Ezekiel 19

Chapter 19

A Funeral Song for Israel’s Kings

1 “Sing this funeral song for the princes of Israel:
2 “What is your mother?
A lioness among lions!
She lay down among the young lions
and reared her cubs.3 She raised one of her cubs
to become a strong young lion.
He learned to hunt and devour prey,
and he became a man-eater.4 Then the nations heard about him,
and he was trapped in their pit.
They led him away with hooks
to the land of Egypt.5 “When the lioness saw
that her hopes for him were gone,
she took another of her cubs
and taught him to be a strong young lion.6 He prowled among the other lions
and stood out among them in his strength.
He learned to hunt and devour prey,
and he, too, became a man-eater.7 He demolished fortressest
and destroyed their towns and cities.
Their farms were desolated,
and their crops were destroyed.
The land and its people trembled in fear
when they heard him roar.8 Then the armies of the nations attacked him,
surrounding him from every direction.
They threw a net over him
and captured him in their pit.9 With hooks, they dragged him into a cage
and brought him before the king of Babylon.
They held him in captivity,
so his voice could never again be heard
on the mountains of Israel.10 “Your mother was like a vine
planted by the water’s edge.
It had lush, green foliage
because of the abundant water.11 Its branches became strong—
strong enough to be a ruler’s scepter.
It grew very tall,
towering above all others.
It stood out because of its height
and its many lush branches.12 But the vine was uprooted in fury
and thrown down to the ground.
The desert wind dried up its fruit
and tore off its strong branches,
so that it withered
and was destroyed by fire.13 Now the vine is transplanted to the wilderness,
where the ground is hard and dry.

14 A fire has burst out from its branches
and devoured its fruit.
Its remaining limbs are not
strong enough to be a ruler’s scepter.
“This is a funeral song, and it will be used in a funeral.”

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.”