Ezekiel 19
1 Thou. therefore take up a dirge, for the prince of Israel;
“Moreover, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2 and thou shalt say— How was thy mother a lioness, Between lions, she lay down, - In the midst of young lions, She nourished her whelps;
and say, ‘What was your mother? A lioness. She couched among lions, in the middle of the young lions she nourished her cubs.
3 And she reared up one of her whelps— A young lion, he became, And he learned to rend prey. Men, he devoured.
She brought up one of her cubs. He became a young lion. He learned to catch the prey. He devoured men.
4 Then nations heard of him. In their pit, was he caught, — So they brought him with hooks. Into the land of Egypt.
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 she had waited Lost was her hope, Then took she another of her whelps. A young lion, she made him.
“‘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 Yea he went to and fro amidst lions A young lion, he became, - And he learned to rend prey. Men, he devoured;
He went up and down among the lions. He became a young lion. He learned to catch the prey. He devoured men.
7 And he injured his widows, And their cities, laid waste, - And deserted was the land and its fulness, At the noise 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 set upon him the nations round about. From the provinces, - And spread over him their net In their pit, was he caught;
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 a cage with hooks, And brought him to Babylon’s king, — They brought him into strong-holds, That his noise might be heard no more Among 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 Thy mother [was] like a vine of thy vineyard, By waters, was planted, — Fruitful and full of branches, she became By reason of waters abundant;
“‘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 they served her as staves of power For the sceptres of rulers, And high became the stature thereof With its interwoven foliage, - And it was seen by its height, By its multitude of branches.
It had strong branches for the scepters of those who ruled. Their stature was exalted among the thick boughs. They were seen in their height with the multitude of their branches.
12 Then was she uprooted in indignation To the ground, was she cast, And an east wind, dried up her fruit, —Broken off and withered were her staves of power, A fire, devoured them.
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 Now, therefore, is she planted in a desert, -In a land parched and dry;
Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
14 And there hath gone forth a fire out of her staves of rods. Her fruit, hath it devoured, And there is in her no staff of power. As a sceptre to bear rule. A dirge, it is, and hath been made a dirge.
Fire has gone out of its branches. It has devoured its fruit, so that there is in it no strong branch to be a scepter to rule.’ This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.”
