Ezekiel 19

1 “Take up a lament concerning the princes of Israel

2 and say:
“ ‘What a lioness was your mother
among the lions!
She lay down among them
and reared her cubs.

3 She brought up one of her cubs,
and he became a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
and he devoured people.

4 The nations heard about him,
and he was trapped in their pit.
They led him with hooks
to the land of Egypt.

5 “ ‘When she saw her hope unfulfilled,
her expectation gone,
she took another of her cubs
and made him a strong lion.

6 He prowled among the lions,
for he was now a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
and he devoured people.

7 He broke down their strongholds
and devastated their towns.
The land and all who were in it
were terrified by his roaring.

8 Then the nations came against him,
those from regions round about.
They spread their net for him,
and he was trapped in their pit.

9 With hooks they pulled him into a cage
and brought him to the king of Babylon.
They put him in prison,
so his roar was heard no longer
on the mountains of Israel.

10 “ ‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard
planted by the water;
it was fruitful and full of branches
because of abundant water.

11 Its branches were strong,
fit for a ruler’s scepter.
It towered high
above the thick foliage,
conspicuous for its height
and for its many branches.

12 But it was uprooted in fury
and thrown to the ground.
The east wind made it shrivel,
it was stripped of its fruit;
its strong branches withered
and fire consumed them.

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

14 Fire spread from one of its main branches
and consumed its fruit.
No strong branch is left on it
fit for a ruler’s scepter.’
“This is a lament and is to be used as a lament.”

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.”