(1) For the god Nergal, perfect warrior, mightiest of the gods, foremost hero, po[werful] lord, [...], king of battle, lord of strength and power, lord of the Deluge that brings abo[ut ...], the exalted son of the god Enlil, powerful one among the gods, his brothers, child of the goddess Kutušar (Mullissu), the [great] que[en], who marches at the side of the king, his f[avori]te, and kills his foes, (who) cuts down [...], (5) (who) sp[a]res the ruler who reveres him from plague, (who) grants him mighty [victories], who resides in Em[esla]m, the holy shrine that is inside Cutha, the great lord, [his lord] —

(7) I, Ashurbanipal, great king, strong king, king of the world, king of Assyria, kin[g of the four quarters (of the world)]; son of Esarhaddon, king of the world, king of Assyria; grandson of Sennacherib, king of the world, k[ing of Assyria]; the eternal seed of kingship — [the great gods] desi[red me] to secure the regular offerings (and) to provide for the shrines. (10) The deities Aššur, Mullissu, and Nergal, the great gods, made the foundation(s) of my royal throne firm [...], (and) th[ey allowed me to stand] over all my enemies in order to exact revenge for the kings, my fathers:

(12) (As for) Kudur-Nanḫundu (Kutur-Naḫḫunte), the Elamite who did not k[eep] the oath (sworn) by the great gods, [...], who in madness [trusted] in his own strength, [...], (and) who laid his hands on the shrines of the land Akkad and destroyed the l[and Akkad, ...], (15) (when) the time had come (and) the appropriate time drew near, the great gods [looked upon his evil] deeds [(and ...)]. For 1,635 years, the Elam[ite] destruction [...], they (the gods) commissioned me, Ashurbanipal, the ruler who reveres them, to scatter the lan[d Elam ...] and [they placed in my hands] the mercil[ess] weapon [(...)]. The great gods in heaven and netherworld [...]. (20) The god Šamaš, through his firm “yes,” [commanded me ...], and the god Sîn, through his decision that cannot change, [...]. They told (me) to execute faithfully the command of the goddess Ištar [...].

(23) I trusted in the command of (the god) Aššur (and) the god Ne[rgal, who had encouraged me, ...] ... my heart at the comm[and of the goddess Ištar ... I did not ... a]t the command of the goddess Iš[tar, daughter of the god Sîn, ...]

(1') (No translation possible)

(r 1) Darkness gathered over the land Elam [...] I flattened (it) like the Deluge (even) more than before [...] I seized the city Susa within the space of a (single) day. I [brought] the god Inšušin[ak ...], the gods of the land Elam and its goddesses, [out and counted (them) as booty. ...] (rev. 5) the captives of the land Elam — young and old which [were with]out number — [(and) the possessions (and) property of their earlier kings], as well as the bribes from the lands that th[ey (the lands)] had p[rovided] for aid [...].

(r 7) With the support of the deities Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad, Bēl (Marduk), Na[bû, Ištar of Nineveh, Ištar of Arbela, ...], the great gods, my lords, [I flattened the land Elam] in one year [(...)], I destroyed it a second (time), (and then) a third (time), when Umman[aldašu ...]. (rev. 10) By their pronouncement(s), which no one can overturn, the [Elamite] destructi[on ...] the troubling things that their fathers had done [...]. With the support of (the god) Aššur (and) the god Nergal, the [great] gods, [my lords, to ...] I exacted revenge [... I grasped] the hands of the goddesses Nanāya, Uṣur-amā[ssa, (and) Urkayītu ... (and)] (rev. 15) I made (them) enter (and) reside in Ea[nna ...]. The god Mār-bīti of <the city> Māliki, who[m the Elamite villain ...] with the daughter of the god Sîn [...].

(r 18) At that time, (as for) Emeslam, which a kin[g of the past (who had come) before me had built, (and which) had become (dilapidated and) old], I renovated its dilapidated section(s and) [removed] the portion(s) [of it] that had collap[sed. In brick mold(s) of ebony (and) musukkannu-wood, I made its bricks with crushed pieces of aromatics]. (rev. 20) I made (people) tak[e up] hoe(s) [and had its foundation(s) put (back) into alignment (...)]. In an auspicious month, (on) a propitious day, [I laid its foundation(s)] with pe[rfumed oil, good quality oil, silver, (and) gold. Moreover, I secured its door bolt(s)].

(r 22) [I adorned the structure of the temple] with musukkannu-wood, KA-wood, [ebony, boxwood, ḫilēpu-wood, and UMBIN-wood and built (and) completed (it)] from its foundation(s) to [its] crenellations [with the craft of the god Kulla. I raised its superstructure. I roofed it with] long beams of cedar gr[own on Mount Sirāra (and) Mount Lebanon. (rev. 25) I fastened band(s) of bronze on do]ors of white cedar, who[se] sc[ent is sweet, (and) fixed (them) in its gateways. I stationed] fierce lion-headed eagles who[se weight is] such-and-such [...], protectors of my royal path, [...].

(r 28) [I grasped] the hands of the god Nergal (and) the goddess Laṣ ... [...] to Emes[l]am, the temple belov[ed by ...].

(r 30) When the deities Nergal (and) La[ṣ ...] me, As[hurbanipal, ...] their [radiant] faces [...] their benevo[lent] protection [...]. May th[ey] leng[then] my days [... (rev. 35) (my)] sheph[erdship ...] wherever I g[o ...].

(r 37) [May] a f[uture] ruler, [(...), whom the deities ... choose and nominate] for rulin[g over the land and people, renovate its dilapidated section(s)] when [this] temple [becomes old and dilapidated]. (rev. 40) (As for) the one who [erases] (my) inscribed name [..., may] the god Nergal, the mig[htiest of the gods, ...] yearl[y ...].