Ezekiel 19

1 Moreover, take thou up a lamentation for the rulers of Israel,

Moreover do you take up a lamentation for the prince of Israel,

2 and say, What was thy mother? A lioness. She couched among lions. In the midst of the young lions she nourished her whelps.

and say, Why is your mother become a whelp in the midst of lions? in the midst of lions she has multiplied her whelps.

3 And she brought up one of her whelps. He became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey. He devoured men.

And one of her whelps sprang forth; he became a lion, and learnt to take prey, he devoured men.

4 The nations also heard of him. He was taken in their pit, and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.

And the nations heard a report of him; he was caught in their pit, and they brought him into the land of Egypt in chains.

5 Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion.

And she saw that he was driven away from her, [and] her hope [of him] perished, and she took another of her whelps; she made him a lion.

6 And he went up and down among the lions. He became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey. He devoured men.

And he went up and down in the midst of lions, he became a lion, and learnt to take prey, he devoured men.

7 And he knew their palaces, and laid waste their cities. And the land was desolate, and the fullness of it, because of the noise of his roaring.

And he prowled in his boldness and laid waste their cities, and made the land desolate, and the fullness of it, by the voice of his roaring.

8 Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and they spread their net over him. He was taken in their pit.

Then the nations set upon him from the countries round about, and they spread their nets upon him: he was taken in their pit.

9 And they put him in a cage with hooks, and brought him to the king of Babylon. They brought him into strongholds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.

And they put him in chains and in a cage, [and] he came to the king of Babylon; and he cast him into prison, that his voice should not be heard on the mountains of Israel.

10 Thy mother was like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters. It was fruitful and full of branches because of many waters.

Your mother was as a vine and as a blossom on a pomegranate tree, planted by water: her fruit and her shoot abounded by reason of much water.

11 And it had strong twigs for the scepters of those who bore rule. And their stature was exalted among the thick boughs, and they were seen in their height with the multitude of their branches.

And she became a rod for a tribe of princes, and was elevated in her bulk in the midst of [other] trees, and she saw her bulk in the multitude of her branches.

12 But it was plucked up in fury. It was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong twigs were broken off and withered. The fire consumed them.

But she was broken down in wrath, she was cast upon the ground, and the east wind dried up her choice [branches]: vengeance came upon them, and the rod of her strength was withered; fire consumed it.

13 And now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.

And now they have planted her in the wilderness, in a dry land.

14 And fire has gone out of the twigs of its branches. It has devoured its fruit, so that there is no strong twig in it to be a scepter to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.

And fire is gone out of a rod of her choice [boughs], and has devoured her; and there was no rod of strength in her. Her race is become a parable of lamentation, and it shall be for a lamentation.