Ezekiel 19

Funeral Songs for Israel’s Princes

1 Sing a funeral song for the princes of Israel.

2 Say:
Your mother was like a lioness.She lay down among the lions.She fed many cubs.3 One of the cubs she raised became a young lion.He learned to tear apart the animals he hunted.He ate people.4 The nations heard about him,caught him in their pit,and brought him with hooks to Egypt.5 The lioness waited until she saw that there was no more hope.Then she took another one of her cubsand raised him into a young lion.6 He became a young lion, and he prowled among the lions.He learned to tear apart the animals he hunted.He ate people.7 He destroyed fortressesand turned cities into wastelands.The land and everyone living in itwere terrified by the sound of his roar.8 The nations from every region came together against him.They spread their net over himand caught him in their pit.9 With hooks they put him in a cageand brought him to the king of Babylon.They put him in prisonso that his roar wouldn’t be heard anymoreon the mountains of Israel.10 Your mother was like a grapevinethat was planted near water.It had a lot of fruit and many branchesbecause there was plenty of water.11 Its branches were strong.They were used to make scepters for kings.It grew to be tall with many branches around it,and everyone saw it because of its many branches.12 But in anger it was uprooted and thrown to the ground.The east wind dried up its fruit.Its strong branches broke off.They withered and were burned.13 Now it is planted in the desert,in a dry and waterless land.14 Fire has spread from the vine’s main branch.Fire has destroyed its fruit.It no longer has any strong branchesthat could be used as a king’s scepter.This is a funeral song. It is to be used as a funeral song.

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.”