1 A Lament for Israel’s Princes “As for you, take up a lament for the princes of Israel,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.7 He devastated their strongholds 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. They spread their net over him; he was caught in their pit.9 They put a wooden yoke on him Or put him in a cage with hooks 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.10 Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, Some Hb mss; other Hb mss read blood planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of abundant water.11 It had strong branches, fit for the scepters of rulers; its height towered among the clouds. Or thick foliage So it was conspicuous for its height as well as its many branches.12 But it was uprooted in fury, thrown to the ground, and the east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong branches were torn off and dried up; fire consumed them.13 Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.14 Fire has gone out from its main branch 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. This is a lament and should be used as a lament.”