Ezekiel 19

Berean Standard Bible

Chapter summary

The prophet Ezekiel is instructed to take up a lament for the princes of Israel, comparing their mother to a lioness who reared cubs among lions. One cub learned to devour men, became trapped by surrounding nations with hooks and a pit, and was led away to Egypt. The lioness then raised a second cub who also devoured men, devastated cities, and terrified the land before he was likewise trapped by the nations using hooks and a net, caged, and brought to the king of Babylon. In the second part of the lament, the mother is compared to a well-watered, fruitful vine with strong branches fit for a ruler's scepter. However, this vine was uprooted in fury, cast to the ground, stripped of its fruit by the east wind and fire, and replanted in a dry and thirsty wilderness where no strong branch remains.

Summary automatically generated from the Bible text.

Words of Jesus in red

¹“As for you, take up a lament for the princes of Israel ²and say: ‘What was your mother? A lioness among the lions! She lay down among the young lions; she reared her cubs. ³She brought up one of her cubs, and he became a young lion. After learning to tear his prey, he devoured men. ⁴When the nations heard of him, he was trapped in their pit. With hooks they led him away to the land of Egypt. ⁵When she saw that she had waited in vain, that her hope was lost, she took another of her cubs and made him a young lion. ⁶He prowled among the lions, and became a young lion. After learning to tear his prey, he devoured men. ⁷He broke down their strongholds and devastated their cities. The land and everything in it shuddered at the sound of his roaring. ⁸Then the nations set out against him from the provinces on every side. They spread their net over him; he was trapped in their pit. ⁹With hooks they caged him and brought him to the king of Babylon. They brought him into captivity so that his roar was heard no longer on the mountains of Israel. ¹⁰Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of the abundant waters. ¹¹It had strong branches, fit for a ruler’s scepter. It towered high above the thick branches, conspicuous for its height and for its dense foliage. ¹²But it was uprooted in fury, cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up its fruit. Its strong branches were stripped off and they withered; the fire consumed them. ¹³Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land. ¹⁴Fire has gone out from its main branch and devoured its fruit; on it no strong branch remains fit for a ruler’s scepter.’ This is a lament and shall be used as a lament.”

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Louis Segond 1910 and Berean Standard Bible: public domain. Cross references: open-cross-ref, Creative Commons BY 4.0.