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I have heard what Aššur and my gods have done; that they (fem.) have received a fight and my troops have gone and inflicted a massacre in Bit-Bunakka.

If you love me and your heart is totally devoted to me, send these people quickly to me! If you send them to me quickly, the king will love you.

The day when you see my tablet, take into your hands Šumaya, son of Šuma-ukin, Bel-eṭir the brother of Aplaya son of Arkat-ili, and the scholars of Borsippa, whom you know, and dig up all the tablets that exist in their houses and all the tablets that are deposited in Ezida;

the series of Battle, all that there is, together with their additional one-column tablets, all that exist, the rituals For an Arrow not to Approach a Man, Proceeding in the Open Country, and Entering the Palace,

rituals, hand-lifting prayers, texts on stones and ones useful to kingship, cleansing of city, vertigo as distress, and anything needful to the palace, whatever there is, and all valuable tablets that are known to you and not found in Assyria — look up and send them to me.

And if you find any tablet and ritual that I have not written you about and is useful to my palace, fetch and send it to me as well.

The words of wind that this no-brother has spoken to you have been related to me. I have heard them; they are but wind, do not believe him. I swear by Aššur and Marduk, my gods, that I have never thought in my heart or said by my mouth any of the detestable things that he has spoken against me. It is nothing but a scheme that he has devised in order to make the name of the Babylonians, who love me, detestable along with him.

But I will not listen to it. Your brotherhood with the Assyrians and your privileged status which I have established remain valid until the present day; you are close to my heart. Correspondingly, do not listen to his vain words, do not taint your name which is in good repute before me and the whole world, do not make yourself culpable before God.

I also know another matter that you have been pondering in your hearts: "Now, the very fact that we have taken hostile action against him will be a burden on us" — it will not be a burden; it is nothing, since the name is very good. Though the very fact that you have sided with my opponent is like placing a burden on you, and violating the treaty is a matter to be settled before God.

Now then I am writing to you: if you do not wish to stain yourself with him in these matters, let me quickly see an answer to my letter. May this man whom Marduk hates not deprive from my hands the troop which I have put together for Bel.

Concerning the horses for the review about which you wrote, normally we send them at the new moon of the month of Adar XII. Do come.

When the crippled were a hindrance, we sent them earlier, in Shebat XI, for in the event of a severe cold, or even in any cold, they would die of cold.

Let us send them in mid-Shebat, so they can keep dragging them and coming for the whole month of Adar; then they will reach us within Nisan I.

Concerning what you wrote, "We wish to grasp your feet; we are afraid of getting deported by Assyria and of being exposed to Elam" — now, in accordance with what you said, come before Bel-iqiša, and let him settle you in a territory that you like. Stay there as my subjects and guard the fortress of the king with Bel-iqiša.

I swear by my gods that I shall not deport you and not expose you to Elam. I am writing to you: don't be afraid.

As to what you said, "May the king not abandon Ur, and may the Gurasimmu not get lost to the king! What else can be done? Let me do it!" — did I not send the governor of Mazamua and the prefects, did they not keep watch with you, did they not get weak and die for your defence?

When I saw that they were weakening and dying, I sent orders to release them, but did I not appoint with you the governors of Lahiru and Arrapha?

And now, even before you wrote me, I have sent the treasurer Aššur-gimilli-terra with the army. Do whatever is opportune to do, be it to block the canal or to subjugate those people.

After the letter which you sent I am sending to you Bel-eṭir and Arbayu, the cohort commander, with the horses, to stay and work with you.

See now how, because I hold you in good regard and have dissociated you from the crime of Nabû-bel-šumate, the whore of Menanu, I am now sending you my servant Bel-ibni, who belongs to my entourage, to assume your leadership.

You will see whether there is no profit for servants who promote the wish of their lords, and what rewards and favours you will have from me after I have sent my army and it has done its job.

A tablet of Ummanaldasi, king of Elam, to Assurbanipal, king of Assyria: good health to my brother.

The Marteaneans, who had brought Nabû-bel-šumati to Elam in the first place, returned. Certain people of mine living on the waterline got wind of it, and they went and slew them in Lahiru.

Concerning the horses about which you wrote, even before you wrote I sent the treasurer Aššur-gimilli-terra with the army. Do whatever is opportune to do, be it to block the canal or to subjugate those people.

