Ezekieli 19
1 “Tena wewe, chukua maombolezo juu ya viongozi wa Israeli
Moreover, take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2 na sema, 'Mama yako alikuwa nani? Simba jike mmoja, aliishi na mtoto wa simba dume; katikati ya simba wadogo, aliwalisha watoto wake.
and say: —How lay thy mother at ease, a lioness among lions! Among young lions she nourished her whelps;
3 Alimlea mmoja wa wale watoto kurarua wanyama wengine, na kisha alijifunza jinsi ya kuwinda watu na kuwala.
And she brought up one of her whelps; He became a young lion, And he learned to seize the prey; he devoured men.
4 Kisha mataifa wakasikia kuhusu yeye. Akakamatwa kwenye mtego wao, na wakamleta kwa kulabu hata nchi ya Misri.
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 Kisha alipoona kwamba ingawa alikuwa akimsubiri arudi, matumaini yake sasa yalienda, hivyo alimchukua mtoto wake wengine katika watoto wake na kumlea hata kuwa mwana simba.
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 Huyu mwana simba alitembea huku na huku katikati ya simba. Akawa mwana simba na kujifunza kuwinda mawindo; akala watu.
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 Akawakamata wajane na kuiharibu miji. Nchi na viijazavyo vilitelekezwa kwa sababu ya sauti ya kunguruma kwake.
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 Lakini mataifa yakaja juu yake kutoka mikoa yote; wakatengeneza nyavu juu yake. Akakamatwa kwenye mtego wao.
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 Kwa kulabu wakamuweka kwenye tundu na kisha wakamleta hata kwa mfalme wa Babeli. Wakamleta hata kwenye ngome imara ili kwamba sauti yake isiweze kusikika juu ya milima ya Israeli.
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 Mama yako alikuwa kama mzabibu uliopandwa kwenye damu yako karibu na maji. ulizaa matunda na kujaa matawi kwa sababu ya wingi wa maji.
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 Ulikuwa na matawi imara yaliyokuwa yakitumika kwa ajili ya fimbo ya utawala, na kipimo chake kiliinuka juu ya matawi, na kina wake ulionekana kwa ukubwa wa majani yake.
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 Lakini mzabibu uling'olewa kwa ghadhabu na kutupwa chini hata aridhini, na upepo wa mashariki uliuvunja na kunyauka na moto ukavila.
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 Hivyo sasa, umepandwa jangwani, kwenye nchi ya ukame na kavu.
And now she is planted in the desert, In a dry and thirsty land.
14 Kwa kuwa moto ulitoka kwenye matawi makubwa na kuyala matunda yake. Hakuna tawi imara juu yake, hakuna fimbo ya kifalme kutawala.' Haya ni maombolezo na yataimbwa kama maombolezo.”
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.
