Ezekiel 19

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

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

2 and say, ‘What was your mother? A lioness. She couched amongst lions, in the middle of the young lions she nourished her cubs.

and say: —How lay thy mother at ease, a lioness among lions! Among young lions she nourished her whelps;

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

And she brought up one of her whelps; He became a young lion, And he learned to seize the prey; 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.

And when the nations heard of him, he was taken in their pit, And they brought him with nose-rings 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.

And when she saw that she waited in vain, and that her hope was lost, She took another of her whelps, and she made him a young lion.

6 He went up and down amongst the lions. He became a young lion. He learnt to catch the prey. He devoured men.

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

7 He knew their palaces, and laid waste their cities. The land was desolate with its fullness, because of the noise of his roaring.

He knew their widows, and laid waste their cities, And the land was desolate, and all that was therein, before the voice of his roaring.

8 Then the nations attacked him on every side from the provinces. They spread their net over him. He was taken in their pit.

Then the nations set themselves against him on every side from the provinces, And spread their net over him; He was taken in their pit.

9 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.

And they put him with nose rings into a cage, And carried him to the king of Babylon. And they carried him to a stronghold, That his voice might be heard no more Upon the mountains of Israel.

10 “‘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.

Thy mother was like a vine planted like thyself by the waters; She was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters;

11 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.

She had strong rods for sceptres of rulers, And her stature was high among the thick branches, So that she was conspicuous in her height, And the multitude of her branches.

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 branches were broken off and withered. The fire consumed them.

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.

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

And now she is planted in the desert, In a dry and thirsty land.

14 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.”

And a fire is gone forth out of a rod of her branches, Which hath devoured her fruit, So that she hath no strong rod for a ruler's sceptre. This is a lamentation, and it shall be for a lamentation.