THE MESHA STELE
1. "I am Mesha, son of Chemosh[-yatti], the king
of Moab, the Dibonite.
2. My father (had) reigned over Moab for thirty years,
and I reigned
3. after my father. And I made this high-place for
Chemosh in Qarcho . . .
4. because he has delivered me from all kings, and
because he has made me triumph over all my enemies. As for Omri
5. the king of Israel, and he humbled Moab for many
years (days), for Chemosh was angry with his land.
6. And his son reigned in his place; and he also said,
"I will oppress Moab!" In my days he said so.
7. But I ltriumphed over him and over his house, and
Israel has perished; it has perished forever! And Omri took possession of the whole land of Medeba,
8. and he lived there in his days and half the days
of his son (Ahab): forty years.
9. But Chemosh restored it in my days. And I built
Baal Meon, and I built a water reservoir in it. And I built
10. Qiryaten. And the men
of Gad lived in the land of Atarot from ancient times; and the king of Israel
11. built Atarot for himself, and I fought against
the city and captured it. And I killed all the people of
12. the city as a sacrifice for Chemosh and for Moab.
And I brought back the fire-hearth of his uncle from there; and I brought it
13. before the face of Chemosh in Qerioit, and I made
the men of Sharon live there, as well as the men of Maharit.
14. nd Chemosh said to me, "Go, take Nebo from Israel."
15. And I went in the night and fought against it
from the daybreak until midday, and I took it
16. and I killed the whole population: seven thousand
male subjects and aliens, and female subjects, aliens, and servant girls.
17. For I had devoted them to destruction for (the
god) Ashtar Chemosh. And from there I took the
18. vessels of Yahweh, and I presented them before
the face of Chemosh. And the king of Israel had built
19. Yahaz, and he stayed there throughout his campaign
against me; and Chemosh drove him away before my face. And
20. I took two hundred men of Moab, all first class
(warriors), and I led it up to Yahaz. And I have taken it
21. in order to add it to Dibon. I have built
Qarcho, the wall of the woods and the wall of
22. the citadel; and I have built its gates; and I
have built its towers; and
23. I have built the house of the king; and I have
made the double reservoir for the spring in the innermost part of the city.
24. Now the innermost part of the city had no cistern,
in Qarcho, and I said to all the people, "Each one of you shall make
25. a cistern in his house." And I cut the moat for
Qarcho by using Israelite captives.
26. I have built Aroer, and I constructed the military
road in Arnon (valley).
27. I have built Beth-Bamot, for it had been destroyed.
I have built Bezer, for it lay
28. in ruins. And the men of Dibon stood in
battle formation, for all Dibon were in subjection. And I am the king
29. over the hundreds in the towns which I have added
to the land. And I have built
30. Beth-Medeba and Beth-Diblaten and Beth-Baal-Meon,
and I brought there . . .
31. flocks of the the land. And the House of [Da]vid
dwelt in Hauranen, . . .
32. Chemosh said to me, "Go down, fight against Hauranen!"
I went down . . . and Chemosh restored it in my days . . ."