Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 The Lord told me to sing this song of sorrow for two princes of Israel:
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“Moreover, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2 What a lioness your mother was! She raised her cubs among the fierce male lions.
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and say, ‘What was your mother? A lioness. She couched among lions, in the middle of the young lions she nourished her cubs.
3 She raised a cub and taught him to hunt; he learned to eat people.
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She brought up one of her cubs. He became a young lion. He learned to catch the prey. He devoured men.
4 The nations heard about him and trapped him in a pit. With hooks they dragged him off to Egypt.
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The nations also heard of him. He was taken in their pit; and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.
5 She waited until she saw all hope was gone. Then she raised another of her cubs, and he grew into a fierce lion.
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“‘Now 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.
6 When he was full-grown, he prowled with the other lions. He too learned to hunt and eat people.
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He went up and down among the lions. He became a young lion. He learned to catch the prey. He devoured men.
7 He wrecked forts, he ruined towns. The people of the land were terrified every time he roared.
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He knew their palaces, and laid waste their cities. The land was desolate with its fullness, because of the noise of his roaring.
8 The nations gathered to fight him; people came from everywhere. They spread their hunting nets and caught him in their trap.
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Then the nations attacked him on every side from the provinces. They spread their net over him. He was taken in their pit.
9 They put him in a cage and took him to the king of Babylonia. They kept him under guard, so that his roar would never be heard again on the hills of Israel.
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They put him in a cage with hooks, and brought him to the king of Babylon. They brought him into strongholds, so that his voice should no more be heard on the mountains of Israel.
10 Your mother was like a grapevine planted near a stream. Because there was plenty of water, the vine was covered with leaves and fruit.
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“‘Your mother was like a vine in your blood, planted by the waters. It was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.
11 Its branches were strong and grew to be royal scepters. The vine grew tall enough to reach the clouds; everyone saw how leafy and tall it was.
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It had strong branches for the scepters of those who ruled. Their stature was exalted among the thick boughs. They were seen in their height with the multitude of their branches.
12 But angry hands pulled it up by the roots and threw it to the ground. The east wind dried up its fruit. Its branches were broken off; they dried up and were burned.
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But it was plucked up in fury. It was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong branches were broken off and withered. The fire consumed them.
13 Now it is planted in the desert, in a dry and waterless land.
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Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
14 The stem of the vine caught fire; fire burned up its branches and fruit. The branches will never again be strong, will never be royal scepters. This is a song of sorrow; it has been sung again and again.
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Fire has gone out of its branches. It has devoured its fruit, so that there is in it no strong branch to be a scepter to rule.’ This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.”
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.