Ezekiel 19

1 Take up now a song of grief for the ruler of Israel, and say,

"Moreover, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,

2 What was your mother? Like a she-lion among lions, stretched out among the young lions she gave food to her little ones.

and say, 'What was your mother? A lioness: she couched among lions, in the midst of the young lions she nourished her cubs.

3 And one of her little ones came to growth under her care, and became a young lion, learning to go after beasts for his food; and he took men for his meat.

She brought up one of her cubs: he became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.

4 And the nations had news of him; he was taken in the hole they had made: and, pulling him with hooks, they took him into the land of Egypt.

The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit; and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.

5 Now when she saw that her hope was made foolish and gone, she took another of her little ones and made him into a young lion.

"'Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her cubs, and made him a young lion.

6 And he went up and down among the lions and became a young lion, learning to go after beasts for his food; and he took men for his meat.

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 sent destruction on their widows and made waste their towns; and the land and everything in it became waste because of the loud sound of his voice.

He devastated their strongholds, and destroyed their cities; and the land was desolate, and its fullness, because of the noise of his roaring.

8 Then the nations came against him from the kingdoms round about: their net was stretched over him and he was taken in the hole they had made.

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 They made him a prisoner with hooks, and took him to the king of Babylon; they put him in the strong place so that his voice might be sounding no longer on the mountains of Israel.

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 on the mountains of Israel.

10 Your mother was in comparison like a vine, planted by the waters: she was fertile and full of branches because of the great waters.

"'Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, planted by the waters: it was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.

11 And she had a strong rod for a rod of authority for the rulers, and it became tall among the clouds and it was seen lifted up among the number of its branches.

It had strong rods for the scepters of those who bore 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 she was uprooted in burning wrath, and made low on the earth; the east wind came, drying her up, and her branches were broken off; her strong rod became dry, the fire made a meal of it.

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 she is planted in the waste land, in a dry and unwatered country.

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

14 And fire has gone out from her rod, causing the destruction of her branches, so that there is no strong rod in her to be the ruler's rod of authority. This is a song of grief, and it was for a song of grief.

Fire is gone out of the rods of its branches, it has devoured its fruit, so that there is in it no strong rod to be a scepter to rule.' This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation."