| English Standard Version | New International Version |
| 1And you, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, | 1"Take up a lament concerning the princes of Israel |
| 2and say: What was your mother? A lioness! Among lions she crouched; in the midst of young lions she reared her cubs. | 2and say: "'What a lioness was your mother among the lions! She lay down among them and reared her cubs. |
| 3And she brought up one of her cubs; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured men. | 3She brought up one of her cubs, and he became a strong lion. He learned to tear the prey and he became a man-eater. |
| 4The nations heard about him; he was caught in their pit, and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt. | 4The nations heard about him, and he was trapped in their pit. They led him with hooks to the land of Egypt. |
| 5When she saw that she waited in vain, that her hope was lost, she took another of her cubs and made him a young lion. | 5"'When she saw her hope unfulfilled, her expectation gone, she took another of her cubs and made him a strong lion. |
| 6He prowled among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured men, | 6He prowled among the lions, for he was now a strong lion. He learned to tear the prey and he became a man-eater. |
| 7and seized their widows. He laid waste their cities, and the land was appalled and all who were in it at the sound of his roaring. | 7He broke down their strongholds and devastated their towns. The land and all who were in it were terrified by his roaring. |
| 8Then the nations set against him from provinces on every side; they spread their net over him; he was taken in their pit. | 8Then the nations came against him, those from regions round about. They spread their net for him, and he was trapped in their pit. |
| 9With hooks they put him in a cage and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into custody, that his voice should no more be heard on the mountains of Israel. | 9With hooks they pulled him into a cage and brought him to the king of Babylon. They put him in prison, so his roar was heard no longer on the mountains of Israel. |
| 10Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard planted by the water, fruitful and full of branches by reason of abundant water. | 10"'Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of abundant water. |
| 11Its strong stems became rulers’ scepters; it towered aloft among the thick boughs; it was seen in its height with the mass of its branches. | 11Its 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. |
| 12But the vine was plucked up in fury, cast down to the ground; the east wind dried up its fruit; they were stripped off and withered. As for its strong stem, fire consumed it. | 12But it was uprooted in fury and thrown to the ground. The east wind made it shrivel, it was stripped of its fruit; its strong branches withered and fire consumed them. |
| 13Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land. | 13Now it is planted in the desert, in a dry and thirsty land. |
| 14And fire has gone out from the stem of its shoots, has consumed its fruit, so that there remains in it no strong stem, no scepter for ruling. This is a lamentation and has become a lamentation. | 14Fire spread from one of its main branches and consumed its fruit. No strong branch is left on it fit for a ruler's scepter.' "This is a lament and is to be used as a lament." |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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