A Lament for Israel’s Princes

19 “Now, lament for the princes of Israel m 2 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. n

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. o

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, p

and he became a young lion.

After he learned to tear prey,

he devoured people.

7 He devastated their strongholds q

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. r

They spread their net over him;

he was caught in their pit.

9 They put a wooden yoke on him s with hooks t

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. u

10 Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, v w

planted by the water;

it was fruitful and full of branches x

because of plentiful waters.

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

its height towered among the clouds. y

So it was conspicuous for its height

as well as its many branches.

12 But it was uprooted in fury, z

thrown to the ground,

and the east wind dried up its fruit.

Its strong branches were torn off and dried up; a

fire consumed them.

13 Now it is planted in the wilderness, b

in a dry and thirsty land.

14 Fire has gone out from its main branch c

and has devoured its fruit,

so that it no longer has a strong branch,

a scepter for ruling. d

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