حِزِقیال 19

1 خداوند فرمود که برای رهبران اسرائیل این مرثیه را بخوانم:

And thou, —do thou lift up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,

2 «مادر تو که بود؟ او ماده شیری بود که فرزندانش را میان شیران ژیان بزرگ می‌کرد!

And say, What a noble lioness was thy mother! among lions did she lie down, in the midst of young lions did she raise her whelps!

3 او یکی از بچه‌های خود را تربیت کرد تا شیری ژیان گردد. آن شیربچه شکار کردن را آموخت و آدمخوار شد.

And she brought up one of her whelps: he became a young lion, and he learned to tear in pieces the prey; [even] men he devoured.

4 وقتی خبر او به گوش قومها رسید، آنها شکارچیان خود را فرستادند و او را در دام انداختند و به زنجیر کشیده، به مصر بردند.

And when nations heard of him, he was caught in their pit, and they brought him with nose-rings unto the land of Egypt.

5 «وقتی مادرش از او قطع امید کرد، یکی دیگر از بچه‌های خود را گرفت و او را تربیت نمود تا شیری نیرومند گردد.

Now when she saw that she had long waited, [that] her hope was lost, she took another one of her whelps, and made him a young lion.

6 وقتی او بزرگ شد، شکار کردن را آموخت و آدمخوار شد و رهبر شیران گردید.

And he went up and down in the midst of lions, he became a young lion; and he learned to tear in pieces the prey; even men he devoured.

7 او کاخها را خراب و شهرها را ویران کرد. مزرعه‌ها را بایر نمود و محصولاتشان را از بین برد. مردم همه از شنیدن غرش او، به خود می‌لرزیدند!

And he broke down their palaces, and their cities laid he in ruins: and then was terrified the land, with all that filled it, because of the noise of his roaring.

8 پس قومهای جهان از هر سو بر او هجوم آورده، او را به دام انداختند و اسیرش کردند.

Then set themselves the nations against him on every side from the provinces; and they spread over him their net: in their pit was he caught.

9 سپس او را به زنجیر کشیدند و در قفس گذاشتند و به حضور پادشاه بابِل بردند. در آنجا او را تحت مراقبت نگه داشتند تا بار دیگر غرشش در کوههای اسرائیل شنیده نشود.

And they put him in a cage with nose-rings [in his nose], and they brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into strong-holds, in order that his voice should no more be heard on the mountains of Israel.

10 «مادر تو همچون درخت انگوری بود که در کنار نهر آب، در اثر آب فراوان، همیشه تر و تازه و پر شاخ و برگ بود.

Thy mother was like a vine, if I compare thee to aught, planted by the waters: fruitful and full of boughs was she by reason of many waters.

11 شاخه‌های قوی و محکم آن برای عصای سلاطین مناسب بود. آن درخت از درختان دیگر بلندتر گردید به حدی که از دور جلب توجه می‌کرد.

And she had strong branches [fit] for the sceptres of rulers, and her stature grew up high between the thick-branched [trees], and she was seen through her height by means of the multitude of her tendrils.

12 اما دستانی خشمگین، آن درخت را ریشه‌کن کرده، بر زمین انداخت. باد شرقی شاخه‌های نیرومندش را شکست و خشک کرد و آتش، آنها را سوزاند.

But she was plucked up in fury, to the ground was she cast down, and the east wind dried up her fruit: and torn off and dried up were her strong branches, a fire consumed them.

13 اکنون آن درخت در بیابان کاشته شده است، در زمینی خشک و بی‌آب!

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

14 از درون می‌پوسد و میوه‌اش از بین می‌رود، و از آن یک شاخه محکم نیز برای عصای سلاطین باقی نمی‌ماند.» این یک مرثیه است و بارها سروده شده است!

And fire is gone out of a branch of her boughs, and hath devoured her fruit, so that there is no more on her a strong branch for a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and it is become a lamentation.