Kingly Power Abused
1Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.
3And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.
4The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.
5Now 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.
6And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.
7And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his roaring.
8Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit.
9And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.
10Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.
11And 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.
12But 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.
13And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.
14And 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.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
A Lament for the Princes of Israel
1 Moreover, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2 and say, What was your mother? A lioness: she couched among lions, in the midst of the young lions she nourished her cubs.
3 She brought up one of her cubs: 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 to the land of Egypt.
5 Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her cubs, and made him a young lion.
6 He went up and down among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.
7 He knew their palaces, and laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and its fullness, because of the noise of his roaring.
8 Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces; and they spread their net over him; he was taken in their pit.
9 They put him in a cage with hooks, and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into strongholds, that his voice should no more be heard on the mountains of Israel.
10 Your mother was like a vine, in your blood, planted by the waters: it was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.
11 It had strong rods for the scepters of those who bore rule, and their stature was exalted among the thick boughs, and they were seen in their height with the multitude of their branches.
12 But it was plucked up in fury, it was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up its fruit: its strong rods were broken off and withered; the fire consumed them.
13 Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
14 Fire is gone out of the rods of its branches, it has devoured its fruit, so that there is in it no strong rod to be a scepter to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.
A Lament for the Princes of Israel
1 “As for you, take up a lament for the princes of Israel 2 and say:
‘What was your mother?
A lioness among the lions!
She lay down among the young lions;
she reared her cubs.
3 She brought up one of her cubs,
and he became a young lion.
After learning to tear his prey,
he devoured men.
4 When the nations heard of him,
he was trapped in their pit.
With hooks they led him away
to the land of Egypt.
5 When she saw that she had 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 became a young lion.
After learning to tear his prey,
he devoured men.
7 He broke down their strongholds a
and devastated their cities.
The land and everything in it
shuddered at the sound of his roaring.
8 Then the nations set out against him
from the provinces on every side.
They spread their net over him;
he was trapped in their pit.
9 With hooks they caged him
and brought him to the king of Babylon.
They brought him into captivity
so that his roar was heard no longer
on the mountains of Israel.
10 Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, b
planted by the water;
it was fruitful and full of branches
because of the abundant waters.
11 It had strong branches, fit for a ruler’s scepter.
It towered high above the thick branches,
conspicuous for its height
and for its dense foliage.
12 But it was uprooted in fury,
cast down to the ground,
and the east wind dried up its fruit.
Its strong branches were stripped off
and they withered;
the 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
and devoured its fruit;
on it no strong branch remains
fit for a ruler’s scepter.’
This is a lament and shall be used as a lament.”
Footnotes:
7 a Or He knew their widows or He seized their widows
10 b Some Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts in your bloodline
Kingly Power Abused
1And thou, lift up a lamentation unto princes of Israel,
2and thou hast said: What is thy mother? -- a lioness, Among lions she hath crouched down, In the midst of young lions she hath multiplied her whelps.
3And she bringeth up one of her whelps, A young lion it hath been, And it learneth to tear prey, man it hath devoured.
4And hear of it do nations, In their pit it hath been caught, And they bring it in with chains unto the land of Egypt.
5And she seeth, that stayed -- perished hath her hope, And she taketh one of her whelps, A young lion she hath made it.
6And it goeth up and down in the midst of lions, A young lion it hath been, And it learneth to tear prey, man it hath devoured.
7And it knoweth his forsaken habitations, And their cities it hath laid waste, And desolate is the land and its fulness, Because of the voice of his roaring.
8And set against it do nations Round about from the provinces. And they spread out for it their net, In their pit it hath been caught.
9And they put it in prison -- in chains, And they bring it unto the king of Babylon, They bring it in unto bulwarks, So that its voice is not heard any more On mountains of Israel.
10Thy mother is as a vine in thy blood by waters planted, Fruitful and full of boughs it hath been, Because of many waters.
11And it hath strong rods for sceptres of rulers, And high is its stature above thick branches, And it appeareth in its height In the multitude of its thin shoots.
12And it is plucked up in fury, To the earth it hath been cast, And the east wind hath dried up its fruit, Broken and withered hath been the rod of its strength, Fire hath consumed it.
13And now -- it is planted in a wilderness, In a land dry and thirsty.
14And go forth doth fire from a rod of its boughs, Its fruit it hath devoured, And it hath no rod of strength -- a sceptre to rule, Lamentation it is -- and it is for a lamentation!'