After the letter which you sent I am sending to you Bel-eṭir and Arbayu the cohort commander with 200 horses, to assist you in the work.

Concerning Sîn-šarra-uṣur about whom you said: "Now then, he is devising a scheme and putting terrible things against me" — don't be afraid!

And concerning your coming about which you said, "The magnates have held me back," it is the third year now that you have stood by, kept my watch, and made yourself a good name in my presence. Now, at the moment that the country is getting safe, you could move on to come, having made your guard firm.

Alternatively, stay there and keep your watch until the country has been put in order; then you can come, see my beaming face, and return in safety.

When the king asked me about it, I hesitated, then said: "I will undergo the ordeal and lift up the iron axe, but I swear I knew nothing nor was imparted of anything!"

Now when I heard that Nabû-šezib has removed his women and his family from Puqudu and settled them in Bit-Amukani, and now that the king of Babylon has been defeated — I have also heard that he has fled to Bit-Amukani —,

I made a deal with the king, saying: "From all this the king may understand my heart, how loyal to the king I am:

"If it is agreeable to the king, let me write to Bit-Amukani. If Nabû-šezib is there, I will have him and his people caught up by the hand of the king of the world; and if he is not there, I will put the people who are in Bit-Amukani in the king’s hands.

"From this the king may understand that I am loyal to the king. And nobody in the whole Bit-Amukani is implicated in this matter, they are totally devoted servants of the king."

They proceeded against them, and you saw nothing. Issaran-mušallim could go out, run about, and re-enter Babylon as he wished, and again you saw nothing. Should the same thing happen once more, would he not escape and get away just like that?

I know that from the very beginning those people have not loved you, and that you do not love them either, but love the house of your lords.

Let us go and speak to our brothers, rend our garments, take the obsidian knife, and discuss with them the matters by which they have destroyed themselves and through which we can snatch Babylon from the hands of the enemy; perhaps Babylon can still be saved from massacre."

Now then I am writing to you: Remember these words of yours, come, line up, speak with your brothers, and let us snatch the city from enemy hands so that it will not be subjected to plunder.

If it requires friendly words, speak in friendly terms, and if it requires stern words, speak with them in stern terms.

If Marduk wants to keep them alive, let them open the city gate in friendly terms; if not, I have prayed to Aššur and Marduk, my gods, and my gods

Guard the letter, it must be present with the horses at the review. They will read it in the king’s presence, it is evidence.

, no one remained in Elam, they have returned to Babylon. They tell me the news of Marduk-šarru-uṣur: "We have seen it; he went for dinner to Tammaritu in our presence." I have sent other men, too, telling them to go and speak with him, return, and give me a sign from him.

I sent this report to the king, my lord, as soon as I heard it; the king, my lord, should know it.

The king, my lord, should not send them here. If it pleases the king, my lord, let the king, my lord, command that they should be shown a house in Nineveh and live there, and let me send my domestics of foreign origin, who were settled in Nippur, to live with them, and may their exile come to an end.

And concerning Sîn-šarra-uṣur about whom you said: "He does not love Assyria," do I not know it? When he saw that my gods had not brought success in the hands of my enemy, he passed over, came, and grasped my feet.

And as to what you said, "He is saying terrible things about me in the presence of the magnates," what can this fool do?

I have heard the words that this no-brother has concocted — that he has spoken them to you and that you have believed him. I swear by Aššur and Marduk, my gods, that I did not know, nor have I said a word of what he has spoken to you, nor has anybody given me such advice! They are all but lies and vain words which he has invented and spoken for his own purposes.

And look at him now! After his revolt, as soon as I had robed in purple all the Babylonians who were captured at the first fighting and taken into my presence, and had tied a mina of silver to the waist of each of them with the words, "it is to be spent on bread and water," I sent them to Babylon, and having written a writing-board, I placed it in their hands and said, "Give it to the Babylonians and tell them this word:

Concerning the forces about which the king, my lord, wrote to his servant: "Review them from day to day!" —

To the Babylonians, the men under my protection: thus speaks Assurbanipal, king of Assyria, who reveres Marduk. I, my palace and my country are well; may you, great and small, be well; may you be happy from this day on.

In my reign there is prosperity, in my years there is abundance. My kingship is good as choicest oil to the people.

