(1') [...] ... [... de]scendant of Sennac[herib, k]ing of [Assyria; descendant of Sargo]n (II), king of [Assyria] — after the g[reat] gods [commanded] me [to ex]ercise rul[ers]h[ip] wit[h ...] (and) entrus[ted me with] the governing of the lands (and) the subjugating of enemies, kings of the east and west came and kissed [my feet].

(6') Taharqa, without (the consent of) the gods, made a serious attempt to take away Egypt for [...]. He scorned the [m]ight of (the god) Aššur, my lord, and trusted in [his] own strength. The harsh [d]eeds that the father who had engendered me had performed against him did not cross his mind. [H]e came and entered the city Memphis, and (then) [t]urned that city over to himself. (10´) [Aga]inst the people of Assyria who were inside Egypt, servants who belonged to me, [whom] Esarhaddon — king of Assyria, the father who had engendered me — had appointed as king(s) there, he dispatched his army [to] kill, rob, (and) plunder (them).

(13') A fast [m]essenger came to Nineveh and reported (this) to me. My heart became enraged about these deeds and my temper turned hot. (15´) I summoned (my) field marshal (and) governors, together with the troops (under) their authority, my elite forces, and I quickly gave the order to them to support (and) aid the kings (and) governors, servants who belonged to me, (and) I made them take the road to Egypt. They traveled furiously (and) quickly (and) marched as far as the city Kār-Bānīte.

(19') Taharqa, the king of Kush, heard about the advance of my troops (while he was) inside the city Memphis and (20´) mustered his troops to wage an armed, pitched battle; he formed a battle line opposite my troops. With the support of the gods Aššur (and) Sîn, the great gods, my lords who march at my side, they (my troops) brought about his defeat in a pitched battle. They cut down with the sword the troops upon which he relied.

(23') (As for) him (Taharqa), terror (and) fear fell upon him and he went into a frenzy. He escaped from the city Memphis, his royal city (and) a place upon which he relied and, (25´) in order to save his (own) life, he boarded a boat, abandoned his camp, fled alone, and entered the city Thebes.

(27') They (my army) captured as many warships as there were with him, (as well as) his combat troops. A messenger told me the good news that I had been waiting for. (30´) To banish Taharqa from Egypt (and) Kush, I added to my former forces the chief eunuch, the governors, (and) all of the kings of Across the River (Syria-Palestine), servants who belonged to me, together with their forces (and) their boats, (as well as) the kings of Egypt, servants who belonged to me, together with their forces (and) their boats, and I sent (them) to the city Thebes, the fortified city of Taharqa, the king of Kush. They went on a march of (one) month (and) ten days. (35´) Taharqa heard about the advance of my troops, and (then) abandoned the city Thebes, his fortified city, crossed the Nile River, [and] pitched camp on the other side.

(37') Necho, Šarru-lū-dāri, (and) Pa-qrur[u, king]s whom the father who had engendered me had installed in Egypt, [tra]nsgressed the treaty (sworn) by (the god) Aššur and the great gods, m[y] lords, and (then) broke their oath(s). They forgot the kindness of the father who had engendered me, and their [he]art(s) plo[t]ted evil (deeds). (40´) They spoke word(s) of treachery and decided (among) themselves on a profitless [decis]ion, saying: “[If] they [remo]ve Taharqa from Egyp[t], how then can we (ourselves) stay?” To establ[ish treaties and peace], they dispatched their mounted messenger(s) to Taharqa, the king of Kush, saying: “Let peace be est[ablished] between us [so that we can c]ome to a mutual agreement. (Let) us divide the land among ourselves so that [no] other lord [come]s between us.” (45´) With regard to the numerous troops of Assyria, the m[ight of m]y [lordly majest]y, they constantly sought out evil plan(s); they pl[otted to] cut their throat(s and) [s]trove to completely destroy (them).

(47') [Eun]uchs of mine heard [thes]e words and outwitted their cunning plans. [They seized] thei[r] mounted messenger(s), [alo]ng with their messages, and they saw their deceitful acts. They seized Šarru-lū-dāri (and) Necho [and] clamped (their) hands and feet [in fetters] (and) handcuffs. (50´) The oath (sworn) by (the god) Aššur, the king of [the gods, defeated] them and my kindness, which I had done for them as a favor, [cal]led to account those who had sinned against the great treaties.

(52') Moreover, they (my troops) cu[t down] with the sword the people of the cities, as many as had sided [wit]h them (and) plotted evil plan(s), [you]ng and old, and they did not spare a single person among (them). Furthermore, they brought them (Necho and Šarru-lū-dāri) to [Nineveh], my capital [cit]y, before me.

(55') Moreover, I, Ashurbanipal, [king of Assyria], the magnanimous one who performs acts of kindness (and) repays good deeds, had mercy on Ne[ch]o, a servant who be[longed to me whom the father who had engendered me] had appointed [as kin]g in the city Kār-bēl-mātāti, [and] I f[orgave] his [c]rime(s). [I made] the treaty sworn by the gods [more stringent] than the previ[ous one and] I established (it) [wit]h him.

