1 » Tú, dedica este lamento a los príncipes de Israel.

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

2 D iles: »¡Leona entre las leonas era tu madre! ¡Entre los leones crió a sus cachorros!

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

3 A uno de ellos lo levantó del suelo, y lo convirtió en un verdadero leoncillo. Y éste aprendió a desmenuzar a su presa y a devorarse a los hombres.

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

4 C uando las naciones se enteraron, lo hicieron caer en sus trampas y encadenado lo llevaron a Egipto.

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

5 C uando su madre perdió la esperanza de que su cachorro volviera, tomó a otro de sus cachorros e hizo de él un león feroz.

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 Y el que antes era cachorro llegó a ser león entre los leones, y aprendió a desmenuzar a su presa y a devorarse a los hombres.

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

7 S aqueó fortalezas, asoló ciudades, y con el estruendo de sus rugidos asustaba al país y a sus habitantes.

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 » Pero lo atacaron los pueblos vecinos. Echaron su red sobre él, y lo hicieron caer en un foso.

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 L o encadenaron y, en una jaula, lo presentaron ante el rey de Babilonia. ¡Lo confinaron en una mazmorra para que nunca más sus rugidos se oyeran sobre los montes de 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 » ¡Vid entre las vides era tu madre! Plantada junto a abundantes aguas, daba abundantes frutos y vástagos;

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 us fuertes varas servían para cetros, y su altura sobresalía entre las ramas. Era tal su altura, y tantos sus sarmientos, que fácilmente se le reconocía.

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 ¡ Pero fue arrancada con violencia, y derribada por los suelos! ¡El viento solano marchitó sus frutos y dejó secas sus fuertes ramas! ¡Rotas quedaron, y el fuego las consumió!

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 hora está plantada en el desierto, en una tierra seca y desolada.

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

14 D e una de sus varas salió fuego, y ese fuego consumió sus frutos. ¡Ya no queda en ella ninguna vara fuerte que sirva como cetro para un rey!» Éste es un lamento, y lamento debe ser.

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.”