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A Funeral Song for Israel's Leaders

The Lord said:

19 Ezekiel, sing a funeral song for two of Israel's leaders:[a]

Your mother was a brave lioness
who raised her cubs
    among lions.
She taught one of them to hunt,
    and he learned to eat people.
When the nations heard of him,
    they trapped him in a pit,
then they used hooks
    to drag him to Egypt.

His mother waited
    for him to return.
But soon she lost all hope
and raised another cub,
    who also became fierce.
He hunted with other lions
    and learned to eat people.
He destroyed fortresses[b]
    and ruined towns;
his mighty roar
    terrified everyone.
Nations plotted to kill him,
and people came from all over
    to spread out a net
    and catch him in a trap.
They put him in a cage
    and took him to Babylonia.
The lion was locked away,
    so that his mighty roar
would never again be heard
    on Israel's hills.

10 Your mother was a vine like you,[c]
    growing near a stream.
There was plenty of water,
so she was filled with branches
    and with lots of fruit.
11 Her strong branches
    became symbols of authority,
and she was taller
    than all other trees—
everyone could see how strong
    and healthy she was.
12 But in anger, I pulled her up
    by the roots
and threw her to the ground,
where the scorching desert wind
    dried out her fruit.
Her strong branches wilted
    and burned up.
13 Then she was planted
    in a hot, dry desert,
14 where her stem caught fire,
and flames burned
    her branches and fruit.
Not one strong branch is left;
    she is stripped bare.

This funeral song must be sung with sorrow.

Footnotes

  1. 19.1 two of Israel's leaders: Probably Jehoahaz (ruled three months in 609 b.c.) and Jehoiachin (ruled three months in 598 b.c.) or Zedekiah (598–586 b.c.).
  2. 19.7 He destroyed fortresses: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  3. 19.10 Your mother … like you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

A Lament Over Israel’s Princes

19 “Take up a lament(A) concerning the princes(B) of Israel and say:

“‘What a lioness(C) was your mother
    among the lions!
She lay down among them
    and reared her cubs.(D)
She brought up one of her cubs,
    and he became a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
    and he became a man-eater.
The nations heard about him,
    and he was trapped in their pit.
They led him with hooks(E)
    to the land of Egypt.(F)

“‘When she saw her hope unfulfilled,
    her expectation gone,
she took another of her cubs(G)
    and made him a strong lion.(H)
He prowled among the lions,
    for he was now a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
    and he became a man-eater.(I)
He broke down[a] their strongholds
    and devastated(J) their towns.
The land and all who were in it
    were terrified by his roaring.
Then the nations(K) came against him,
    those from regions round about.
They spread their net(L) for him,
    and he was trapped in their pit.(M)
With hooks(N) they pulled him into a cage
    and brought him to the king of Babylon.(O)
They put him in prison,
    so his roar(P) was heard no longer
    on the mountains of Israel.(Q)

10 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard[b](R)
    planted by the water;(S)
it was fruitful and full of branches
    because of abundant water.(T)
11 Its branches were strong,
    fit for a ruler’s scepter.
It towered high
    above the thick foliage,
conspicuous for its height
    and for its many branches.(U)
12 But it was uprooted(V) in fury
    and thrown to the ground.
The east wind(W) made it shrivel,
    it was stripped of its fruit;
its strong branches withered
    and fire consumed them.(X)
13 Now it is planted in the desert,(Y)
    in a dry and thirsty land.(Z)
14 Fire spread from one of its main[c] branches
    and consumed(AA) its fruit.
No strong branch is left on it
    fit for a ruler’s scepter.’(AB)

“This is a lament(AC) and is to be used as a lament.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 19:7 Targum (see Septuagint); Hebrew He knew
  2. Ezekiel 19:10 Two Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts your blood
  3. Ezekiel 19:14 Or from under its