A Funeral Song for Israel’s Kings
1“Sing this funeral song for the princes of Israel:
2“What is your mother?A lioness among lions!She lay down among the young lionsand reared her cubs.
3 She raised one of her cubsto become a strong young lion.He learned to hunt and devour prey,and he became a man-eater.
4 Then the nations heard about him,and he was trapped in their pit.They led him away with hooksto the land of Egypt.
5“When the lioness sawthat her hopes for him were gone,she took another of her cubsand taught him to be a strong young lion.
6 He prowled among the other lionsand stood out among them in his strength.He learned to hunt and devour prey,and he, too, became a man-eater.
7 He demolished fortresses As in Greek version; Hebrew reads He knew widows.and destroyed their towns and cities.Their farms were desolated,and their crops were destroyed.The land and its people trembled in fearwhen they heard him roar.
8 Then the armies of the nations attacked him,surrounding him from every direction.They threw a net over himand captured him in their pit.
9 With hooks, they dragged him into a cageand brought him before the king of Babylon.They held him in captivity,so his voice could never again be heardon the mountains of Israel.
10“Your mother was like a vineplanted by the water’s edge.It had lush, green foliagebecause of the abundant water.
11 Its branches became strong—strong enough to be a ruler’s scepter.It grew very tall,towering above all others.It stood out because of its heightand its many lush branches.
12 But the vine was uprooted in furyand thrown down to the ground.The desert wind dried up its fruitand tore off its strong branches,so that it witheredand was destroyed by fire.
13 Now the vine is transplanted to the wilderness,where the ground is hard and dry.
14 A fire has burst out from its branchesand devoured its fruit.Its remaining limbs are notstrong enough to be a ruler’s scepter.“This is a funeral song, and it will be used in a funeral.”
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