true shepherd who reorganized the confused people and made light shine forth for them; to whom the <great> gods gave as a gift (the ability) to create, build, (and) renew; the one who (re)constructed the temple of the god Aššur, (re)built Esagil and Babylon, [compl]eted all of the cult centers, renewed the statues of the great gods, (and) [who returned] the plundered gods of the lands to their (proper) place from Assyria; who plated Egašankalama, the temple of the goddess Ištar of Arbela, his lady, with silver (zaḫalû) and made (it) shine like daylight — [I had] lions, screaming anzû-birds, laḫmu-monsters, (and) kurību-genii [fashioned from silver and copper] and set (them) up in its entry doors.

The king, who with the help of the gods Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Nabû, Marduk, Ištar of Nineveh, (and) Ištar of Arbela, [marched] free[ly] from the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea [and] made [all] of his enemies and the rulers who were unsubmissive to him bow down at his feet; the one who conquered the city Sidon, which is in the midst of the sea, (and) [the one who leveled all of] its [dwellings]; the one who plundered the city Arzâ, which is in the neighborhood of the Brook of Egypt, (and) who threw Asuḫīli, its ki[ng], into fetters along with his counselors (and) [brought (them) to Assyria; moreover], (I am) the one who [struck with the sword] Teušpa, a Cimmerian, together with his entire army, in the territory of the land Ḫubuš[na; the one who treads] on the unsubmis[sive] people of Cilicia;

the one who drove out Nabû-zēr-kitti-līšir, [son of Marduk-apla-iddina (II) (Merodach-baladan); the one who sacked Bīt]-Dakkūri, which is in Chaldea, an enemy of Babylon; the one who captured Šamaš-[ibni, its king], a rogue (and) outlaw — I surrounded, captured, plundered, destroyed, devastated, (and) burned with fire the cities Ḫandasu, [Magalani, Alpiana, Di]ḫrāni, Qatabuʾ, Padê, (and) Udēru, fortified cities [in the] district of [the land Bāzu, together with small cities in] their [environs].

[The one who crushed the Barnaki, a dangerous enemy, who live in the land Tīl-A]šurri, which is called Pitānu in the language of the people of the land Miḫrānu; [the one who scatter]ed the [Mannean] people, [undiscipl]ined [Gutians] — (as for) the land Patušarri, a district in the area of the salt desert, [which is in the mid]st of the land of the distant Medes, [bor]ders Mount Bikni, (and) upon the soil of [whose] land [none of] the kings, my ancestors, [had] walked, I carried off to Assyria [Šidi]r-parna (and) E-par[na], mighty chieftains, [who were not] submissive to (my) yoke, together with [their] people (and) their heavy plunder.

[Son of] Sennacherib, king of the world (and) king of Assyria, descendant of Sargon (II), king of the world, king of Assyria, [gover]nor of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad —

At that time the site of the small palace, which is in the city Tarbiṣu, had become too small. I added more land as an addition (making it) bigger than before and I completely raised (its) terrace. I built (and) completed a magnificent palace, whose site is very extensive, (25) for the pleasure of Ashurbanipal — senior son of the king, who (resides in) the House of Succession, my beloved son, whom the gods Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Bēl, Nabû, Nergal, Ištar of Nineveh, (and) Ištar of Arbela called to exercise kingship — from its foundations to its parapets. I roofed them with magnificent cedar beams, grown on Mount Amanus, (and) installed doors of cypress, whose fragrance is sweet, in their gates. I filled (it) with splendor (making it) an object of wonder for all of the people.

I had a foundation inscription written in my name and written in the name of Ashurbanipal, the senior son of the king, who (resides in) the House of Succession, my beloved son, and placed (this inscription) in it.

After I finished the work on that palace and completed its construction, I invited the god Nergal (and) the goddess Laṣ, (gods) who live in the city Tarbiṣu, into it. I made large, pure offerings before them (and) presented (them) with my gifts.

May the god Nergal (and) the goddess Laṣ decree for me a blessing of long days (and) years of good health (and) happiness, and may they give (the same) to Ashurbanipal, my beloved son, as a gift.

May a future ruler, one of the kings, my descendants, whom the god Aššur and the goddess Ištar name to rule the people, renovate the dilapidated section(s) of that palace when it becomes old and dilapidated. May he read a foundation inscription written in my name and written in the name of Ashurbanipal, the [senior] s[on of the king], who (resides in) the House of Succession, my beloved son, and may he anoint (it) with oil, make an offering, (and) place (it) [with] a foundation inscription written in his name. [The god Nerga]l (and) the goddess Laṣ will (then) hear [his] prayers.

ruling

Ayyāru (II), eighteenth day, eponymy of Nabû-bēlī-uṣur, governor of (the city) Dūr-Šarrukku (672 BC), when the treaty concerning Ashurbanipal, the senior son of the king, who (resides in) the House of Succession, was made.