Ezekiel 19
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
19 Moreover, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2 And say, What a lioness was your mother [Jerusalem-Judah]! She couched among lions; in the midst of young lions she nourished her cubs.
3 And she [the royal mother-city] brought up one of her cubs [Jehoahaz]; he became a young lion and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.(A)
4 The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.(B)
5 Now when she had waited, she saw her hope was lost. Then she took another of her cubs [Jehoiachin] and made him a young lion.(C)
6 And he [Jehoiachin] went up and down among the lions; he became a young lion and learned to catch prey, and he devoured men.
7 And he knew and ravaged their strongholds and he laid waste their cities, and the land was appalled and all who were in it by the noise of his roaring.
8 Then the nations set against [the king] on every side from the provinces, and they spread their net over him [Jehoiachin]; he was taken in their pit.(D)
9 With hooks they put him in a cage and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into custody and put him in strongholds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.
10 Your mother [the mother-city Jerusalem] was like a vine [like you, Zedekiah, and in your blood] planted by the waters; it was fruitful and full of branches by reason of abundant water.(E)
11 And it had strong rods for the scepters of those who bore rule and its height was exalted among the thick branches and into the clouds, and it was seen in its height among the multitude of its branches and was conspicuous.
12 But the vine was plucked up in God’s wrath [by His agent the Babylonian king] and it was cast down to the ground; the east wind dried up its fruit; its strong rods were broken off and withered; the fire [of God’s judgment] consumed them.
13 And now it is transplanted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land [Babylon].
14 And fire went out of a rod [Zedekiah] of its branches which has consumed the vine’s fruit, so that it has in it no [longer a] strong rod to be a scepter for ruling. This is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation and a dirge.
Ezekiel 19
Tree of Life Version
Two Lamentation Songs
19 “As for you, raise a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2 and say: ‘What was your mother?
A lioness!
Among lions she couched,
among young lions she reared her cubs.
3 When she raised up one of her cubs,
he became a young lion.
When he learned to tear prey,
he devoured people.
4 When the nations heard about him,
he was caught in their pit.
They brought him with hooks
to the land of Egypt.
5 When she saw that she waited in vain,
her hope was lost.
So she took another cub
and made him a young lion.
6 He prowled among the lions.
He became a young lion,
learned to catch prey,
devoured men.
7 He ravaged their widows
and laid waste their cities.
The land and all who were in it
were terrified from his roaring.
8 The nations gathered against him
on every side from the provinces.
They spread their net over him.
He was caught in their pit.
9 They put him in a cage with hooks
and brought him to the king of Babylon.
They brought him in hunting nets.
So his roar was no longer heard
on the mountains of Israel.
10 “Your mother was like a vine in your blood,
planted by the water.
It was fruitful and full of branches
because of abundant water.
11 Its strong rods became rulers’ scepters.
Its height was exalted above the clouds.
It was seen in its height
with the mass of its branches.
12 But it was uprooted in fury.
It was cast down to the ground.
The east wind dried up its fruit.
Its strong branches were broken off and dried up—
fire consumed it.
13 Now it is planted in the wilderness,
in a dry and thirsty land.
14 Fire has spread from its main branch
and devoured its fruit.
No strong branch is left on it
to become a ruler’s scepter.”
This is a lamentation, and it is to be used as a lamentation.
Ezekiel 19
New King James Version
Israel Degraded
19 “Moreover (A)take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, 2 and say:
‘What is your mother? A lioness:
She lay down among the lions;
Among the young lions she nourished her cubs.
3 She brought up one of her cubs,
And (B)he became a young lion;
He learned to catch prey,
And he devoured men.
4 The nations also heard of him;
He was trapped in their pit,
And they brought him with chains to the land of (C)Egypt.
5 ‘When she saw that she waited, that her hope was lost,
She took (D)another of her cubs and made him a young lion.
6 (E)He roved among the lions,
And (F)became a young lion;
He learned to catch prey;
He devoured men.
7 [a]He knew their desolate places,
And laid waste their cities;
The land with its fullness was desolated
By the noise of his roaring.
8 (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.
9 (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
- Ezekiel 19:7 LXX He stood in insolence; Tg. He destroyed its palaces; Vg. He learned to make widows
- Ezekiel 19:9 Or hooks
- Ezekiel 19:10 Lit. blood, so with MT, Syr., Vg.; LXX like a flower on a pomegranate tree; Tg. in your likeness
- Ezekiel 19:11 Or many branches
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
