Ezekiel 19

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

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

2 And say, What [is] thy mother: A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.

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 she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.

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

4 The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains to 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 Now when she saw that she had waited, [and] her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, [and] made him a young 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 among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, [and] 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 knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fullness of it, by 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 the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over 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 custody in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon 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 [is] like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.

“‘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 had strong rods for the scepters of them that bore rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her hight with 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 plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed 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 And now she [is] planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.

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

14 And fire hath gone out of a rod of her branches, [which] hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod [to be] a scepter to rule. This [is] a lamentation, and 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.”