Ezekiel 19
Holman Christian Standard Bible
A Lament for Israel’s Princes
19 “Now, lament for the princes of Israel(A) 2 and say:
What was your mother? A lioness!
She lay down among the lions;
she reared her cubs among the young lions.
3 She brought up one of her cubs,
and he became a young lion.(B)
After he learned to tear prey,
he devoured people.
4 When the nations heard about him,
he was caught in their pit.
Then they led him away with hooks
to the land of Egypt.(C)
5 When she saw that she waited in vain,
that her hope was lost,
she took another of her cubs
and made him a young lion.
6 He prowled among the lions,(D)
and he became a young lion.
After he learned to tear prey,
he devoured people.
7 He devastated their strongholds[a]
and destroyed their cities.
The land and everything in it shuddered
at the sound of his roaring.
8 Then the nations from the surrounding provinces
set out against him.(E)
They spread their net over him;
he was caught in their pit.
9 They put a wooden yoke on him[b] with hooks(F)
and led him away to the king of Babylon.
They brought him into the fortresses
so his roar could no longer be heard
on the mountains of Israel.(G)
10 Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard,[c](H)
planted by the water;
it was fruitful and full of branches(I)
because of plentiful waters.
11 It had strong branches, fit for the scepters of rulers;
its height towered among the clouds.[d]
So it was conspicuous for its height
as well as its many branches.
12 But it was uprooted in fury,(J)
thrown to the ground,
and the east wind dried up its fruit.
Its strong branches were torn off and dried up;(K)
fire consumed them.
13 Now it is planted in the wilderness,(L)
in a dry and thirsty land.
14 Fire has gone out from its main branch[e]
and has devoured its fruit,
so that it no longer has a strong branch,
a scepter for ruling.(M)
This is a lament and should be used as a lament.”
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 19:7 Tg, Aq; MT reads knew their widows
- Ezekiel 19:9 Or put him in a cage
- Ezekiel 19:10 Some Hb mss; other Hb mss read blood
- Ezekiel 19:11 Or thick foliage
- Ezekiel 19:14 Lit from the branch of its parts
Ezekiel 19
New Living Translation
A Funeral Song for Israel’s Kings
19 “Sing this funeral song for the princes of Israel:
2 “What is your mother?
A lioness among lions!
She lay down among the young lions
and reared her cubs.
3 She raised one of her cubs
to become a strong young lion.
He learned to hunt and devour prey,
and he became a man-eater.
4 Then the nations heard about him,
and he was trapped in their pit.
They led him away with hooks
to the land of Egypt.
5 “When the lioness saw
that her hopes for him were gone,
she took another of her cubs
and taught him to be a strong young lion.
6 He prowled among the other lions
and stood out among them in his strength.
He learned to hunt and devour prey,
and he, too, became a man-eater.
7 He demolished fortresses[a]
and destroyed their towns and cities.
Their farms were desolated,
and their crops were destroyed.
The land and its people trembled in fear
when they heard him roar.
8 Then the armies of the nations attacked him,
surrounding him from every direction.
They threw a net over him
and captured him in their pit.
9 With hooks, they dragged him into a cage
and brought him before the king of Babylon.
They held him in captivity,
so his voice could never again be heard
on the mountains of Israel.
10 “Your mother was like a vine
planted by the water’s edge.
It had lush, green foliage
because of the abundant water.
11 Its branches became strong—
strong enough to be a ruler’s scepter.
It grew very tall,
towering above all others.
It stood out because of its height
and its many lush branches.
12 But the vine was uprooted in fury
and thrown down to the ground.
The desert wind dried up its fruit
and tore off its strong branches,
so that it withered
and was destroyed by fire.
13 Now the vine is transplanted to the wilderness,
where the ground is hard and dry.
14 A fire has burst out from its branches
and devoured its fruit.
Its remaining limbs are not
strong enough to be a ruler’s scepter.
“This is a funeral song, and it will be used in a funeral.”
Footnotes
- 19:7 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads He knew widows.
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
