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 a lioness was your mother! She couched among lions; in the midst of 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.

And she brought up one of her cubs; he became a young lion and he learned to catch the prey; 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 taken in their pit, and they brought him with hooks 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.

Now when she had waited, she saw her hope was lost. Then 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.

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

And he knew and ravaged their strongholds and he laid waste their cities, and the land was appalled and all who were in it 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 on every side from the provinces, and they spread their net over him; he was taken 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.

With hooks they put him in a cage and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into custody and put him in strongholds, that his voice should no more be heard upon 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 planted by the waters; it was fruitful and full of branches by reason of abundant water.

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.

And it had strong rods for the scepters of those who bore rule and its height was exalted among the thick branches and into the clouds, and it was seen in its height among the multitude of its branches and was conspicuous.

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 the vine was plucked up in God’s wrath and it was cast down to the ground; the east wind dried up its fruit; its strong rods were broken off and withered; the fire consumed them.

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

And now it is transplanted 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.

And fire went out of a rod of its branches which has consumed the vine’s fruit, so that it has in it no strong rod to be a scepter for ruling. This is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation and a dirge.