Ezekiel 19

1 “Moreover, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,

Sing this funeral song for the princes of Israel

2 and say, ‘What was your mother? A lioness. She couched among lions, in the middle of the young lions she nourished her cubs.

with these words: “What was your mother? She was a lioness among the lions! She lay down in her place among the young lions and reared her cubs.

3 She brought up one of her cubs. He became a young lion. He learned to catch the prey. He devoured men.

She raised one of her cubs, and he grew up to be young lion. Once he had learned how to tear up his prey, he started eating people.

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

But when the nations heard about him, he was caught in their trap. They used hooks to drag him away to Egypt.

5 “‘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.

When she realized that the hope she had been waiting for was gone, she made another of her cubs into a young lion.

6 He went up and down among the lions. He became a young lion. He learned to catch the prey. He devoured men.

He went around with the other lions, and became strong. Once he had learned how to tear up his prey, he started eating people.

7 He knew their palaces, and laid waste their cities. The land was desolate with its fullness, because of the noise of his roaring.

He tore down their fortresses and destroyed their towns. All the people living in the country were appalled when they heard him roaring.

8 Then the nations attacked him on every side from the provinces. They spread their net over him. He was taken in their pit.

Then the people of the countries all around attacked him. They threw their net over him; he was caught in their trap.

9 They put him in a cage with hooks, and brought him to the king of Babylon. They brought him into strongholds, so that his voice should no more be heard on the mountains of Israel.

They used hooks to put him in a cage and took him to the king of Babylon. They led him away and imprisoned him so his roar wasn't heard any more in Israel's mountains.

10 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your blood, planted by the waters. It was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.

Your mother was like a vine planted in your vineyard at the waterside. It produced a lot of fruit and had many branches because it had plenty of water.

11 It had strong branches for the scepters of those who ruled. Their stature was exalted among the thick boughs. They were seen in their height with the multitude of their branches.

Its branches were strong like rulers' scepters. It grew high above the tree canopy. People could see how tall and full of leaves it was.

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 branches were broken off and withered. The fire consumed them.

But it was uprooted in anger and thrown down on the ground. The east wind blew and dried up its fruit. Its strong branches were stripped of leaves and they withered. Then they were burned up in the fire.

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

Now the vine has been replanted in the desert, in a dry and waterless land.

14 Fire has gone out of its branches. It has devoured its fruit, so that there is in it no strong branch to be a scepter to rule.’ This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.”

A fire blazed out from its main trunk and burned up its fruit. None of its branches that were once like a ruler's scepter are strong any more.” This is a funeral song and is to be used for mourning.