Ezekiel 19

1 Sing this funeral song for the princes of Israel

“Now you, take up a lamentation against the leaders 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, 'Who was your mother? A lioness, she lived with a lion's son; in the midst of young lions, she nurtured her cubs.

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.

She is the one who raised up one of her cubs to become a young lion, a lion who learned to tear apart his victims, and then he devoured men.

4 But when the nations heard about him, he was caught in their trap. They used hooks to drag him away to Egypt.

Then the nations heard about him. He was caught in their trap, and they brought him with hooks to 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.

Then she saw that although she had waited for his return, her expectation was now gone, so she took another of her cubs and raised him to become a young lion.

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.

This young lion roamed about in the midst of lions. He was a young lion and learned to tear his victims; he devoured 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.

He seized their widows and ruined their cities. The land and its fullness were abandoned because of the sound 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.

But the nations came against him from the surrounding provinces; they spread their nets over him. He was caught in their trap.

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.

With hooks they put him in a cage and then they brought him to the king of Babylon. They brought him to the strongholds so that his voice would no longer be heard on the mountains 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.

Your mother was like a vine planted in your blood beside the water. it was fruitful and full of branches because of the abundance of water.

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.

It had strong branches that were used for rulers' scepters, and its size was exalted above the branches, and its height was seen by the greatness of its foliage.

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 the vine was uprooted in fury and thrown down to the earth, and an eastern wind dried out its fruit. Its strong branches were broken off and withered and fire consumed them.

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

So now it is planted in the wilderness, in a land of drought and thirst.

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.

For fire went out from her large branches and consumed its fruit. There is no strong branch on it, no scepter to rule.' This is a lamentation and will be sung as a lamentation.”