1 Take up now a song of grief for the ruler of Israel, and say,

1 וְאַתָּה֙ שָׂ֣א קִינָ֔ה אֶל־נְשִׂיאֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

2 What was your mother? Like a she-lion among lions, stretched out among the young lions she gave food to her little ones.

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

3 And one of her little ones came to growth under her care, and became a young lion, learning to go after beasts for his food; and he took men for his meat.

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

4 And the nations had news of him; he was taken in the hole they had made: and, pulling him with hooks, they took him into the land of Egypt.

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

5 Now when she saw that her hope was made foolish and gone, she took another of her little ones and made him into a young lion.

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

6 And he went up and down among the lions and became a young lion, learning to go after beasts for his food; and he took men for his meat.

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

7 And he sent destruction on their widows and made waste their towns; and the land and everything in it became waste because of the loud sound of his voice.

7 וַיֵּ֙דַע֙ אַלְמְנֹותָ֔יו וְעָרֵיהֶ֖ם הֶחֱרִ֑יב וַתֵּ֤שַׁם אֶ֙רֶץ֙ וּמְלֹאָ֔הּ מִקֹּ֖ול שַׁאֲגָתֹֽו׃

8 Then the nations came against him from the kingdoms round about: their net was stretched over him and he was taken in the hole they had made.

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

9 They made him a prisoner with hooks, and took him to the king of Babylon; they put him in the strong place so that his voice might be sounding no longer on the mountains of Israel.

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

10 Your mother was in comparison like a vine, planted by the waters: she was fertile and full of branches because of the great waters.

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

11 And she had a strong rod for a rod of authority for the rulers, and it became tall among the clouds and it was seen lifted up among the number of its branches.

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

12 But she was uprooted in burning wrath, and made low on the earth; the east wind came, drying her up, and her branches were broken off; her strong rod became dry, the fire made a meal of it.

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

13 And now she is planted in the waste land, in a dry and unwatered country.

13 וְעַתָּ֖ה שְׁתוּלָ֣ה בַמִּדְבָּ֑ר בְּאֶ֖רֶץ צִיָּ֥ה וְצָמָֽא׃

14 And fire has gone out from her rod, causing the destruction of her branches, so that there is no strong rod in her to be the ruler's rod of authority. This is a song of grief, and it was for a song of grief.

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