19
1 “Moreover,
take up a
lamentation for
the princes of
Israel,
2 and say,
‘What was your mother?
A lioness.
She couched among
lions,
in the middle
of the young
lions she
nourished her cubs.
3 She brought
up one of
her cubs.
He became a young
lion.
He learned to
catch the prey.
He devoured men.
4 The
nations also heard
of him.
He was taken in
their pit;
and they brought
him with hooks
to the land of
Egypt.
5 “ ‘Now
when she saw
that she had
waited,
and her hope
was lost,
then she took
another of her
cubs,
and made him
a young lion.
6 He
went up and
down among the
lions.
He became a
young lion.
He learned to
catch the prey.
He devoured men.
7 He
knew their palaces,
and laid waste
their cities.
The land was
desolate with its
fullness,
because of the
noise of his
roaring.
8 Then
the nations attacked
him on every
side from the
provinces.
They spread their
net over him.
He was taken
in their pit.
9 They
put him in
a cage with
hooks,
and brought him
to the king
of Babylon.
They brought him
into strongholds,
so that his
voice should no
more be heard
on the mountains
of Israel.
10 “ ‘Your
mother was like a
vine in your
blood, planted by
the waters.
It was fruitful
and full of
branches by reason
of many waters.
11 It
had strong
branches for the
scepters of
those who ruled.
Their stature was
exalted among
the thick boughs.
They were seen
in their height
with the
multitude of their
branches.
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
branches were
broken off and
withered.
The fire consumed them.
13 Now it
is planted in
the wilderness,
in a dry
and thirsty land.
14 Fire has
gone out of
its branches.
It has devoured
its fruit,
so that there
is in it
no strong branch
to be a
scepter to rule.’
This is a
lamentation, and
shall be for
a lamentation.”