Ezekiel 19

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

Moreover take you up 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, What is your mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.

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 up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it 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.

The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains to 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.

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.

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 among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and 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 knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fullness thereof, by the noise 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 every side from the provinces, and spread their net over 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 ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more 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 is like a vine in your blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many 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 bore rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick 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 up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them.

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

And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty 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 has devoured her fruit, so that she has no strong rod to be a scepter to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.