Ezekiel 19

1 "Moreover, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,

“Now you, take up a lamentation against the leaders of Israel

2 and say, 'What was your mother? A lioness: she couched among lions, in the midst of the young lions she nourished 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 brought up one of her cubs: he became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.

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

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 up and down among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.

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 devastated their strongholds, and destroyed their cities; and the land was desolate, and its fullness, because of the noise of his 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 nations set against him on every side from the provinces; and they spread their net over him; he was taken in their pit.

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

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

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 in your vineyard, planted by the waters: it was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.

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 It had strong rods for the scepters of those who bore rule, and their stature was exalted among the thick boughs, and they were seen in their height with the multitude of their branches.

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 plucked up in fury, it was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up its fruit: its strong rods were broken off and withered; the fire consumed them.

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

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

14 Fire is gone out of the rods of its branches, it has devoured its fruit, so that there is in it no strong rod to be a scepter to rule.' This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation."

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.”