Ezekiel 19:10–14

Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard

planted by the water,

fruitful and full of branches

by reason of abundant water.

Its strong stems became

rulers’ scepters;

it towered aloft

among the thick boughs;

it was seen in its height

with the mass of its branches.

But the vine was plucked up in fury,

cast down to the ground;

the east wind dried up its fruit;

they were stripped off and withered.

As for its strong stem,

fire consumed it.

Now it is planted in the wilderness,

in a dry and thirsty land.

And fire has gone out from the stem of its shoots,

has consumed its fruit,

so that there remains in it no strong stem,

no scepter for ruling.

This is a lamentation and has become a lamentation.

“ ‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard

planted by the water;

it was fruitful and full of branches

because of abundant water.

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.

But it was uprooted in fury

and thrown to the ground.

The east wind made it shrivel,

it was stripped of its fruit;

its strong branches withered

and fire consumed them.

Now it is planted in the desert,

in a dry and thirsty land.

Fire spread from one of its main branches

and consumed its fruit.

No strong branch is left on it

fit for a ruler’s scepter.’

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

“Your mother was like a vine

planted by the water’s edge.

It had lush, green foliage

because of the abundant water.

Its branches became strong—

strong enough to be a ruler’s scepter.

It grew very tall,

towering above all others.

It stood out because of its height

and its many lush branches.

But the vine was uprooted in fury

and thrown down to the ground.

The desert wind dried up its fruit

and tore off its strong branches,

so that it withered

and was destroyed by fire.

Now the vine is transplanted to the wilderness,

where the ground is hard and dry.

A fire has burst out from its branches

and devoured its fruit.

Its remaining limbs are not

strong enough to be a ruler’s scepter.

“This is a funeral song, and it will be used in a funeral.”

Your mother was like the vine in your vineyard;

planted fruitfully beside water,

and it was full of branches

from many waters.

And she produced branches of strength

to scepters of rulers;

its height became tall

between thick foliage,

and it was seen because of its tallness

among the abundance of its branches.

But it was uprooted in rage;

it was thrown to the earth,

and the east wind dried up its fruit;

they were stripped off,

and its strong branch dried up;

fire consumed it.

And now it is planted in the desert,

in a dry and thirsty land.

And so fire has gone out from the stem of its branches;

its fruit it has consumed,

and there was not in it a strong branch,

a scepter for ruling.’ ”

This is a lament, and it will be used as a lament.

Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters. And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches. But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them. And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground. And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.