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

“As for you, sing a song of sorrow for the leaders of Israel,

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

and say: ‘What was your mother? A female lion among lions! She lay down with young lions. She raised her young ones.

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

She brought up one of her little ones, and he became a lion. He learned to catch his food. He ate men.

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

The nations heard about him, and he was caught in their trap. And they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.

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

Your mother waited until she saw that her hope was lost. Then she took another of her little ones and made him a young lion.

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

He walked up and down among the lions. He became a young lion and learned to catch his food. He ate men.

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

He wrecked their strong towers and destroyed their cities. The land and all who were in it were filled with fear because of the loud noise he made.

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

Then the nations came against him from their lands all around. They spread their net over him, and he was caught in their trap.

9 T hey 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.

They put him in a prison with chains and brought him to the king of Babylon. They put him in prison so that his voice would never be heard again on the mountains of Israel.

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

Your mother was like a vine in your grape-field, planted by the water. It gave much fruit and was full of branches because there was much water.

11 S he 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.

Its branches were strong enough to be made into sticks held by rulers to show their power. It grew as high as the clouds. Everyone saw how high it was and that it had many branches.

12 B ut 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.

But it was pulled up by the roots in anger and thrown down to the ground. The east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong branch was torn off so that it dried up. And fire destroyed it.

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

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

14 F ire 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.

Fire has spread from its largest branch and has destroyed its young branches and its fruit. No strong branch is left on it to be made into a stick for a ruler.’ This is a song of sorrow, and is to be used as a death song.”