1 "Now you, raise a lament over the princes of Israel
2 and say: 'What was your mother? A lioness among lions! She lay down among the young lions and raised her cubs.
3 She reared one of her cubs, and he became a young lion; he learned to tear the prey; he ate men.
4 The nations heard of him; he was caught in their pit, and they led him with hooks to the land of Egypt.
5 When she saw that she had waited and her hope was gone, she took another of her cubs and made him a young lion.
6 He roamed among the lions and became a young lion; he learned to tear the prey; he ate men.
7 He knew their widows and ruined their cities; the land and everything in it was stunned at the noise of his roaring.
8 Then the nations from the provinces all around came against him; they spread their net over him, and he was caught in their pit.
9 With hooks they put him in a cage and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into fortresses so that his voice would be heard no more on the mountains of Israel.
10 "'Your mother was like a vine in your blood, planted beside the water, fruitful and full of branches because of the abundant water.
11 It had strong boughs fit for rulers' scepters; it grew tall, reaching up among the clouds, and it stood out for its height and its many branches.
12 But it was torn up in fury and thrown to the ground; the east wind dried up its fruit; its strong boughs were snapped off and dried up, and fire ate them up.
13 Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
14 Fire has gone out from a bough of its branches and eaten up its fruit, so that no strong bough is left on it, no scepter for ruling.' This is a lament, and it has served as a lament."