יחזקאל 19

1 ואתה שא קינה אל נשיאי ישראל׃

Sing this funeral song for the princes of Israel

2 ואמרת מה אמך לביא בין אריות רבצה בתוך כפרים רבתה גוריה׃

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.

3 ותעל אחד מגריה כפיר היה וילמד לטרף טרף אדם אכל׃

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.

4 וישמעו אליו גוים בשחתם נתפש ויבאהו בחחים אל ארץ מצרים׃

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

5 ותרא כי נוחלה אבדה תקותה ותקח אחד מגריה כפיר שמתהו׃

When she realized that the hope she had been waiting for was gone, she made another of her cubs into a young lion.

6 ויתהלך בתוך אריות כפיר היה וילמד לטרף טרף אדם אכל׃

He went around with the other lions, and became strong. Once he had learned how to tear up his prey, he started eating people.

7 וידע אלמנותיו ועריהם החריב ותשם ארץ ומלאה מקול שאגתו׃

He tore down their fortresses and destroyed their towns. All the people living in the country were appalled when they heard him roaring.

8 ויתנו עליו גוים סביב ממדינות ויפרשו עליו רשתם בשחתם נתפש׃

Then the people of the countries all around attacked him. They threw their net over him; he was caught in their trap.

9 ויתנהו בסוגר בחחים ויבאהו אל מלך בבל יבאהו במצדות למען לא ישמע קולו עוד אל הרי ישראל׃

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.

10 אמך כגפן בדמך על מים שתולה פריה וענפה היתה ממים רבים׃

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.

11 ויהיו לה מטות עז אל שבטי משלים ותגבה קומתו על בין עבתים וירא בגבהו ברב דליתיו׃

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.

12 ותתש בחמה לארץ השלכה ורוח הקדים הוביש פריה התפרקו ויבשו מטה עזה אש אכלתהו׃

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.

13 ועתה שתולה במדבר בארץ ציה וצמא׃

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

14 ותצא אש ממטה בדיה פריה אכלה ולא היה בה מטה עז שבט למשול קינה היא ותהי לקינה׃

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.