[1] The LORD told me to sing this song of sorrow for two princes of Israel: [2] What a lioness your mother was! She raised her cubs among the fierce male lions. [3] She raised a cub and taught him to hunt; he learned to eat people. [4] The nations heard about him and trapped him in a pit. With hooks they dragged him off to Egypt. [5] She waited until she saw all hope was gone. Then she raised another of her cubs, and he grew into a fierce lion. [6] When he was full-grown, he prowled with the other lions. He too learned to hunt and eat people. [7] He wrecked forts, he ruined towns. The people of the land were terrified every time he roared. [8] The nations gathered to fight him; people came from everywhere. They spread their hunting nets and caught him in their trap. [9] They put him in a cage and took him to the king of Babylonia. They kept him under guard, so that his roar would never be heard again on the hills of Israel. [10] Your mother was like a grapevine planted near a stream. Because there was plenty of water, the vine was covered with leaves and fruit. [11] Its branches were strong and grew to be royal scepters. The vine grew tall enough to reach the clouds; everyone saw how leafy and tall it was. [12] But angry hands pulled it up by the roots and threw it to the ground. The east wind dried up its fruit. Its branches were broken off; they dried up and were burned. [13] Now it is planted in the desert, in a dry and waterless land. [14] The stem of the vine caught fire; fire burned up its branches and fruit. The branches will never again be strong, will never be royal scepters. This is a song of sorrow; it has been sung again and again.