(59') I encouraged him (Necho) and (then) [cloth]ed him in ga[rment(s) with multi-colored trim], placed on him a golden hoe, an in[signia of his kingship], (and) [fastened] gold bracelets around his wrists. [On] a belt-dagger with gold mountings, [I wrote out] m[y] name [a]nd I gave (it) to him. I presented him with chariots, horses, (and) mules t[o] be his [lordl]y [transport]. I sent [wit]h him eunuchs of mine (and) governors to [help him]. (65´) Where the father who had engendered me had appointed him as king, in the city Sais, whose name is (now) the c[ity Kār-bēl-m]ātāti, I returned him to [his] p[osition]. I performed [more] kind (and) good deed(s) for him than the father who had engendered me. Moreover, I installed Nabû-šēzibanni, his son, as ki[n]g in the city [A]thribis, whose name is (now) Limmer-iššâk-Aššur.

(70') (As for) Taharqa, the king of Kush, terror (and) fear of my lordly majesty overwhelmed hi[m and] he passed away. Tanutamon, the son of his sister, sat upon his throne and governed the land. He made the city Thebes his fortress and assembled his forces. (rev. 1) To wage war and battle against my troops, he mobilized his weapons (and) took the road. With the support of the gods Aššur, Sîn, and the great gods, my lords, they (my troops) brought about his defeat in a widespread pitched battle (and) scattered his forces. Tanutamon fled alone and entered the city Thebes, his royal city. (rev. 5) They went after him on a march of (one) month (and) ten days, (on) difficult roads, as far as the city Thebe[s]. They conquered that city in its entirety (and) flattened (it) l[ike] the Deluge.

(r 7) They brought out of it (Thebes), without number (and) in abundance, silver, gold, ore from its mountain, precious stones, any precious object, the treasures of [his pal]ac[e, garm]ents with multi-colored trim, linen garments, large horses, people — male and f[emale — ze]bus, pagû-monkeys, (and) uqūpu-monkeys — who were raised in thei[r] mountains — and they counted (them) as booty. They safely carried (it) to Nineveh, my capital city, and kissed my feet.

(r 12) (As for) the city Qirbit, whose location is situated inside (Mount) Ḫarēḫasta (lit. “the city Ḫarēḫasta”), the people living in it trusted in their rugged mountains and did not respect the dominion of Assyria. (As for) Tandāya (and) their city rulers who had never bowed down to the yoke of the kings, my ancestors, (rev. 15) they were constantly plundering the land Yamutbal (and) devastated its pasture land. With regard to these deeds, the citizens of Dēr appealed to me (and) beseeched my lordly majesty.

(r 17) I sent my eunuchs (and) governors against them. They conquered the city Qirbit (and) carried off its people. I forcibly removed the people of those cities that I had conquered and settled (them) in Egypt.

(r 19) (As for) Gyges, the king of the land Lydia — a region on the opposite shore of the sea, a remote place, the mention of whose name none of the kings who came before, my ancestors, had (ever) heard — (the god) Aššur, the god who created me, made him see in a dream the strong radiance of my royal majesty, saying: “Grasp the princely feet of Ashurbanipal, king of Assyria, the one who is required by (the god) Aššur — the king of the gods, the lord of everything — and (then) revere his royal majesty and beseech his lordly majesty. Let your supplications go to him as one who does obeisance and gives payments.” On the (very) day he saw this dream, he sent his mounted messenger before me to inquire about my well-being.

(r 26) He (Gyges) sent Cimmerians, who were disturbing his land (and) whom he had captured alive in the thick of battle, together with his substantial audience gift(s), to Nineveh, my capital city, and he (Gyges’ messenger) kissed my feet.

(r 28) (As for) Mugallu, the king of the land [Tabal], who resides in the mountains — difficult mountain terrain — who was arrayed in weapons against the kings, my ancestors, (and) always answered (them) with disrespect, (rev. 30) terror fell upon hi[m] in his land and fear of my royal majesty overwhelmed him. Without waging ar[med] battle (and) [war], he then sent (a messenger) to Nineveh and appealed to my lordly majesty. I imposed upon him [a payme]nt of large horses as his annual giving.

(r 33) [(As for) Y]akīn-Lû, the king of the l[and A]rwad, who resides in the wide sea, who(se) location is situated like a fish in an unfathomable a[mou]nt of water (and) the surge of powerful waves, (rev. 35) who put his tr[u]st in the roiling sea and (therefore) had not bowed down to (anyone’s) yoke, he became frighten[ed] of my lordly majesty and (so) bowed down to do obeisance to me and pulled my yoke. I imposed upon him (a payment of) gold, red-purple wool, blue-purple wool, fish, (and) birds yearly.

(r 38) With the support of the great gods and the god [Sî]n, my lord, who dwells in the city Ḫarrān, the wicked bowed down (and) s[tron]g recalcitrant ones kissed my feet. (rev. 40) I conquere[d] lands that had not bowed down to me (and) [carr]ied off their substantial booty. I gave the best of the silver, gold, any precio[us] object, [treasures, (and) extensive possessions of] (my) enemies as a gift to the gods of Assyria (and) the gods of the land of Sum[er and Akka]d.