Ezekiel 19

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

And thou, —do thou lift up a lamentation 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.

And say, What a noble lioness was thy mother! among lions did she lie down, in the midst of young lions did she raise her whelps!

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

And she brought up one of her whelps: he became a young lion, and he learned to tear in pieces the prey; [even] men he devoured.

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

And when nations heard of him, he was caught in their pit, and they brought him with nose-rings unto the land of 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.

Now when she saw that she had long waited, [that] her hope was lost, she took another one of her whelps, and made him 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.

And he went up and down in the midst of lions, he became a young lion; and he learned to tear in pieces the prey; even men he devoured.

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

And he broke down their palaces, and their cities laid he in ruins: and then was terrified the land, with all that filled it, because of the noise of his 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 set themselves the nations against him on every side from the provinces; and they spread over him their net: in their pit was he caught.

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.

And they put him in a cage with nose-rings [in his nose], and they brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into strong-holds, in order that his voice should no more be heard on the mountains of Israel.

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.

Thy mother was like a vine, if I compare thee to aught, planted by the waters: fruitful and full of boughs was she by reason of many waters.

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.

And she had strong branches [fit] for the sceptres of rulers, and her stature grew up high between the thick-branched [trees], and she was seen through her height by means of the multitude of her tendrils.

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 she was plucked up in fury, to the ground was she cast down, and the east wind dried up her fruit: and torn off and dried up were her strong branches, a fire consumed them.

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

And now is she planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty 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.”

And fire is gone out of a branch of her boughs, and hath devoured her fruit, so that there is no more on her a strong branch for a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and it is become a lamentation.