1 Verder, hef jy 'n klaaglied aan oor die vorste van Israel,

2 en sê: Wat was jou moeder? 'n Leeuin: tussen die leeus het sy gelê, onder die jong leeus het sy haar kleintjies grootgemaak.

3 En sy het een van haar kleintjies opgekweek, 'n jong leeu het hy geword; en hy het geleer om prooi te verskeur, hy het mense geëet.

4 En die nasies het van hom gehoor; in hulle vangkuil is hy gevang, en hulle het hom met hake na Egipteland gebring.

5 En toe sy sien dat sy teleurgestel is, haar hoop verlore, het sy 'n ander een van haar kleintjies geneem, hom 'n jong leeu gemaak.

6 En hy het rondgeloop onder die leeus, het 'n jong leeu geword en geleer om prooi te verskeur; hy het mense geëet.

7 Hy het hulle weduwees beken en hulle stede verwoes; ja, die land en sy volheid was verskrik vanweë die geluid van sy gebrul.

8 Toe het die nasies rondom uit die lande hulle teen hom opgestel en hul net oor hom uitgesprei; in hulle vangkuil is hy gevang.

9 En hulle het hom in 'n hok gesit aan hake en hom na die koning van Babel gebring; hulle het hom in vestings gebring, dat sy stem nie meer gehoor sou word op die berge van Israel nie.

10 Jou moeder was soos 'n wingerdstok in jou rustige tyd; by waters was dit geplant; dit was vrugbaar en vol ranke vanweë die baie waters.

11 En dit het sterk takke gekry om as septers vir heersers te dien, en sy top was hoog tussen die digte takke in; en dit het hom vertoon in sy hoogte, in die menigte van sy ranke.

12 Maar dit is in grimmigheid uitgeruk, teen die grond gegooi, en die oostewind het sy vrugte laat verdroog; hulle is afgeruk en het verdroog; sy sterk tak -- die vuur het dit verteer.

13 En nou is dit geplant in die woestyn, in 'n dor en dorstige land.

14 En vuur het uitgegaan uit sy tak vol lote, dit het sy vrugte verteer; en geen sterk tak is daarin as septer om te heers nie. 'n Klaaglied is dit, en 'n klaaglied het dit geword.

1 Take up now a song of grief for the ruler of Israel, and say,

2 What was your mother? Like a she-lion among lions, stretched out among the young lions she gave food to her little ones.

3 And one of her little ones came to growth under her care, and became a young lion, learning to go after beasts for his food; and he took men for his meat.

4 And the nations had news of him; he was taken in the hole they had made: and, pulling him with hooks, they took him into the land of Egypt.

5 Now when she saw that her hope was made foolish and gone, she took another of her little ones and made him into a young lion.

6 And he went up and down among the lions and became a young lion, learning to go after beasts for his food; and he took men for his meat.

7 And he sent destruction on their widows and made waste their towns; and the land and everything in it became waste because of the loud sound of his voice.

8 Then the nations came against him from the kingdoms round about: their net was stretched over him and he was taken in the hole they had made.

9 They made him a prisoner with hooks, and took him to the king of Babylon; they put him in the strong place so that his voice might be sounding no longer on the mountains of Israel.

10 Your mother was in comparison like a vine, planted by the waters: she was fertile and full of branches because of the great waters.

11 And she had a strong rod for a rod of authority for the rulers, and it became tall among the clouds and it was seen lifted up among the number of its branches.

12 But she was uprooted in burning wrath, and made low on the earth; the east wind came, drying her up, and her branches were broken off; her strong rod became dry, the fire made a meal of it.

13 And now she is planted in the waste land, in a dry and unwatered country.

14 And fire has gone out from her rod, causing the destruction of her branches, so that there is no strong rod in her to be the ruler's rod of authority. This is a song of grief, and it was for a song of grief.