1 ¶ Now sing a song of mourning for the rulers of Israel,

2 And say, What a lioness your mother was: she lay down among lions, she nourished her cubs among young lions.

3 She brought up one of her cubs: and he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.

4 The nations heard about him; he was caught in their pit, and they led him with chains to the land of Egypt.

5 Now when she saw that she was thwarted, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her cubs, and made him a young lion.

6 And he prowled back and forth among the lions, he grew into a young lion, and learned to catch prey, and devoured men.

7 And he ravaged their strongholds, and laid waste to their cities; and the country, and all who were in it, were terrified by the sound of his roaring.

8 Then from all the surrounding provinces the nations allied against him, and spread their net over him: he was caught in their pit.

9 And they put him in a cage in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they put him in a prison, that his voice could no longer be heard in the hills of Israel.

10 ¶ Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, planted by the water: and because of the water she had much fruit and many branches.

11 And her strong branches were fit to be used as scepters by those who ruled, and she grew high above the thick foliage around her, and she was conspicuous for her height and her many branches.

12 But she was plucked up in anger, and was thrown to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them.

13 And now she is replanted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.

14 And fire came out from beneath her branches, and devoured her fruit, so there was no strong rod on her that could be used as a scepter to rule. This is a song of mourning, and should be used as a lament.