Eze 19 | HCSB | STEP | “Now, lament for the princes of Israel

‏ Ezekiel 19

A Lament for Israel’s Princes

1 “Now, lament for the princes of Israel ^a 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. ^b
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. ^c

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, ^d
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. ^f
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 ^h
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. ⁱ

10 Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, ^{▼▼Some Hb mss; other Hb mss read blood
,} ^k
planted by the water;
it was fruitful and full of branches ^l
because of plentiful waters.
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, ⁿ
thrown to the ground,
and the east wind dried up its fruit.
Its strong branches were torn off and dried up; ^o
fire consumed them.
13 Now it is planted in the wilderness, ^p
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. ^r

This is a lament and should be used as a lament.”