Ezekiel 19:2–6

2 and say:

“ ‘What a lioness was your mother

among the lions!

She lay down among them

and reared her cubs.

3 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.

4 The nations heard about him,

and he was trapped in their pit.

They led him with hooks

to the land of Egypt.

5 “ ‘When she saw her hope unfulfilled,

her expectation gone,

she took another of her cubs

and made him a strong lion.

6 He prowled among the lions,

for he was now a strong lion.

He learned to tear the prey

and he became a man-eater.

2 And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions. 3 And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men. 4 The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt. 5 Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion. 6 And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.

2 “What is your mother?

A lioness among lions!

She lay down among the young lions

and reared her cubs.

3 She raised one of her cubs

to become a strong young lion.

He learned to hunt and devour prey,

and he became a man-eater.

4 Then the nations heard about him,

and he was trapped in their pit.

They led him away with hooks

to the land of Egypt.

5 “When the lioness saw

that her hopes for him were gone,

she took another of her cubs

and taught him to be a strong young lion.

6 He prowled among the other lions

and stood out among them in his strength.

He learned to hunt and devour prey,

and he, too, became a man-eater.

2 and say:

‘What is your mother? A lioness:

She lay down among the lions;

Among the young lions she nourished her cubs.

3 She brought up one of her cubs,

And he became a young lion;

He learned to catch prey,

And he devoured men.

4 The nations also heard of him;

He was trapped in their pit,

And they brought him with chains to the land of Egypt.

5 ‘When she saw that she waited, that her hope was lost,

She took another of her cubs and made him a young lion.

6 He roved among the lions,

And became a young lion;

He learned to catch prey;

He devoured men.

2 Say:

‘Your mother was like a female lion.

She lay down among the young lions.

She had many cubs.

3 When she brought up one of her cubs,

he became a strong lion.

He learned to tear the animals he hunted,

and he ate people.

4 The nations heard about him.

He was trapped in their pit,

and they brought him with hooks

to the land of Egypt.

5 “ ‘The mother lion waited and saw

that there was no hope for her cub.

So she took another one of her cubs

and made him a strong lion.

6 This cub roamed among the lions.

He was now a strong lion.

He learned to tear the animals he hunted,

and he ate people.

2 and say, What was thy mother? A lioness: she couched among lions, in the midst of the young lions she nourished her whelps. 3 And she brought up one of her whelps: he became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men. 4 The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit; and they brought him with hooks unto the land of Egypt. 5 Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion. 6 And he went up and down among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.

2 and say, What was thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps in the midst of the young lions. 3 And she brought up one of her whelps; it became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men. 4 And the nations heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with nose-rings into the land of Egypt. 5 And when she saw that she had waited and her hope was lost, she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion. 6 And he went up and down among the lions; he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.

2 Say: 

Your mother was like a lioness. 

She lay down among the lions. 

She fed many cubs. 

3 One of the cubs she raised became a young lion. 

He learned to tear apart the animals he hunted. 

He ate people. 

4 The nations heard about him, 

caught him in their pit, 

and brought him with hooks to Egypt. 

5 The lioness waited until she saw that there was no more hope. 

Then she took another one of her cubs 

and raised him into a young lion. 

6 He became a young lion, and he prowled among the lions. 

He learned to tear apart the animals he hunted. 

He ate people. 

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.

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.

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,

and he became a young lion.

After he learned to tear prey,

he devoured people.

2 and say:

What a lioness was your mother

among lions!

She lay down among young lions,

rearing her cubs.

3 She raised up one of her cubs;

he became a young lion,

and he learned to catch prey;

he devoured humans.

4 The nations heard about him;

he was caught in their pit,

and they brought him with hooks

to the land of Egypt.

5 When she saw that she was thwarted,

that her hope was lost,

she took another of her cubs

and made him a young lion.

6 He prowled among the lions;

he became a young lion,

and he learned to catch prey;

he devoured people.

2 and you must say,

‘What a lioness was your mother

among the lions.

She lay down in the midst of young lions,

and she reared her lion cubs.

3 And she raised up one from her cubs;

he became a fierce lion,

and he learned to tear prey;

he ate humans.

4 And nations heard about him;

in their pit he was caught,

and they brought him with hooks

to the land of Egypt.

5 And she saw that she was waiting in vain;

her hope was destroyed,

and she took one from her cubs,

and she made him a fierce lion.

6 And he walked about in the midst of lions;

he became a fierce lion,

and he learned to tear prey;

he ate humans.

2 Say to Israel,

“ ‘You were like a mother lion to your princes.

She lay down among the young lions.

She brought up her cubs.

3 One of them was Jehoahaz.

He became a strong lion.

He learned to tear apart what he caught.

And he ate men up.

4 The nations heard about him.

They trapped him in their pit.

They put hooks in his face.

And they led him away to Egypt.

5 “ ‘The mother lion looked and waited.

But all of her hope was gone.

So she got another one of her cubs.

She made him into a strong lion.

6 He prowled with the lions.

He became very strong.

He learned to tear apart what he caught.

And he ate men up.

2 and say,

‘What was your mother?

A lioness among lions!

She lay down among young lions,

She reared her cubs.

3 ‘When she brought up one of her cubs,

He became a lion,

And he learned to tear his prey;

He devoured men.

4 ‘Then nations heard about him;

He was captured in their pit,

And they brought him with hooks

To the land of Egypt.

5 ‘When she saw, as she waited,

That her hope was lost,

She took another of her cubs

And made him a young lion.

6 ‘And he walked about among the lions;

He became a young lion,

He learned to tear his prey;

He devoured men.