Ezekiel 19

A Lament for Israel’s Princes

1 "As for you, take up a lament for the princes of Israel,  * 19:1 Ezk 26:17; 27:22 and say:

What was your mother? A lioness!

She lay down among the lions;

she reared her cubs among the young lions.

3 She brought up one of her cubs,

and he became a young lion.  * 19:3 2Kg 23:31–32

After he learned to tear prey,

he devoured people.

4 When the nations heard about him,

he was caught in their pit.

Then they led him away with hooks

to the land of Egypt.  * 19:4–5 2Kg 23:34

5 When she saw that she waited in vain,

that her hope was lost,

she took another of her cubs

and made him a young lion.

6 He prowled among the lions,  * 19:6 Jr 22:13–17

and he became a young lion.

After he learned to tear prey,

he devoured people.

7 He devastated their strongholds  * 19:7 Tg, Aq; MT reads knew their widows

and destroyed their cities.

The land and everything in it shuddered

at the sound of his roaring.

8 Then the nations from the surrounding provinces

set out against him.  * 19:8 2Kg 24:2,11

They spread their net over him;

he was caught in their pit.

9 They put a wooden yoke on him  * 19:9 Or put him in a cage with hooks  * 19:9 2Ch 36:6

and led him away to the king of Babylon.

They brought him into the fortresses

so his roar could no longer be heard

on the mountains of Israel.  * 19:9 Ezk 6:2

10 Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard,  * 19:10 Some Hb mss; other Hb mss read blood,* 19:10 Ps 80:8–11

planted by the water;

it was fruitful and full of branches  * 19:10 Dt 8:7–9

because of abundant water.

11 It had strong branches, fit for the scepters of rulers;

its height towered among the clouds.  * 19:11 Or thick foliage

So it was conspicuous for its height

as well as its many branches.

12 But it was uprooted in fury,  * 19:12 Jr 31:28

thrown to the ground,

and the east wind dried up its fruit.

Its strong branches were torn off and dried up;  * 19:12 Hs 13:15

fire consumed them.

13 Now it is planted in the wilderness,  * 19:13 2Kg 24:12–16; Hs 2:3

in a dry and thirsty land.

14 Fire has gone out from its main branch  * 19:14 Lit from the branch of its parts

and has devoured its fruit,

so that it no longer has a strong branch,

a scepter for ruling.  * 19:14 Lm 2:5

This is a lament and should be used as a lament."