Jezekiel 19

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

“Moreover, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,

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

and say, ‘What was your mother? A lioness. She couched amongst lions, in the middle of the young lions she nourished her cubs.

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

She brought up one of her cubs. He became a young lion. He learnt to catch the prey. He devoured men.

4 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.

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

5 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.

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

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

He went up and down amongst the lions. He became a young lion. He learnt to catch the prey. He devoured men.

7 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.

He knew their palaces, and laid waste their cities. The land was desolate with its fullness, because of the noise of his roaring.

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

Then the nations attacked him on every side from the provinces. They spread their net over him. He was taken in their pit.

9 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.

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

10 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.

“‘Your mother was like a vine in your blood, planted by the waters. It was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.

11 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.

It had strong branches for the sceptres of those who ruled. Their stature was exalted amongst the thick boughs. They were seen in their height with the multitude of their branches.

12 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.

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

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

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

14 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.

Fire has gone out of its branches. It has devoured its fruit, so that there is in it no strong branch to be a sceptre to rule.’ This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.”