I have done and given to you this favor which not even a father has done for a son. As for you, remember this, unremittingly strive to pay me back these many favors, and guard and remember the treaty which I made you swear before all the gods of heaven and earth!

A tablet of Šamaš-šumu-ukin to the king, my brother: The best of health to my brother! May Marduk, Zarpanitu, Nabû, Tašmetu, Nanaya, and all the gods of the cult centres bless my brother.

A tablet of Šamaš-šumu-ukin to the king, my brother: Good health to my brother! May Marduk, Zarpanitu, Nabû, Tašmetu and Nanaya bless my brother.

Concerning the ships of that emissary about which I wrote to my brother, saying, "I have ordered that they be released" —

So I ordered: "Release the boats, let them pass!" Now, having seen a letter of Bel-iqiša, I’m giving the order: "Don’t let the boats pass, hold them back!"

In the same way as the king, my lord, has treated me, has done good to me, and strengthened me more than any other people, in accordance with that may all the gods act in the same way and give it to the king, my lord; and may their bow go before the king, my lord!

As to your clandestine consultation, "Why does Assyria treat us like this?" — you know perfectly well why you have been treated in this way, and you have the affront of asking such a question now!

It is because of Nabû-bel-šumati, Nabû-qati-ṣabat and Kiribtu that you have been treated in this way.

When Ummanigaš came to grasp my feet and I sent my army with him, and when they went and defeated Teumman, did we lay our hands on the temples, cities or anything? Did we take spoils of war? Did we not pour oil on blood and become friends?

Why have we been treated like this?" I swear by Aššur and my gods: it is because of Nabû-bel-šumati and his criminal accomplices that you have been treated in this way.

To begin with, why would I persecute your country? If it were a trading post of beautiful stones or anything, I could think, "Let me seize it and add it to my country," or, "Let me take horses and mules from it and add them to my troops."

I could think, "It is a source of silver and gold; let me impose tribute upon them," or, "There are things worthy of kingship there." However, there is nothing of this or that there. Why, then, would I persecute your country?

Now then I am writing to you: Send me Nabû-bel-šumati and his accomplices, and I will promptly send you your gods and make peace.

Šulmu-ereš the chariot driver, Adad-milki-ibni, the third man, and Adad-remanni the weaver, who fled from the presence of your father in order not to be killed, have instigated a fight between me and Sagab. They now

Now fear not, but guard my temples. He is shut up in the city with all his forces, and my army is surrounding him.

Now, wherever you see a messenger of his, kill those who are to be killed and take prisoners those who are to be taken prisoners.

To the king, my lord: your servant Bel-iqiša. Good health to the king, my lord! May Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord.

From the beginning, since the king arrested me, what is my fault before the king? With respect to what the king, my lord, wrote me, saying, "Has your heart relented?" — there is no fault of mine before the king!

The king, my lord, has imprisoned me. I am dying of hunger. By Bel and Nabû, your gods, I have not eaten bread for nine days!

"Let me undergo the river ordeal, or let me lift the divine axe, but I swear there is no fault of mine before the king, my lord!"

A tablet of Šamaš-šumu-ukin to the king, my brother: The best of health to my brother! May Bel, Beltiya, Nabû, Tašmetu and Nanaya bless my brother.

Sin-balassu-iqbi is here in the presence of my brother. I have heard certain things about him. May my brother detain him until I have cleared it up and sent a detailed report to my brother.

As to what you wrote, it is really not fair that one who is not able to collect horses, takes them from these sources. Under the aegis of Aššur and my gods, who have given me faith, there will be plenty of horses.

As to what you said, "May the king not abandon Ur, and may the Gurasimmu not get lost to the king! What else can be done? Let me do it!" — did I not send send the governor of Mazamua and the prefects, did they not keep watch with you, did they not get weak and did they not die for your defence? When I saw that they were weakening and dying, I sent orders to release them, but did I not appoint with you the governors of Lahiru and Arrapha?

As to what you said, "May the king not abandon Ur, and may the Gurasimmu not get lost to the king! What else can be done? Let me do it!" — did I not send send the governor of Mazamua and the prefects, did they not keep watch with you, did they not weaken and did they not die for your defence? When I saw that they were weakening and dying, I sent orders to release them, but did I not appoint with you the governors of Lahiru and Arrapha?

