Ezekiel 19

1 And thou, lift up a lamentation unto princes of Israel,

Sing this funeral song for the princes of Israel

2 and thou hast said: What [is] thy mother? — a lioness, Among lions she hath crouched down, In the midst of young lions she hath multiplied her whelps.

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 And she bringeth up one of her whelps, A young lion it hath been, And it learneth to tear prey, man it hath devoured.

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 And hear of it do nations, In their pit it hath been caught, And they bring it in with chains unto 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 And she seeth, that stayed — perished hath her hope, And she taketh one of her whelps, A young lion she hath made it.

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

6 And it goeth up and down in the midst of lions, A young lion it hath been, And it learneth to tear prey, man it hath devoured.

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 And it knoweth his forsaken habitations, And their cities it hath laid waste, And desolate is the land and its fulness, Because of the voice 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 And set against it do nations Round about from the provinces. And they spread out for it their net, In their pit it hath been caught.

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

9 And they put it in prison — in chains, And they bring it unto the king of Babylon, They bring it in unto bulwarks, So that its voice is not heard any more On 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 Thy mother [is] as a vine in thy blood by waters planted, Fruitful and full of boughs it hath been, Because 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 And it hath strong rods for sceptres of rulers, And high is its stature above thick branches, And it appeareth in its height In the multitude of its thin shoots.

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 And it is plucked up in fury, To the earth it hath been cast, And the east wind hath dried up its fruit, Broken and withered hath been the rod of its strength, Fire hath consumed it.

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 And now — it is planted in a wilderness, In a land dry and thirsty.

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

14 And go forth doth fire from a rod of its boughs, Its fruit it hath devoured, And it hath no rod of strength — a sceptre to rule, Lamentation it [is] — and it is 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.