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19 Moreover take thou up a kinah (lament) for the nasi’im of Yisroel,

And say, What is immecha, a lioness? She lay down among arayot (lions), rearing her cubs among young lions.

And she brought up one of her cubs; it became a strong lion, and it learned to tear teref (prey); it devoured adam.

The Goyim also heard of him; he was trapped in their shachat (pit), and they brought him with hooks unto Eretz Mitzrayim.

Now when she saw that in vain she had waited, and her tikvah (hope) was lost, then she took another of her cubs, and made him a strong lion.

And he went up and down among the arayot (lions), he became a strong lion, and learned to tear the teref, and devoured adam.

And he destroyed their strongholds, and he laid waste their towns; and eretz and the fulness thereof became desolate, through the sound of his roaring.

Then the Goyim set against him on every side from the medinot (provinces), and spread their reshet (net) over him; he was trapped in their shachat (pit [trap]).

And they put him in a neckstock with hooks, and brought him to Melech Bavel; they brought him into metzodot (fortresses), that his voice should no more be heard upon the harim of Yisroel.

10 Immecha is like a gefen (vine) full of shoots, planted by the mayim; she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of mayim rabbim.

11 And she had strong branches that became the shivtei moshlim (scepters of rulers), and her stature towered above the thick branches, and she was seen in her height amid the dense branches.

12 But she was uprooted in chemah (fury), she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her p’ri; her strong branches were broken and withered; the eish consumed them.

13 And now she is planted in the midbar, in a dry and thirsty eretz.

14 And eish is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her p’ri, so that she hath no strong branch to be a shevet (sceptre) to rule. This is a kinah lament, and shall be for a funeral dirge.

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