1 And thou, take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,

1 וְאַתָּה֙ שָׂ֣א קִינָ֔ה אֶל־נְשִׂיאֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

2 and say, What was thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps in the midst of the young lions.

2 וְאָמַרְתָּ֗ מָ֤ה אִמְּךָ֙ לְבִיָּ֔א בֵּ֥ין אֲרָיֹ֖ות רָבָ֑צָה בְּתֹ֥וךְ כְּפִרִ֖ים רִבְּתָ֥ה גוּרֶֽיהָ׃

3 And she brought up one of her whelps; it became a young lion, and he learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.

3 וַתַּ֛עַל אֶחָ֥ד מִגֻּרֶ֖יהָ כְּפִ֣יר הָיָ֑ה וַיִּלְמַ֥ד לִטְרָף־טֶ֖רֶף אָדָ֥ם אָכָֽל׃

4 And the nations heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with nose-rings into the land of Egypt.

4 וַיִּשְׁמְע֥וּ אֵלָ֛יו גֹּויִ֖ם בְּשַׁחְתָּ֣ם נִתְפָּ֑שׂ וַיְבִאֻ֥הוּ בַֽחַחִ֖ים אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

5 And when she saw that she had waited [and] her hope was lost, she took another of her whelps, [and] made him a young lion.

5 וַתֵּ֙רֶא֙ כִּ֣י נֹֽוחֲלָ֔ה אָבְדָ֖ה תִּקְוָתָ֑הּ וַתִּקַּ֛ח אֶחָ֥ד מִגֻּרֶ֖יהָ כְּפִ֥יר שָׂמָֽתְהוּ׃

6 And he went up and down among the lions; he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey; he devoured men.

6 וַיִּתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בְּתֹוךְ־אֲרָיֹ֖ות כְּפִ֣יר הָיָ֑ה וַיִּלְמַ֥ד לִטְרָף־טֶ֖רֶף אָדָ֥ם אָכָֽל׃

7 And he knew their [desolate] palaces, and he laid waste their cities, so that the land was desolate, and all it contained, by the noise of his roaring.

7 וַיֵּ֙דַע֙ אַלְמְנֹותָ֔יו וְעָרֵיהֶ֖ם הֶחֱרִ֑יב וַתֵּ֤שַׁם אֶ֙רֶץ֙ וּמְלֹאָ֔הּ מִקֹּ֖ול שַׁאֲגָתֹֽו׃

8 Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him; he was taken in their pit.

8 וַיִּתְּנ֨וּ עָלָ֥יו גֹּויִ֛ם סָבִ֖יב מִמְּדִינֹ֑ות וַֽיִּפְרְשׂ֥וּ עָלָ֛יו רִשְׁתָּ֖ם בְּשַׁחְתָּ֥ם נִתְפָּֽשׂ׃

9 And they put him in a cage with nose-rings, and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into strongholds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.

9 וַֽיִּתְּנֻ֤הוּ בַסּוּגַר֙ בַּֽחַחִ֔ים וַיְבִאֻ֖הוּ אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֑ל יְבִאֻ֙הוּ֙ בַּמְּצֹדֹ֔ות לְמַ֗עַן לֹא־יִשָּׁמַ֥ע קֹולֹ֛ו עֹ֖וד אֶל־הָרֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

10 Thy mother was as a vine, in thy rest, planted by the waters: it was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.

10 אִמְּךָ֥ כַגֶּ֛פֶן בְּדָמְךָ֖ עַל־מַ֣יִם שְׁתוּלָ֑ה פֹּֽרִיָּה֙ וַֽעֲנֵפָ֔ה הָיְתָ֖ה מִמַּ֥יִם רַבִּֽים׃

11 And it had strong rods for sceptres of them that bear rule, and its stature was exalted between the thick boughs; and it was conspicuous by its height with the multitude of its branches.

11 וַיִּֽהְיוּ־לָ֞הּ מַטֹּ֣ות עֹ֗ז אֶל־שִׁבְטֵי֙ מֹֽשְׁלִ֔ים וַתִּגְבַּ֥הּ קֹֽומָתֹ֖ו עַל־בֵּ֣ין עֲבֹתִ֑ים וַיֵּרָ֣א בְגָבְהֹ֔ו בְּרֹ֖ב דָּלִיֹּתָֽיו׃

12 But 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 and withered; the fire consumed them.

12 וַתֻּתַּ֤שׁ בְּחֵמָה֙ לָאָ֣רֶץ הֻשְׁלָ֔כָה וְר֥וּחַ הַקָּדִ֖ים הֹובִ֣ישׁ פִּרְיָ֑הּ הִתְפָּרְק֧וּ וְיָבֵ֛שׁוּ מַטֵּ֥ה עֻזָּ֖הּ אֵ֥שׁ אֲכָלָֽתְהוּ׃

13 And now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground:

13 וְעַתָּ֖ה שְׁתוּלָ֣ה בַמִּדְבָּ֑ר בְּאֶ֖רֶץ צִיָּ֥ה וְצָמָֽא׃

14 and a fire is gone out of a rod of its branches, [which] hath devoured its fruit; so that it hath no strong rod to be a sceptre for ruling. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.

14 וַתֵּצֵ֨א אֵ֜שׁ מִמַּטֵּ֤ה בַדֶּ֙יהָ֙ פִּרְיָ֣הּ אָכָ֔לָה וְלֹא־הָ֥יָה בָ֛הּ מַטֵּה־עֹ֖ז שֵׁ֣בֶט לִמְשֹׁ֑ול קִ֥ינָה הִ֖יא וַתְּהִ֥י לְקִינָֽה׃