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

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

2 a nd say, ‘ What was your mother? A lioness among lions! She lay down among young lions, She reared her cubs.

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

3 ‘ When she brought up one of her cubs, He became a lion, And he learned to tear his prey; He 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 ‘ Then nations heard about him; He was captured in their pit, And they brought him with hooks To 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 ‘ When she saw, as she waited, That her hope was lost, She took another of her cubs 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 ‘ And he walked about among the lions; He became a young lion, He learned to tear his prey; He devoured men.

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

7 ‘ He destroyed their fortified towers And laid waste their cities; And the land and its fullness were appalled Because of the sound 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 ‘ Then nations set against him On every side from their provinces, And they spread their net over him; He was captured 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 ‘ They put him in a cage with hooks And brought him to the king of Babylon; They brought him in hunting nets So that his voice would be heard no more On 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 ‘ Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, Planted by the waters; It was fruitful and full of branches Because of abundant waters.

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

11 ‘ And it had strong branches fit for scepters of rulers, And its height was raised above the clouds So that it was seen in its height with the mass of its 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 ‘ But it was plucked up in fury; It was cast down to the ground; And the east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong branch was torn off So that it withered; The fire consumed it.

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

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

14 ‘ And fire has gone out from its branch; It has consumed its shoots and fruit, So that there is not in it a strong branch, A scepter to rule.’” This is a lamentation, and has become 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.