1Herren sagde til mig, at jeg skulle synge følgende sørgesang over Israels konger:2„Jeres mor var en storslået løvinde. Hendes unger voksede op iblandt løver.3En af dem blev en vældig stærk ungløve, som lærte at jage og æde mennesker.4Da samlede folkeslagene deres jægere og gravede en fælde for den. Den blev fanget og ført til Egypten.[1] (2.Kong 23,31)5Moderen ventede på at få sin unge tilbage, men til sidst opgav hun håbet. Så trænede hun en anden unge.6Han blev løveflokkens leder, lærte at jage og æde mennesker.7Han angreb og ødelagde nabolandenes byer, folkene rystede af skræk ved hans brøl.8Men de samlede deres hære og omringede ham fra alle sider. De satte fælde for ham, og han blev fanget i nettet,9sat i bur og ført bort til Babylon.[2] Der blev han bevogtet, aldrig mere hørtes hans brøl i Israels bjergland. (2.Kong 24,8)10Jeres mor var en frodig vinstok, plantet, hvor der var rigeligt med vand.11Dens grene voksede sig store og stærke, og nogle af dem blev til sceptre. Den knejsede højt og nåede til skyerne. Dens storhed kunne ses på lang afstand.12Men den blev rykket op med rode og smidt på jorden i vrede. Østenvinden udtørrede dens frugter, grenene visnede og blev fortæret af ild.13Vinstokken endte i ørkenen, hvor jorden er tør og tørstig.14Ilden kom fra dens egen stamme og fortærede både grene og frugt. Der er ingen stolte grene tilbage, der kunne blive til et scepter.” Dette er og bliver en sørgesang.
1And you, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, (Jer 7,29; Ez 26,17; Ez 27,2; Ez 27,32; Ez 28,12; Ez 32,2; Amos 5,1)2and say: What was your mother? A lioness! Among lions she crouched; in the midst of young lions she reared her cubs. (1.Mos 49,9)3And she brought up one of her cubs; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured men. (2.Kong 23,30; Ez 22,25; Ez 22,27; Ez 32,2)4The nations heard about him; he was caught in their pit, and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt. (2.Kong 23,33; Jer 22,11; Klag 4,20)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. (2.Kong 23,34; 2.Kong 23,36)6He prowled among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured men,7and seized[1] their widows. He laid waste their cities, and the land was appalled and all who were in it at the sound of 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. (2.Krøn 36,6; Ez 12,13; Ez 19,4)9With hooks they put him in a cage[2] 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. (Jer 22,26; Ez 6,2; Ez 19,8)10Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard[3] planted by the water, fruitful and full of branches by reason of abundant water. (5.Mos 8,7; Salm 80,9; Ez 15,6)11Its strong stems became rulers’ scepters; it towered aloft among the thick boughs;[4] it was seen in its height with the mass of its 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. (Ez 17,10; Hos 13,15)13Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land. (2.Kong 24,12; Ez 1,1; Hos 2,3)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. (2.Kong 24,20; Ez 17,15; Ez 19,1; Ez 19,11)