1 A nd thou, lift up a lamentation unto princes of Israel,

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

2 a nd thou hast said: What thy mother? -- a lioness, Among lions she hath crouched down, In the midst of young lions she hath multiplied her whelps.

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 bringeth up one of her whelps, A young lion it hath been, And it learneth to tear prey, man it hath devoured.

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

4 A nd hear of it do nations, In their pit it hath been caught, And they bring it in 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 A nd she seeth, that stayed -- perished hath her hope, And she taketh one of her whelps, A young lion she hath made it.

‘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 it goeth up and down in the midst of lions, A young lion it hath been, And it learneth to tear prey, man it hath devoured.

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

7 A nd it knoweth his forsaken habitations, And their cities it hath laid waste, And desolate is the land and its fulness, Because of the voice 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 A nd set against it do nations Round about from the provinces. And they spread out for it their net, In their pit it hath been caught.

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 it in prison -- in chains, And they bring it unto the king of Babylon, They bring it in unto bulwarks, So that its voice is not heard any more On 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 as a vine in thy blood by waters planted, Fruitful and full of boughs it hath been, Because 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 it hath strong rods for sceptres of rulers, And high is its stature above thick branches, And it appeareth in its height In the multitude of its thin shoots.

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 A nd it is plucked up in fury, To the earth it hath been cast, And the east wind hath dried up its fruit, Broken and withered hath been the rod of its strength, Fire hath 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 A nd now -- it is planted in a wilderness, In a land dry and thirsty.

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

14 A nd go forth doth fire from a rod of its boughs, Its fruit it hath devoured, And it hath no rod of strength -- a sceptre to rule, Lamentation it -- and it is 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.