以色列的哀歌
1「你要為以色列的首領唱哀歌， 2說，
『你的母親像什麼？
她就像獅群中的母獅，
臥在雄壯的獅子中養育幼獅。
3她養大一隻幼獅，
使牠成為雄壯的獅子。
牠學會了捕食吃人。
4列國的人知道後，
便設陷阱捉住牠，
用鉤子拉到埃及。
5母獅盼著牠回來，
眼見指望落空，
便又養育一頭幼獅，
使牠成為雄壯的獅子。
6牠出入獅群，
學會了捕食和吃人。
7牠夷平列國的堡壘，
使他們的城邑淪為廢墟，
遍地都因牠的咆哮而震驚。
8於是，列國便從四面圍攻牠，
設網羅捕捉牠。
牠落入他們的陷阱。
9他們用鉤子鉤住牠，關進籠裡，
解送到巴比倫王那裡囚禁起來。
於是，在以色列的山嶺上再也聽不見他的吼聲。
10『你母親像葡萄園中的一棵葡萄樹，
栽在溪水旁，
枝繁葉茂，碩果纍纍，
因為水源充沛。
11它的枝子粗壯，可作王的杖。
它的樹幹高大，直插雲霄，
枝葉茂密，遠遠可見。
12但它被憤怒地連根拔起，
拋在地上。
東風吹乾了它的果實，
粗壯的枝幹折斷枯乾，
被火焚燒。
13現在，它被栽種在乾旱的曠野。
14但火從枝幹蔓延，
燒毀了它的果實，
沒有留下一根粗壯的枝幹可作王的杖。』
「這是一首哀歌，也必用作哀歌。」
1Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, 2And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions. 3And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men. 4The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt. 5Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion. 6And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men. 7And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his roaring.19.7 their desolate…: or, their widows19.7 the fulness…: or, all it containeth 8Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit. 9And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.19.9 in chains: or, in hooks
10¶ Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.19.10 in…: or, in thy quietness, or, in thy likeness 11And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches. 12But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them. 13And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground. 14And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.
