Ezekiel 19
Evangelical Heritage Version
A Parable About Israel’s Princes
19 Now you are to take up a lament for the princes of Israel. 2 This is what you are to say:
What a lioness your mother was!
She crouched among the lions.
Among the young lions she reared her cubs.
3 She raised up one of her cubs.[a]
When he became a young lion,
he learned to tear his prey.
He even ate humans.
4 When the nations heard about him,
he was trapped in their pit.
With hooks they led him to the land of Egypt.
5 When she saw that she was waiting in vain,
that her hope was lost,
she took another of her cubs
and made him a young lion.
6 He prowled around among the lions,
because he too had become a young lion.
He learned to tear prey.
He even ate humans.
7 He knew how many widows he made[b]
as he ravaged their cities.
The land and everyone in it were stunned
by the noise of his roaring.
8 Nations set upon him from the surrounding provinces.
They spread their net over him,
and he was trapped in their pit.
9 With hooks they put him in a wooden cage,[c]
and they brought him[d] to the king of Babylon.
They brought him into prison
so that his roar would no longer be heard
on the mountains of Israel.
10 Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard,[e]
planted by water, fruitful and full of branches
because of plentiful waters.
11 Its strong branches[f] became scepters for rulers.
It towered high, among the clouds.
It was outstanding because of its height,
and because of the abundance of its branches.
12 But the vine was uprooted in wrath,
and it was hurled to the ground.
The east wind dried up its fruit.
Its strong branch was torn off so that it dried up,
and fire devoured it.
13 Now it is planted in the wilderness,
in a dry and thirsty land.
14 Fire has come out from its main branch
and consumed its fruit,
so that it no longer has a strong branch,
no scepter fit for ruling.
This is a lament, and it was used as a lament.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 19:3 King Jehoahaz of Judah
- Ezekiel 19:7 The translation follows the Hebrew. Other ancient versions read he devastated their strongholds, which seems to fit the parallelism with ravaging cities.
- Ezekiel 19:9 Or a collar
- Ezekiel 19:9 King Jehoiachin of Judah
- Ezekiel 19:10 A few Hebrew manuscripts read vineyard. Most Hebrew manuscripts read blood, but the context supports vineyard.
- Ezekiel 19:11 The word translated strong branches also means rulers’ staffs. Also in verses 12 and 14.
Ezekiel 19
New International Version
A Lament Over Israel’s Princes
19 “Take up a lament(A) concerning the princes(B) of Israel 2 and say:
“‘What a lioness(C) was your mother
among the lions!
She lay down among them
and reared her cubs.(D)
3 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.
4 The nations heard about him,
and he was trapped in their pit.
They led him with hooks(E)
to the land of Egypt.(F)
5 “‘When she saw her hope unfulfilled,
her expectation gone,
she took another of her cubs(G)
and made him a strong lion.(H)
6 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)
7 He broke down[a] their strongholds
and devastated(J) their towns.
The land and all who were in it
were terrified by his roaring.
8 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)
9 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
- Ezekiel 19:7 Targum (see Septuagint); Hebrew He knew
- Ezekiel 19:10 Two Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts your blood
- Ezekiel 19:14 Or from under its
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