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

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

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

and say: ‘What is your mother? A lioness: She lay down among the lions; Among the young lions she nourished her cubs.

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

She brought up one of her cubs, And he became a young lion; He learned to catch prey, And he devoured men.

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

The nations also heard of him; He was trapped in their pit, And they brought him with chains to the land of Egypt.

5 N ow 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.

‘When she saw that she waited, that her hope was lost, She took another of her cubs and made him a young lion.

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

He roved among the lions, And became a young lion; He learned to catch prey; He devoured men.

7 A nd 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.

He knew their desolate places, And laid waste their cities; The land with its fullness was desolated By the noise of his roaring.

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

Then the nations set against him from the provinces on every side, And spread their net over him; He was trapped in their pit.

9 A nd 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.

They put him in a cage with chains, And brought him to the king of Babylon; They brought him in nets, That his voice should no longer be heard on the mountains of Israel.

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

‘Your mother was like a vine in your bloodline, Planted by the waters, Fruitful and full of branches Because of many waters.

11 A nd 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.

She had strong branches for scepters of rulers. She towered in stature above the thick branches, And was seen in her height amid the dense foliage.

12 B ut 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.

But she was plucked up in fury, She was cast down to the ground, And the east wind dried her fruit. Her strong branches were broken and withered; The fire consumed them.

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

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

14 A nd 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.

Fire has come out from a rod of her branches And devoured her fruit, So that she has no strong branch— a scepter for ruling.’” This is a lamentation, and has become a lamentation.