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.