And now, even before you wrote me, I sent the treasurer Aššur-gimilli-terra with an army. Do whatever is opportune to do, be it to block the canal or to subjugate those people.

After the letter which you sent I am sending to you Bel-eṭir and Arbayu, the cohort commander. They are bringing with them horses, and will stay and work with you.

I thought, "They did act harshly there." So I came now and seized the feet of the king, my lord, but no forces of the king were available.

Now Marduk-šarru-uṣur and Kiligigu, the king’s servants whom the king sent — the king, my lord, has heard what they have done together.

To the king, my lord: your servant Nabû-bel-šumati. Good health to the king, my lord! May Aššur, Nabû and Marduk bless the king, my lord. May they grant the king, my lord, happiness, physical well-being and the length of days.

Having heard that the king of Elam had suffered a stroke and that several towns had revolted against him saying, "We will not remain your subjects," I wrote to the king, my lord, what I had heard.

Nabû and Marduk, your gods, have tied your enemies and placed them under your feet saying: "May he rule all the lands!" Let him place a prince from amongst his servants to the governorship of Elam and let him place another in the Sealand! Bel and Nabû have destroyed Elam on your behalf saying: "Soon

Should he have come to me first, he would have seen whether I am a peacemaker, the man being who gave him his land, his gods, and his kingship!" And is a fornicating dog, who bit me a peacemaker?

As to what you said: "What have I done to the king of Assyria, that he should have treated me in this way?" —

After this, nobody said anything to the king, my lord, about the matter. I said to them as follows: "Why don't you cross (the river?/mountain?) and grasp the feet of the king?"

To the king, my lord: your servant Tammaritu. Good health to the king, my lord! I have heard the kind words of the king, my lord, and have recovered with the help of God and the king’s genie. Now let me by the same token finish all the enemies of the king, my lord!

Concerning Sîn-šarra-uṣur about whom you wrote to me, if his troops had indeed been so numerous and if he had indeed been alerted because of you, why would he have fled into my presence? Now then, he is in my presence

Concerning the Bit-Amukaneans about whom you wrote, what you did is excellent. A person who loves the house of his lords acts in this way! Where his objective can be reached with a studied face, he achieves it with a studied face; where it can be reached with friendly words, he achieves it with friendly words.

Now, fear not! Even if I did not attack that city from the beginning, I will settle people there now.

Don't you know that I will give the kingship of Tilmun to you? You shall sit there and live there under my protection, and my watch will be established there in this manner.

Now Ahi-duri has taken a farm outside Til-šikari and sent me 25 souls of 3 orchards, saying: "See what I have given to my son!"

I told him: "You must cultivate 1,200 homers of seed. Why did you give possession of the farm next to your field to your son?

I have removed their hands from my house, given orchards and people for my livelihood, and promoted Ahi-duri to cohort commandership in my stead. He is a servant of the king; nobody in their presence

I had gone to the New City for the festival and when in the town Baqa I heard of the uprising, I crossed over the river to the landside with the palace troops who were with me and I pursued them.

When I crossed over the river, I defeated them at Qaqqaru-aradātu. I killed 350 soldiers among them and let the remainder go free to spread the news of my glory.

I, Šamaš-rēša-uṣur, governor of the land of Sūḫu and the land of Mari — when the canal of the land of Sūḫu became old, I called up numerous workmen from the town Ḫurzē as far as the town Yābiʾ and I realigned it over a distance of one thousand reeds. I made that canal twenty-two cubits wide.

I built a new town and named it Āl-gabbāri-bānî. I set up statues of the deities Adad, Apla-Adad, Šala, and Madānu; I settled them in a pleasant abode inside my town Āl-gabbāri-bānî.

With regard to anyone in the future who comes forward, approaches this stele, effaces my inscribed name, and inscribes his own name, may the great gods of heaven and netherworld remove the mention of his name, his seed, his offspring, and his progeny from the mouths of the people! May he not accomplish any task that I have done! May this curse reach the one who transgresses against these words and does not fear them!

From the weir as far as É.SAL.LE.E, I planted all the willows which are along my canal so that carrying baskets for use in connection with the canal could be woven with them and so that I could cut beams from them and make them into

The willows which I planted along the canal all belong to the palace; the people of Sūḫu may not bring a claim about them.