1 A Lament for the Princes of Israel “As for you, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel
2 and say,‘ 19:2Or Why did your mother, a lioness, lie down among lions; among young lions rear her cubs? What was your mother?A lioness among lions!She lay down among young lions;She reared her cubs.
3 ‘So she brought up one of her cubs;He became a lion,And he learned to tearhisprey;He devoured men.
4 ‘Then nations heard about him;He was captured in their pit,And they brought him with hooksTo the land of Egypt.
5 ‘Then she saw, as she waited,Thather hope was lost,So she took 19:5 Lit one another of her cubsAnd made him a young lion.
6 ‘And he walked about among the lions;He became a young lion;He learned to tearhisprey;He devoured men.
7 ‘He 19:7Targum destroy knewhow to destroytheir 19:7Or widows fortified towersAnd laid waste their cities;And the land was in desolation, as well as its fullnessBecause of the sound of his roaring.
8 ‘Then nations putthemselvesagainst himAll around fromtheirprovinces,And they spread their net over him;He was captured in their pit.
9 ‘They put him in a cage with hooksAnd brought him to the king of Babylon;They brought him in hunting netsSo that his voice would be heard no moreOn the mountains of Israel.
10 ‘Your mother was like a vine in your 19:10As in some ancient mss; M.T. blood vineyard,Planted by the waters;It was fruitful and full of branchesBecause of abundant waters.
11 ‘And it had 19:11Lit rods of strength strong thick branchesfitfor scepters of rulers,And its height was exalted above the cloudsSo that it was seen in its exaltedness with the mass of its foliage.
12 ‘But it was uprooted in wrath;It was cast down to the ground;And the east wind dried up its fruit.Its 19:12 Lit rods of her strength strong thick branch 19:12 As in Gr; M.T. they were was torn offSo that 19:12 As in Gr; M.T. they it dried up;The fire consumed it.
13 ‘So now it is planted in the wilderness,In a dry and thirsty land.
14 ‘And fire has gone out fromitsthick branch;It has consumed its shootsandfruit,So that there is not in it a 19:14Lit rod of strength strong thick branch,A scepter to rule.’ ”This is a lamentation and has become a lamentation.