1Moreover, take up a lament for the princes of Israel,
2and say: "What is your mother? A lioness. She lay down among lions; she fed her cubs among young lions."
3"She brought up one of her cubs. He became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey. He ate men."
4"The nations also heard of him. He was caught in their pit, and they brought him with chains to the land of Egypt."
5"When she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, 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 ate men."
7"He knew their ruined palaces, and he laid waste their cities. The land was left empty, and all that filled it, at the noise of his roaring."
8"Then the nations came against him from the provinces on every side. They spread their net over him. He was caught in their pit."
9"They put him in a cage with chains and brought him to the king of Babylon. They brought him into strongholds, so that his voice would no longer be heard on the mountains of Israel."
10"Your mother is like a vine in your blood, planted by the waters. She was fruitful and full of branches, because the waters were many."
11"She had strong branches for the sceptres of those who rule. She grew tall among the thick branches. She was seen in her height, with all her many branches."
12"But she was pulled up in fury. She was thrown down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit. Her strong branches were broken and withered; the fire burned them up."
13"Now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground."
14"Fire has gone out from one of her branches, and it has eaten up her fruit, so that she has no strong branch left to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lament, and it shall be used as a lament."