“I, Mesha, am the son of Chemosh-Gad, king of Moab, the Dibonite. My
father reigned over Moab thirty years, and I reigned after my father.
And I erected this stone to Chemosh at Korcha, a (stone of) salvation,
for he saved me from all despoilers, and made me see my desire upon
all my enemies, even upon Omri, king of Israel. Now they afflicted
Moab many days, for Chemosh was angry with his land. His son succeeded
him, and he also said, I will afflict Moab. In my days (Chemosh) said,
(Let us go) and I will see my desire on him and his house, and I will
destroy Israel with an everlasting destruction. Now Omri took the land
of Medeba, and (the enemy) occupied it in (his days and in) the days
of his son, forty years. And Chemosh (had mercy) on it in my days;
and I fortified Baal-Meon, and made therein the tank, and I fortified
Kiriathaim. For the men of Gad dwelt in the land of (Atar)oth from
of old, and the king (of) Israel fortified for himself Ataroth, and
I assaulted the wall and captured it, and killed all the warriors of
the wall for the well-pleasing of Chemosh and Moab; and I removed from
it all the spoil, and (offered) it before Chemosh in Kirjath; and I
placed therein the men of Siran and the men of Mochrath. And Chemosh
said to me, Go, take Nebo against Israel. (And I) went in the night,
and I fought against it from the break of dawn till noon, and I took
it, and slew in all seven thousand (men, but I did not kill) the women
(and) maidens, for (I) devoted them to Ashtar-Chemosh, and I took
from it the vessels of Yahveh, and offered them before Chemosh. And
the king of Israel fortified Jahaz and occupied it, when he made war
against me; and Chemosh drove him out before (me, and) I took from
Moab two hundred men, all its poor, and placed them in Jahaz, and took
it to annex it to Dibon. I built Korcha, the wall of the forest, and
the wall of the city, and I built the gates thereof, and I built the
towers thereof, and I built the palace, and I made the prisons for the
criminals within the walls. And there was no cistern in the wall at
Korcha, and I said to all the people, Make for yourselves, every man,
a cistern in his house. And I dug the ditch for Korcha by means of the
(captive) men of Israel. I built Aroer, and I made the road across the
Arnon. I built Beth-Bamoth, for it was destroyed; I built Bezer, for
it was cut (down) by the armed men of Dibon, for all Dibon was now
loyal; and I reigned from Bikran, which I added to my land, and I built
(Beth-Gamul) and Beth Diblathaim and Beth-Baal-Meon, and I placed there
the poor (people) of the land. And as to Horonaim, (the men of Edom)
dwelt therein (from of old). And Chemosh said to me, Go down, make war
against Horonaim, and take (it. And I assaulted it, and I took it, and)
Chemosh (restored it) in my days. Wherefore I made ... year ... and
I ...”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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