A Song of Sadness About Israel’s Princes
1“Sing a song of sadness about Israel’s princes. 2Say to Israel,
“ ‘You were like a mother lion to your princes.
She lay down among the lions.
She brought up her cubs.
3One of them was Jehoahaz.
He became a strong lion.
He learned to tear apart what he caught.
And he became a man-eater.
4The nations heard about him.
They trapped him in their pit.
They put hooks in his face.
And they led him away to Egypt.
5“ ‘The mother lion looked and waited.
But all her hope was gone.
So she got another one of her cubs.
She made him into a strong lion.
6He prowled with the lions.
He became very strong.
He learned to tear apart what he caught.
And he became a man-eater.
7He broke down their forts.
He completely destroyed their towns.
The land and all those who were in it
were terrified when he roared.
8Then nations came against him.
They came from all around him.
They spread out their net to catch him.
He was trapped in their pit.
9They used hooks to pull him into a cage.
They brought him to the king of Babylon.
They put him in prison.
So his roar was not heard anymore
on the mountains of Israel.
10“ ‘Israel, you were like a vine in a vineyard.
It was planted near water.
It had a lot of fruit and many branches.
There was plenty of water.
11Its branches were strong.
Each was good enough to be made into a ruler’s scepter.
The vine grew high
above all the leaves.
It stood out because it was so tall
and had so many branches.
12But Nebuchadnezzar became angry.
He pulled it up by its roots.
He threw it to the ground.
The east wind dried it up.
Its fruit was stripped off.
Its strong branches dried up.
And fire destroyed them.
13Now it is planted in the Babylonian desert.
It is in a dry and thirsty land.
14One of its main branches was Zedekiah.
Fire spread from it and burned up its fruit.
None of its branches is good enough
to be made into a ruler’s scepter.’
This is a song of sadness. And that is how it should be used.”
Lamento por los príncipes de Israel
1»Dedícale este lamento a los príncipes de Israel:
2»“En medio de los leones,
tu madre era toda una leona.
Recostada entre leoncillos,
amamantaba a sus cachorros.
3A uno de ellos lo crio
y este llegó a ser un león fuerte
que aprendió a desgarrar su presa
y a devorar a la gente.
4Las naciones oyeron de él,
lo atraparon en una fosa
y lo llevaron con garfios a la tierra de Egipto.
5»”Cuando la leona madre perdió toda esperanza,
con sus expectativas perdidas,
tomó a otra de sus crías
y la hizo un león fuerte.
6Cuando este león se hizo fuerte,
merodeaba entre los leones.
Aprendió a desgarrar su presa
y a devorar a la gente.
7Demolía palacios19:7 Demolía palacios (lectura probable; véanse LXX y Targum); Conocía viudas (TM).
y asolaba ciudades.
La tierra y sus habitantes
estaban aterrorizados con sus rugidos.
8Las naciones y provincias vecinas
se dispusieron a atacarlo.
Extendieron su red sobre él
y quedó atrapado en la fosa.
9Enjaulado y con garfios
lo llevaron ante el rey de Babilonia.
Lo pusieron en prisión
para que no se oyeran sus rugidos
en los montes de Israel.
10»”Tu madre era como una vid en medio del viñedo,19:10 del viñedo (dos mss. hebreos); de tu sangre (TM).
plantada junto al agua.
Era fructífera y frondosa,
gracias al agua abundante.
11Sus ramas crecieron vigorosas,
¡aptas para ser cetros de reyes!
Tanto creció que se destacaba
por encima del follaje.
Se le reconocía por su altura
y por sus ramas frondosas.
12Pero fue desarraigada con furia
y arrojada por el suelo.
El viento del este la dejó marchita
y fueron arrancados sus frutos.
Secas quedaron sus vigorosas ramas,
y fueron consumidas por el fuego.
13Ahora está plantada en el desierto,
en tierra árida y reseca.
14De una de sus ramas brotó un fuego
y consumió sus frutos.
¡No queda en ella una rama vigorosa,
apta para ser cetro de gobernante!”.
Este es un lamento y debe entonarse como tal».
