Ezekiel 19

1 Sing this funeral song for the princes of Israel

Thou also, take vp a lamentation for the princes of Israel,

2 with these words: “What was your mother? She was a lioness among the lions! She lay down in her place among the young lions and 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 raised one of her cubs, and he grew up to be young lion. Once he had learned how to tear up his prey, he started eating people.

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 But when the nations heard about him, he was caught in their trap. They used hooks to drag him away to 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 realized that the hope she had been waiting for was gone, she made another of her cubs into 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 went around with the other lions, and became strong. Once he had learned how to tear up his prey, he started eating people.

Which went among the lyons, and became a lyon, and learned to catch the praye, and he deuoured men.

7 He tore down their fortresses and destroyed their towns. All the people living in the country were appalled when they heard him 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 people of the countries all around attacked him. They threw their net over him; he was caught in their trap.

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 They used hooks to put him in a cage and took him to the king of Babylon. They led him away and imprisoned him so his roar wasn't heard any more in Israel's mountains.

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 planted in your vineyard at the waterside. It produced a lot of fruit and had many branches because it had plenty of water.

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

11 Its branches were strong like rulers' scepters. It grew high above the tree canopy. People could see how tall and full of leaves it was.

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 anger and thrown down on the ground. The east wind blew and dried up its fruit. Its strong branches were stripped of leaves and they withered. Then they were burned up in the fire.

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 the vine has been replanted in the desert, in a dry and waterless land.

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

14 A fire blazed out from its main trunk and burned up its fruit. None of its branches that were once like a ruler's scepter are strong any more.” This is a funeral song and is to be used for mourning.

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.