A Lament Over Israel’s Princes

19 “Take up a lament(A) concerning the princes(B) of Israel and say:

“‘What a lioness(C) was your mother
    among the lions!
She lay down among them
    and reared her cubs.(D)
She brought up one of her cubs,
    and he became a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
    and he became a man-eater.
The nations heard about him,
    and he was trapped in their pit.
They led him with hooks(E)
    to the land of Egypt.(F)

“‘When she saw her hope unfulfilled,
    her expectation gone,
she took another of her cubs(G)
    and made him a strong lion.(H)
He prowled among the lions,
    for he was now a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
    and he became a man-eater.(I)
He broke down[a] their strongholds
    and devastated(J) their towns.
The land and all who were in it
    were terrified by his roaring.
Then the nations(K) came against him,
    those from regions round about.
They spread their net(L) for him,
    and he was trapped in their pit.(M)
With hooks(N) they pulled him into a cage
    and brought him to the king of Babylon.(O)
They put him in prison,
    so his roar(P) was heard no longer
    on the mountains of Israel.(Q)

10 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard[b](R)
    planted by the water;(S)
it was fruitful and full of branches
    because of abundant water.(T)
11 Its branches were strong,
    fit for a ruler’s scepter.
It towered high
    above the thick foliage,
conspicuous for its height
    and for its many branches.(U)
12 But it was uprooted(V) in fury
    and thrown to the ground.
The east wind(W) made it shrivel,
    it was stripped of its fruit;
its strong branches withered
    and fire consumed them.(X)
13 Now it is planted in the desert,(Y)
    in a dry and thirsty land.(Z)
14 Fire spread from one of its main[c] branches
    and consumed(AA) its fruit.
No strong branch is left on it
    fit for a ruler’s scepter.’(AB)

“This is a lament(AC) and is to be used as a lament.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 19:7 Targum (see Septuagint); Hebrew He knew
  2. Ezekiel 19:10 Two Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts your blood
  3. Ezekiel 19:14 Or from under its

Song of Mourning for the Leaders of Israel

19 “As for you, take up a (A)song of mourning for the (B)leaders of Israel and say,

[a]What was your mother?
A lioness among lions!
She lay down among young lions,
She raised her cubs.
When she brought up one of her cubs,
(C)He became a young lion,
And he learned to tear his prey;
He devoured people.
Then nations heard about him;
He was caught in their trap,
And they (D)brought him with hooks
To the land of Egypt.
When she saw, as she waited,
That her hope was lost,
She took [b]another of her cubs
And made (E)him a young lion.
And he (F)walked about among the lions,
He became a young lion;
He learned to tear his prey;
He devoured people.
He [c]destroyed their [d]palaces
And laid waste their cities;
And the land and its fullness were appalled
Because of the sound of his roaring.
Then (G)nations set against him
On every side from their provinces,
And they spread their net over him;
He was caught in their trap.
(H)They put him in a [e]wooden collar with hooks
And (I)brought him to the king of Babylon;
They brought him in hunting nets
So that his voice would no longer be heard
On the mountains of Israel.
10 Your mother was (J)like a vine in your [f]vineyard,
Planted by the waters;
It was fruitful and thick with branches
Because of abundant waters.
11 And it had [g](K)strong stems fit for scepters of rulers,
And its (L)height was raised above the clouds
So that it was seen in its height with the mass of its branches.
12 But it was (M)uprooted in fury;
It was (N)thrown down to the ground;
And the (O)east wind dried up its fruit.
[h]Its (P)strong stem [i]was torn out
So that [j]it withered;
The fire consumed it.
13 And now it is planted in the (Q)wilderness,
In a dry and thirsty land.
14 And (R)fire has gone out from its stem;
It has consumed its shoots and fruit,
So that there is no [k]strong stem in it,
A scepter to rule.’”

This is a song of mourning, and has become a song of mourning.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 19:2 Or Why did your mother, a lioness, lie down among lions; among young lions rear her cubs?
  2. Ezekiel 19:5 Lit one
  3. Ezekiel 19:7 As in Targum; MT knew
  4. Ezekiel 19:7 Or widows
  5. Ezekiel 19:9 Or iron
  6. Ezekiel 19:10 As in some mss; MT blood
  7. Ezekiel 19:11 Lit stems of strength
  8. Ezekiel 19:12 Lit The stem of her strength
  9. Ezekiel 19:12 As in LXX; MT were
  10. Ezekiel 19:12 As in LXX; MT they
  11. Ezekiel 19:14 Lit stem of strength

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

以色列的哀歌

19 “你要为以色列的首领唱哀歌, 说,

“‘你的母亲像什么?
她就像狮群中的母狮,
卧在雄壮的狮子中养育幼狮。
她养大一只幼狮,
使它成为雄壮的狮子。
它学会了捕食吃人。
列国的人知道后,
便设陷阱捉住它,
用钩子拉到埃及。
母狮盼着它回来,
眼见指望落空,
便又养育一头幼狮,
使它成为雄壮的狮子。
它出入狮群,
学会了捕食和吃人。
它夷平列国的堡垒,
使他们的城邑沦为废墟,
遍地都因它的咆哮而震惊。
于是,列国便从四面围攻它,
设网罗捕捉它。
它落入他们的陷阱。
他们用钩子钩住它,关进笼里,
解送到巴比伦王那里囚禁起来。
于是,在以色列的山岭上再也听不见他的吼声。

10 “‘你母亲像葡萄园中的一棵葡萄树,
栽在溪水旁,
枝繁叶茂,硕果累累,
因为水源充沛。
11 它的枝子粗壮,可作王的杖。
它的树干高大,直插云霄,
枝叶茂密,远远可见。
12 但它被愤怒地连根拔起,
抛在地上。
东风吹干了它的果实,
粗壮的枝干折断枯干,
被火焚烧。
13 现在,它被栽种在干旱的旷野。
14 但火从枝干蔓延,
烧毁了它的果实,
没有留下一根粗壮的枝干可作王的杖。’

“这是一首哀歌,也必用作哀歌。”