1Moreover, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
1ואתה שא קינה אל נשיאי ישראל׃
2and say, What was your mother? A lioness: she couched among lions, in the midst of the young lions she nourished her cubs.
2ואמרת מה אמך לביא בין אריות רבצה בתוך כפרים רבתה גוריה׃
3She brought up one of her cubs: he became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.
3ותעל אחד מגריה כפיר היה וילמד לטרף טרף אדם אכל׃
4The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit; and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.
4וישמעו אליו גוים בשחתם נתפש ויבאהו בחחים אל ארץ מצרים׃
5Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her cubs, and made him a young lion.
5ותרא כי נוחלה אבדה תקותה ותקח אחד מגריה כפיר שמתהו׃
6He went up and down among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.
6ויתהלך בתוך אריות כפיר היה וילמד לטרף טרף אדם אכל׃
7He knew their palaces, and laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and its fullness, because of the noise of his roaring.
7וידע אלמנותיו ועריהם החריב ותשם ארץ ומלאה מקול שאגתו׃
8Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces; and they spread their net over him; he was taken in their pit.
8ויתנו עליו גוים סביב ממדינות ויפרשו עליו רשתם בשחתם נתפש׃
9They put him in a cage with hooks, and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into strongholds, that his voice should no more be heard on the mountains of Israel.
9ויתנהו בסוגר בחחים ויבאהו אל מלך בבל יבאהו במצדות למען לא ישמע קולו עוד אל הרי ישראל׃
10Your mother was like a vine, in your blood, planted by the waters: it was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.
10אמך כגפן בדמך על מים שתולה פריה וענפה היתה ממים רבים׃
11It had strong rods for the scepters of those who bore rule, and their stature was exalted among the thick boughs, and they were seen in their height with the multitude of their branches.
11ויהיו לה מטות עז אל שבטי משלים ותגבה קומתו על בין עבתים וירא בגבהו ברב דליתיו׃
12But it was plucked up in fury, it was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up its fruit: its strong rods were broken off and withered; the fire consumed them.
12ותתש בחמה לארץ השלכה ורוח הקדים הוביש פריה התפרקו ויבשו מטה עזה אש אכלתהו׃
13Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
13ועתה שתולה במדבר בארץ ציה וצמא׃
14Fire is gone out of the rods of its branches, it has devoured its fruit, so that there is in it no strong rod to be a scepter to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.
14ותצא אש ממטה בדיה פריה אכלה ולא היה בה מטה עז שבט למשול קינה היא ותהי לקינה׃