Ezekiel 19

1 “As for you, take up a lament for the princes of Israel

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

2 and say: ‘What was your mother? A lioness among the lions! She lay down among the young lions; she reared her cubs.

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 She brought up one of her cubs, and he became a young lion. After learning to tear his prey, he devoured men.

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

4 When the nations heard of him, he was trapped in their pit. With hooks they led him away 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 When she saw that she had waited in vain, that her hope was lost, she took another of her cubs 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 He prowled among the lions, and became a young lion. After learning to tear his 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 He broke down their strongholds and devastated their cities. The land and everything in it shuddered at the sound 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 out against him from the provinces on every side. They spread their net over him; he was trapped 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 With hooks they caged him and brought him to the king of Babylon. They brought him into captivity so that his roar was heard no longer on 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 Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of the abundant 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 It had strong branches, fit for a ruler’s scepter. It towered high above the thick branches, conspicuous for its height and for its dense foliage.

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 uprooted in fury, cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong branches were stripped off and they 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 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 Fire has gone out from its main branch and devoured its fruit; on it no strong branch remains fit for a ruler’s scepter.’ This is a lament and shall be used as a lament.”

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.