Ezekiel 19

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

2And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.

3And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.

4The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.

5Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion.

6And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.

7And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his roaring.footnote afootnote b

8Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit.

9And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.footnote c

10Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.footnote d

11And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.

12But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them.

13And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.

14And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.

A Lament for the Princes of Israel

1“As for you, take up a lament for the princes of Israel 2and say:‘What was your mother?A lioness among the lions!She lay down among the young lions;she reared her cubs. 3She brought up one of her cubs,and he became a young lion.After learning to tear his prey,he devoured men. 4When the nations heard of him,he was trapped in their pit.With hooks they led him awayto the land of Egypt.

5When she saw that she had waited in vain,that her hope was lost,she took another of her cubsand made him a young lion. 6He prowled among the lions,and became a young lion.After learning to tear his prey,he devoured men. 7He broke down their strongholdsfootnote aand devastated their cities.The land and everything in itshuddered at the sound of his roaring.

8Then the nations set out against himfrom the provinces on every side.They spread their net over him;he was trapped in their pit. 9With hooks they caged himand brought him to the king of Babylon.They brought him into captivityso that his roar was heard no longeron the mountains of Israel.

10Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard,footnote bplanted by the water;it was fruitful and full of branchesbecause of the abundant waters. 11It had strong branches, fit for a ruler’s scepter.It towered high above the thick branches,conspicuous for its heightand for its dense foliage.

12But it was uprooted in fury,cast down to the ground,and the east wind dried up its fruit.Its strong branches were stripped offand they withered;the fire consumed them.

13Now it is planted in the wilderness,in a dry and thirsty land. 14Fire has gone out from its main branchand devoured its fruit;on it no strong branch remainsfit for a ruler’s scepter.’This is a lament and shall be used as a lament.”