Ezekiel 19

1 Moreover, take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,2 and say, What was thy mother? A lioness: she couched among lions, in the midst of the young lions she nourished her whelps.3 And she brought up one of her whelps: he became a young lion, and he learned 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 hooks unto 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.6 And he went up and down among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.7 And he knew their palaces, and laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, because of the noise of his roaring.8 Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces; and they spread their net over him; he was taken in their pit.9 And they put him in a cage with hooks, and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into strongholds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.10 Thy mother was like a vine, in thy blood, planted by the waters: it was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.11 And it had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and their stature was exalted among the thick boughs, and they were seen in their height with the multitude of their 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 rods were broken off and withered; the fire consumed them.13 And now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.14 And fire is gone out of the rods of its branches, it hath devoured its fruit, so that there is in it no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.

Ezekiel 19

Lament for the Princes of Israel

1 “And you, singt a lament for the princes of Israel,

2 and say:
“‘What a lioness was your mother among the lions!
She lay among young lions;s she reared her cubs.

3 She reared one of her cubs; he became a young lion.
He learned to tear prey; he devoured people.t

4 The nations heard about him; he was trapped in their pit.
They brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.s

5 “‘When she realized that she waited in vain, her hope was lost.
She took another of her cubss and made him a young lion.

6 He walked about among the lions; he became a young lion.
He learned to tear prey; he devoured people.

7 He broke downs their strongholdss and devastated their cities.
The land and everything in it was frightened at the sound of his roaring.

8 The nations – the surrounding regions – attacked him.
They threw their net over him; he was caught in their pit.

9 They put him in a collar with hooks;t
they brought him to the king of Babylon;
they brought him to prisons
so that his voice would not be heard
any longer on the mountains of Israel.

10 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard,s planted by water.
It was fruitful and full of branches because it was well-watered.

11 Its boughs were strong, fitt for rulers’ scepters; it reached up into the clouds.
It stood out because of its height and its many branches.t

12 But it was plucked up in anger; it was thrown down to the ground.
The east winds dried up its fruit;
its strong branches broke off and withered –
a fire consumed them.

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

14 A fire has gone out from its branch; it has consumed its shoot and its fruit.t
No strong branch was left in it, nor a scepter to rule.’
This is a lament song, and has become a lament song.”