Ezekiel 19

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

你應為以色列的君王唱一篇哀歌，

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

說：「你的母親原像什麼﹖她像群獅中的一隻牝獅，臥在壯獅中養大了幼獅。

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

牠養大了一隻幼小的。牠就長成了壯獅，學會了撕裂獵物，吞噬人類。

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

列國於是下令追捕牠，牠遂在她們所設的陷阱中被捕，人便用鼻環把牠牽到埃及地。

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.

母獅見自己所等待的，所希望的落了空，就另取了一隻幼獅，使牠成為壯獅。

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

牠在群獅中徘徊，成了壯獅，學會了撕裂獵物，吞噬人類。

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

牠把裂物帶到自己的穴中，恐嚇羊群，那地方和居民對牠的吼聲，無不驚懼。

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

於是各國由四周各地追蹤牠，設下羅網捕捉牠，終於在她們的陷阱中被捕。

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.

然後給牠帶上鼻環，把牠裝在籠中，將他解送到巴比倫王那裏，將牠囚禁在獄中，免得在以色列的山上再聽到牠的吼聲。

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.

你的母親像園中的一棵葡萄樹，栽植在水旁，因為水多，果實纍纍，枝葉繁茂。

11 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.

她生出一根粗壯的枝條，可作統治者的權杖，它的軀幹高大，超過其他的枝葉。因它身量高大，在密茂的枝葉中，也可以見到。

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.

但是在狂怒中，它竟被拔出，拋棄在地上，東風吹乾了它的果實，它粗壯的枝幹被折斷而乾枯，為火所焚燒。

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

現今它被栽植在沙漠中，在那枯燥乾旱的地方。

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 sceptre to rule.’ This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.”

由枝梢上冒出一團火，焚燒了它的枝葉和果實，沒有給它留下一根粗壯的枝條，作統治者的權杖。」這是一篇哀歌，可為追悼之用。