Ezekiel 19

1 [Yahweh said to me, “Ezekiel], sing a sad funeral [a which will be a parable] [two of the] kings of Israel.

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

2 Say [to the Israeli people], ‘[It is as though] [MET] your mother was a brave female lion who raised her cubs among [other] lions.

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

3 She taught one of them to [for other animals to kill], and he [even] learned [kill and] eat people.

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

4 [When people from other] nations heard about him, they trapped him in a pit. Then they used hooks to drag him to 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 His mother waited for him [to return], but [soon] she stopped hoping/expecting [that he would return]. So she raised another cub who [also] became very fierce.

“‘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 He hunted along with [other] [for animals to kill], and he even learned [kill and] eat people.

He went up and down amongst the lions. He became a young lion. He learnt to catch the prey. He devoured men.

7 He destroyed forts, and he ruined cities. When he roared [loudly], everyone was terrified.

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

8 So [people of other] nations planned to kill him, and men came from many places to spread out a net for him, and they caught him in a trap.

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

9 They tied him with chains and took him to Babylonia. And [there] he was locked in a prison, with the result that [no one on] the hills of Israel ever heard him roar again.’ [Also, say to the Israeli people, ]

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.

10 ‘[It is as though] [SIM] your mother was a grapevine that was planted along a stream. There was plenty of water, so it had lots of branches and produced [a lot of] grapes.

“‘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.

11 That grapevine grew and became taller than all the nearby trees; [everyone could] see that it was very strong and healthy. And those branches were good for making scepters that symbolize the power/ [of a king].

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

12 [Yahweh] became very angry, so he pulled up the vine by its roots and threw it on the ground, where the [very hot] winds from the desert dried up all its fruit. The strong branches wilted and were burned in a fire.

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.

13 Now that vine has been planted in a hot, dry desert.

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

14 A fire started to burn its stem, and then started to burn the branches and burned all the grapes. [Now] not [even] one strong branch remains; they will never become scepters for a king.’ That funeral song must be sung very sadly.”

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