Ezekiel 19

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

Thou also, take vp a lamentation for the princes 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, Wherefore lay thy mother as a lyonesse among the lyons? she nourished her yong ones among the lyons 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 she brought vp one of her whelps, and it became a lyon, and it learned to catch the praye, and it deuoured 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.

The nations also heard of him, and he was taken in their nets, and they brought him in chaines vnto the land of Egypt.

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.

Nowe when she sawe, that she had waited and her hope was lost, she tooke another of her whelps, and made him a lyon.

6 He prowled among the lions, and became a young lion. After learning to tear his prey, he devoured men.

Which went among the lyons, and became a lyon, and learned to catch the praye, and he deuoured 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 knew their widowes, and he destroyed their cities, and the land was wasted, and all that was therein by the noyse 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 against him on euery side of the countreys, and laide their nets for him: so 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 prison and in chaines, and brought him to the King of Babel, and they put him in holdes, that his voyce should no more be heard vpon the mountaines 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.

Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she brought foorth fruite and branches by the abundant waters,

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 had strong rods for the scepters of them that beare rule, and her stature was exalted among the branches, and she appeared in her height with 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 plucked vp in wrath: she was cast downe to the ground, and the East winde dried vp her fruite: her branches were broken, and withered: as for the rod of her strength, the fire consumed it.

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

And now she is planted in the wildernes in a drie and thirstie ground.

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 branches, which hath deuoured her fruite, so that she hath no strong rod to be a scepter to rule: this is a lamentation and shalbe for a lamentation.