יחזקאל 19

1 ואתה שא קינה אל נשיאי ישראל

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

2 ואמרת מה אמך לביא בין אריות רבצה בתוך כפרים רבתה גוריה

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

3 ותעל אחד מגריה כפיר היה וילמד לטרף טרף אדם אכל

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

4 וישמעו אליו גוים בשחתם נתפש ויבאהו בחחים אל ארץ מצרים

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

5 ותרא כי נוחלה אבדה תקותה ותקח אחד מגריה כפיר שמתהו

“‘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 ויתהלך בתוך אריות כפיר היה וילמד לטרף טרף אדם אכל

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

7 וידע אלמנותיו ועריהם החריב ותשם ארץ ומלאה מקול שאגתו

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

8 ויתנו עליו גוים סביב ממדינות ויפרשו עליו רשתם בשחתם נתפש

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

9 ויתנהו בסוגר בחחים ויבאהו אל מלך בבל יבאהו במצדות למען לא ישמע קולו עוד אל הרי ישראל

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 אמך כגפן בדמך על מים שתולה פריה וענפה היתה ממים רבים

“‘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 ויהיו לה מטות עז אל שבטי משלים ותגבה קומתו על בין עבתים וירא בגבהו ברב דליתיו

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 ותתש בחמה לארץ השלכה ורוח הקדים הוביש פריה התפרקו ויבשו מטה עזה אש אכלתהו

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 ועתה שתולה במדבר בארץ ציה וצמא

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

14 ותצא אש ממטה בדיה פריה אכלה ולא היה בה מטה עז שבט למשול קינה היא ותהי לקינה

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.”