1 וְאַתָּה שָׂא קִינָה אֶל־נְשִׂיאֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל | 1 'Now, raise a lament for the princes of Israel. |
2 וְאָמַרְתָּ מָה אִמְּךָ לְבִיָּא בֵּין אֲרָיֹות רָבָצָה בְּתֹוךְ כְּפִרִים רִבְּתָה גוּרֶיהָ | 2 Say: What was your mother? A lioness among lions; lying among the cubs she nursed her whelps. |
3 וַתַּעַל אֶחָד מִגֻּרֶיהָ כְּפִיר הָיָה וַיִּלְמַד לִטְרָף־טֶרֶף אָדָם אָכָל | 3 She reared one of her whelps: he grew into a young lion; he learnt to tear his prey; he became a man-eater. |
4 וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֵלָיו גֹּויִם בְּשַׁחְתָּם נִתְפָּשׂ וַיְבִאֻהוּ בַחַחִים אֶל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם | 4 The nations came to hear of him; he was caught in their pit; they dragged him away with hooks toEgypt. |
5 וַתֵּרֶא כִּי נֹוחֲלָה אָבְדָה תִּקְוָתָהּ וַתִּקַּח אֶחָד מִגֻּרֶיהָ כְּפִיר שָׂמָתְהוּ | 5 Her expectation thwarted, and seeing her hope dashed, she took another of her whelps and made ayoung lion of him. |
6 וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ בְּתֹוךְ־אֲרָיֹות כְּפִיר הָיָה וַיִּלְמַד לִטְרָף־טֶרֶף אָדָם אָכָל | 6 He prowled among the lions, he grew into a young lion, he learnt to tear his prey; he became a man-eater. |
7 וַיֵּדַע אַלְמְנֹותָיו וְעָרֵיהֶם הֶחֱרִיב וַתֵּשַׁם אֶרֶץ וּמְלֹאָהּ מִקֹּול שַׁאֲגָתֹו | 7 He tore down their palaces, he destroyed their cities; the land and al its inhabitants were appal ed bythe sound of his roars. |
8 וַיִּתְּנוּ עָלָיו גֹּויִם סָבִיב מִמְּדִינֹות וַיִּפְרְשׂוּ עָלָיו רִשְׁתָּם בְּשַׁחְתָּם נִתְפָּשׂ | 8 The nations marched out against him from the surrounding provinces; they spread their net over him;he was caught in their pit. |
9 וַיִּתְּנֻהוּ בַסּוּגַר בַּחַחִים וַיְבִאֻהוּ אֶל־מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל יְבִאֻהוּ בַּמְּצֹדֹות לְמַעַן לֹא־יִשָּׁמַע קֹולֹו עֹוד אֶל־הָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ פ | 9 They shackled him with hooks, they took him to the king of Babylon and threw him into a fortress, sothat his voice could never again be heard on the mountains of Israel. |
10 אִמְּךָ כַגֶּפֶן בְּדָמְךָ עַל־מַיִם שְׁתוּלָה פֹּרִיָּה וַעֲנֵפָה הָיְתָה מִמַּיִם רַבִּים | 10 Your mother was like a vine planted beside the water, fruitful and leafy, because the water flowed soful . |
11 וַיִּהְיוּ־לָהּ מַטֹּות עֹז אֶל־שִׁבְטֵי מֹשְׁלִים וַתִּגְבַּהּ קֹומָתֹו עַל־בֵּין עֲבֹתִים וַיֵּרָא בְגָבְהֹו בְּרֹב דָּלִיֹּתָיו | 11 She had stout stems which became kingly sceptres; she grew higher and higher, up into the clouds;she was admired for her height and the number of her branches. |
12 וַתֻּתַּשׁ בְּחֵמָה לָאָרֶץ הֻשְׁלָכָה וְרוּחַ הַקָּדִים הֹובִישׁ פִּרְיָהּ הִתְפָּרְקוּ וְיָבֵשׁוּ מַטֵּה עֻזָּהּ אֵשׁ אֲכָלָתְהוּ | 12 But she was furiously uprooted and thrown on the ground; the east wind dried up her fruit, she wasbroken to pieces; her stout stem dried up, the fire devoured it. |
13 וְעַתָּה שְׁתוּלָה בַמִּדְבָּר בְּאֶרֶץ צִיָּה וְצָמָא | 13 Now she has been transplanted to the desert, to a dry and thirsty land. |
14 וַתֵּצֵא אֵשׁ מִמַּטֵּה בַדֶּיהָ פִּרְיָהּ אָכָלָה וְלֹא־הָיָה בָהּ מַטֵּה־עֹז שֵׁבֶט לִמְשֹׁול קִינָה הִיא וַתְּהִי לְקִינָה׃ פ | 14 Fire burst out of her stem devouring her branches and fruit. No more stout stem for her, no morekingly sceptre.' This is a lament; it was used as such. |