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1Now you are to take up a lament for the princes of Israel.
2This is what you are to say:
What a lioness your mother was!
She crouched among the lions.
Among the young lions she reared her cubs.
3She raised up one of her cubs.[#19:3 King Jehoahaz of Judah]
When he became a young lion,
he learned to tear his prey.
He even ate humans.
4When the nations heard about him,
he was trapped in their pit.
With hooks they led him to the land of Egypt.
5When she saw that she was waiting in vain,
that her hope was lost,
she took another of her cubs
and made him a young lion.
6He prowled around among the lions,
because he too had become a young lion.
He learned to tear prey.
He even ate humans.
7He knew how many widows he made[#19:7 The translation follows the Hebrew. Other ancient versions read he devastated their strongholds , which seems to fit the parallelism with ravaging cities.]
as he ravaged their cities.
The land and everyone in it were stunned
by the noise of his roaring.
8Nations set upon him from the surrounding provinces.
They spread their net over him,
and he was trapped in their pit.
9With hooks they put him in a wooden cage,[#19:9 Or a collar]
and they brought him to the king of Babylon.
They brought him into prison
so that his roar would no longer be heard
on the mountains of Israel.
10Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard,[#19:10 A few Hebrew manuscripts read vineyard . Most Hebrew manuscripts read blood , but the context supports vineyard .]
planted by water, fruitful and full of branches
because of plentiful waters.
11Its strong branches became scepters for rulers.[#19:11 The word translated also means rulers' staffs . Also in verses 12 and 14.]
It towered high, among the clouds.
It was outstanding because of its height,
and because of the abundance of its branches.
12But the vine was uprooted in wrath,
and it was hurled to the ground.
The east wind dried up its fruit.
Its strong branch was torn off so that it dried up,
and fire devoured it.
13Now it is planted in the wilderness,
in a dry and thirsty land.
14Fire has come out from its main branch
and consumed its fruit,
so that it no longer has a strong branch,
no scepter fit for ruling.
This is a lament, and it was used as a lament.