Ezekiel 19
World English Bible
19 “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.”
Ezekiel 19
Common English Bible
A mother’s sons
19 You, raise a lament for Israel’s princes. 2 Say:
What a lioness among lionesses was your mother!
She bedded down among the strong young lions and reared her cubs.
3 She singled out one of her cubs and he became a strong young lion;
he learned to tear flesh and devour humans.
4 When the nations heard about him, they caught him in their trap
and carried him with hooks to the land of Egypt.
5 When she realized that she waited in vain, her hope faded.
So she took another of her cubs and set him up as a strong young lion.
6 He went on the prowl with the other lions and became a strong young lion.
He learned to tear flesh and devour humans;
7 he ravaged[a] their widows and laid waste to their cities.
When the earth and everything in it became horrified by the sound of his raging,
8 the nations from the surrounding regions allied against him.
They cast their nets over him and caught him in their trap.
9 They put a collar on him and brought him with hooks.
They brought him with nets to the king of Babylon
so that his voice would no longer be heard on the mountains of Israel.
The proud mother
10 Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard[b] planted beside the waters;
she bore lush fruit and foliage because of the plentiful water,
11 and she produced mighty branches, fit for rulers’ scepters.
She grew tall, and her crown went up between the clouds.
Because of her height and thick growth, she became conspicuous.
12 So she was struck down in anger,
thrown down to the ground.
The east wind dried her out and destroyed her fruit;
it sapped the branch of its strength,
and fire consumed it.
13 So now she is planted in the desert,
in a parched and thirsty land,
14 and fire has gone out from her branch and consumed her foliage and fruit,
leaving her no strong branch
or ruler’s scepter.
This is a lamentation, and it will serve as a lamentation.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 19:7 Or knew
- Ezekiel 19:10 Or in your blood
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