以色列的哀歌

19 「你要為以色列的首領唱哀歌, 說,

『你的母親像什麼?
她就像獅群中的母獅,
臥在雄壯的獅子中養育幼獅。
她養大一隻幼獅,
使牠成為雄壯的獅子。
牠學會了捕食吃人。
列國的人知道後,
便設陷阱捉住牠,
用鉤子拉到埃及。
母獅盼著牠回來,
眼見指望落空,
便又養育一頭幼獅,
使牠成為雄壯的獅子。
牠出入獅群,
學會了捕食和吃人。
牠夷平列國的堡壘,
使他們的城邑淪為廢墟,
遍地都因牠的咆哮而震驚。
於是,列國便從四面圍攻牠,
設網羅捕捉牠。
牠落入他們的陷阱。
他們用鉤子鉤住牠,關進籠裡,
解送到巴比倫王那裡囚禁起來。
於是,在以色列的山嶺上再也聽不見他的吼聲。

10 『你母親像葡萄園中的一棵葡萄樹,
栽在溪水旁,
枝繁葉茂,碩果纍纍,
因為水源充沛。
11 它的枝子粗壯,可作王的杖。
它的樹幹高大,直插雲霄,
枝葉茂密,遠遠可見。
12 但它被憤怒地連根拔起,
拋在地上。
東風吹乾了它的果實,
粗壯的枝幹折斷枯乾,
被火焚燒。
13 現在,它被栽種在乾旱的曠野。
14 但火從枝幹蔓延,
燒毀了它的果實,
沒有留下一根粗壯的枝幹可作王的杖。』

「這是一首哀歌,也必用作哀歌。」

19 Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,

And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.

And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.

The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.

Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion.

And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.

And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his roaring.

Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit.

And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.

10 Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.

11 And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.

12 But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them.

13 And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.

14 And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.

A Lament for the Princes of Israel

19 And you, (A)take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, and say:

What was your mother? (B)A lioness!
    Among lions she crouched;
in the midst of young lions
    she reared her cubs.
And she brought up one of her cubs;
    (C)he became a young lion,
(D)and he learned to catch prey;
    he devoured men.
The nations heard about him;
    (E)he was caught in their pit,
(F)and they brought him with hooks
    to the land of Egypt.
When she saw that she waited in vain,
    that her hope was lost,
(G)she took another of her cubs
    and made him a young lion.
He prowled among the lions;
    he became a young lion,
and he learned to catch prey;
    he devoured men,
and seized[a] their widows.
    He laid waste their cities,
and the land was appalled and all who were in it
    at the sound of his roaring.
(H)Then the nations set against him
    from provinces on every side;
(I)they spread their net over him;
    (J)he was taken in their pit.
With hooks (K)they put him in a cage[b]
    and (L)brought him to the king of Babylon;
    they brought him into custody,
that his voice should no more be heard
    on (M)the mountains of Israel.

10 Your mother was (N)like a vine in a vineyard[c]
    planted by the water,
(O)fruitful and full of branches
    (P)by reason of abundant water.
11 Its strong stems became
    rulers' scepters;
it towered aloft
    among the thick boughs;[d]
it was seen in its height
    with the mass of its branches.
12 But the vine was plucked up in fury,
    cast down to the ground;
(Q)the east wind dried up its fruit;
    they were stripped off and withered.
As for its strong stem,
    fire consumed it.
13 (R)Now it is planted in the wilderness,
    in a dry and thirsty land.
14 (S)And fire has gone out from the stem of its shoots,
    has consumed its fruit,
(T)so that there remains in it no strong stem,
    no scepter for ruling.

This is (U)a lamentation and has become a lamentation.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 19:7 Hebrew knew
  2. Ezekiel 19:9 Or in a wooden collar
  3. Ezekiel 19:10 Some Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts in your blood
  4. Ezekiel 19:11 Or the clouds

Israel Degraded

19 “Moreover (A)take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, and say:

‘What is your mother? A lioness:
She lay down among the lions;
Among the young lions she nourished her cubs.
She brought up one of her cubs,
And (B)he became a young lion;
He learned to catch prey,
And he devoured men.
The nations also heard of him;
He was trapped in their pit,
And they brought him with chains to the land of (C)Egypt.

‘When she saw that she waited, that her hope was lost,
She took (D)another of her cubs and made him a young lion.
(E)He roved among the lions,
And (F)became a young lion;
He learned to catch prey;
He devoured men.
[a]He knew their desolate places,
And laid waste their cities;
The land with its fullness was desolated
By the noise of his roaring.
(G)Then the nations set against him from the provinces on every side,
And spread their net over him;
(H)He was trapped in their pit.
(I)They put him in a cage with [b]chains,
And brought him to the king of Babylon;
They brought him in nets,
That his voice should no longer be heard on (J)the mountains of Israel.

10 ‘Your mother was (K)like a vine in your [c]bloodline,
Planted by the waters,
(L)Fruitful and full of branches
Because of many waters.
11 She had strong branches for scepters of rulers.
(M)She towered in stature above the thick branches,
And was seen in her height amid the [d]dense foliage.
12 But she was (N)plucked up in fury,
She was cast down to the ground,
And the (O)east wind dried her fruit.
Her strong branches were broken and withered;
The fire consumed them.
13 And now she is planted in the wilderness,
In a dry and thirsty land.
14 (P)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.’ ”

(Q)This is a lamentation, and has become a lamentation.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 19:7 LXX He stood in insolence; Tg. He destroyed its palaces; Vg. He learned to make widows
  2. Ezekiel 19:9 Or hooks
  3. Ezekiel 19:10 Lit. blood, so with MT, Syr., Vg.; LXX like a flower on a pomegranate tree; Tg. in your likeness
  4. Ezekiel 19:11 Or many branches