English Standard Version ESV
New Revised Standard NRS
1 And you, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
1
As for you, raise up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2 and say: What was your mother? A lioness! Among lions she crouched; in the midst of young lions she reared her cubs.
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and say: What a lioness was your mother among lions! She lay down among young lions, rearing her cubs.
3 And she brought up one of her cubs; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured men.
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She raised up one of her cubs; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured humans.
4 The nations heard about him; he was caught in their pit, and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.
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The nations sounded an alarm against him; he was caught in their pit; and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.
5 When she saw that she waited in vain, that her hope was lost, she took another of her cubs and made him a young lion.
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When she saw that she was thwarted, that her hope was lost, she took another of her cubs and made him a young lion.
6 He prowled among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured men,
6
He prowled among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured people.
7 and 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.
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And he ravaged their strongholds, and laid waste their towns; the land was appalled, and all in it, at the sound of his roaring.
8 Then the nations set against him from provinces on every side; they spread their net over him; he was taken in their pit.
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The nations set upon him from the provinces all around; they spread their net over him; he was caught in their pit.
9 With 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.
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With hooks they put him in a cage, and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into custody, so that his voice should be heard no more on the mountains of Israel.
10 Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard planted by the water, fruitful and full of branches by reason of abundant water.
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Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard transplanted by the water, fruitful and full of branches from abundant water.
11 Its strong stems became rulers’ scepters; it towered aloft among the thick boughs; it was seen in its height with the mass of its branches.
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Its strongest stem became a ruler's scepter; it towered aloft among the thick boughs; it stood out in its height with its mass of branches.
12 But 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.
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But it was plucked up in fury, cast down to the ground; the east wind dried it up; its fruit was stripped off, its strong stem was withered; the fire consumed it.
13 Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
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Now it is transplanted into the wilderness, into a dry and thirsty land.
14 And 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.
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And fire has gone out from its stem, has consumed its branches and fruit, so that there remains in it no strong stem, no scepter for ruling. This is a lamentation, and it is used as a lamentation.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.