[1] Eternal One: Sing a dirge over the princes of Israel. [2] What was your mother? A lioness among the pride! She settled down among the young lions and reared her cubs. [3] She trained one of her own, and he became a strong and fierce lion. He learned to hunt and tear into his prey; he became a man-eater. [4] The nations heard about him and set a trap for him. They caught him and led him away with hooks to the land of Egypt. [5] When the lioness realized that her hopes for her son had vanished, she chose another one of her cubs and trained him to be a strong and fierce young lion. [6] He prowled among the other lions; he was now a robust young lion. He learned to hunt and tear into his prey; he became a man-eater. [7] He seized their widows and left their cities in ruins. The whole land-everything in it-was terrified when he roared. [8] Then all the nations in the surrounding provinces came together to hunt the great lion. They set traps for him, and they caught him. [9] With hooks they pulled him into a cage and took him to the king of Babylon. The great lion was put in a prison so that his roar was no longer heard in the mountains of Israel. [10] Eternal One: Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, planted near a rushing stream; The vine grew healthy fruits and branches because of the abundant supply of water. [11] Its branches were strong, like royal scepters; but one branch grew up into the clouds, towering high above everything else. It was easily seen because of its great height, noticeable for its many branches. [12] But the vine was uprooted in rage and thrown to the ground! The hot east wind blew, and soon all the fruits shriveled up; the strongest branch broke, and the leaves withered; fire consumed it. [13] Now the remains of it are planted in the wilderness- in a dry and thirsty land. [14] Fire has spread from its branch; it scorched its shoots and devoured its fruit. There is no longer a strong branch left on the vine that is fit to be made into a royal scepter. This lament is to be sung once the prophecy comes true.
