Lamentation for the Princes
Ezekiel 19
Ezekiel takes up a lamentation picturing Israel's mother as a lioness whose young became lions that learned to devour prey, only to be trapped and carried off in chains to Egypt and Babylon. The lamentation continues with the mother as a fruitful vine that was uprooted, cast down, and planted in a dry wilderness, its strong branches consumed by fire.
About these editions
The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.
Thomson 1808Septuagint
Brenton 1851Septuagint
Greek · BrentonSeptuagint
KJV 1769Masoretic
JPS 1917Masoretic
1
ThomsonNOW take thou up a lamentation for the prince of Israel
BrentonMoreover do thou take up a lamentation for the prince of Israel,
GreekΚαὶ σὺ λάβε θρῆνον ἐπὶ τὸν ἄρχοντα τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ,
KJVMoreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
JPSMoreover, take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2
Thomsonand thou shalt say, What was thy mother? She was a lioness among lions. In the midst of lions she multiplied her young.
Brentonand say, Why is thy mother become a whelp in the midst of lions? in the midst of lions she has multiplied her whelps.
Greekκαὶ ἐρεῖς, τί ἡ μήτηρ σου σκύμνος ἐν μέσῳ λεόντων ἐγενήθη; ἐν μέσῳ λεόντων ἐπλήθυεν σκύμνους αὐτῆς.
KJVAnd say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.
JPSand say: How was thy mother a lioness; Among lions she couched, In the midst of the young lions She reared her whelps!
3
ThomsonAnd one of her young lions sallied forth; he became a lion and learned to prowl. He devoured men
BrentonAnd one of her whelps sprang forth; he became a lion, and learned to take prey, he devoured men.
GreekΚαὶ ἀπεπήδησεν εἷς τῶν σκύμνων αὐτῆς, λέων ἐγένετο, καὶ ἔμαθε τοῦ ἁρπάζειν ἁρπάγματα, ἀνθρώπους ἔφαγε.
KJVAnd she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.
JPSAnd she brought up one of her whelps, He became a young lion; And he learned to catch the prey, He devoured men.
4
Thomsonand the nations heard of him; in their trap he was taken and carried in a cage to the land of Egypt.
BrentonAnd the nations heard a report of him; he was caught in their pit, and they brought him into the land of Egypt in chains.
GreekΚαὶ ἤκουσαν κατʼ αὐτοῦ ἔθνη, ἐν τῇ διαφθορᾷ αὐτῶν συνελήφθη, καὶ ἤγαγον αὐτὸν ἐν κημῷ εἰς γῆν Αἰγύπτου.
KJVThe nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.
JPSThen the nations assembled against him, He was taken in their pit; And they brought him with hooks Unto the land of Egypt.
5
ThomsonWhen she saw that her main support was removed from her, was lost; she took another of her young lions and made him lion.
BrentonAnd she saw that he was driven away from her, and her hope of him perished, and she took another of her whelps; she made him a lion.
GreekΚαὶ εἶδεν ὅτι ἀπῶσται ἀπʼ αὐτῆς, ἀπώλετο ἡ ὑπόστασις αὐτῆς· καὶ ἔλαβεν ἄλλον ἐκ τῶν σκύμνων αὐτῆς· λέοντα ἔταξεν αὐτὸν.
KJVNow 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.
JPSNow when she saw that she was disappointed, And her hope was lost, Then she took another of her whelps, And made him a young lion.
6
Thomson—
BrentonAnd he went up and down in the midst of lions, he became a lion, and learned to take prey, he devoured men.
GreekΚαὶ ἀνεστρέφετο ἐν μέσῳ λεόντων, λέων ἐγένετο, καὶ ἔμαθεν ἁρπάζειν ἁρπάγματα, ἀνθρώπους ἔφαγε,
KJVAnd he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.
JPSAnd he went up and down among the lions, He became a young lion; And he learned to catch the prey, He devoured men.
7
ThomsonHe became a lion and learned to seize prey. He devoured men and prowled with fierceness, and made their cities a desolation and laid waste the land, and the fulness thereof by the sound of his roaring.
BrentonAnd he prowled in his boldness and laid waste their cities, and made the land desolate, and the fulness of it, by the voice of his roaring.
Greekκαὶ ἐνέμετο τῷ θράσει αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰς πόλεις αὐτῶν ἐξηρήμωσε, καὶ ἠφάνισε γῆν, καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς ἀπὸ φωνῆς ὠρυώματος αὐτοῦ.
KJVAnd 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.
JPSAnd he knew their castles, And laid waste their cities; And the land was desolate, And the fulness thereof, Because of the noise of his roaring.
8
ThomsonThen the nations set upon him from the countries around: they spread their nets for him; in their trap he was taken.
BrentonThen the nations set upon him from the countries round about, and they spread their nets upon him: he was taken in their pit.
GreekΚαὶ ἔδωκαν ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ἔθνη ἐκ χωρῶν κυκλόθεν, καὶ ἐξεπέτασαν ἐπʼ αὐτὸν δίκτυα αὐτῶν, ἐν διαφθορᾷ αὐτῶν συνελήφθη·
KJVThen the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit.
JPSThen the nations cried out against him On every side from the provinces; And they spread their net over him, He was taken in their pit.
9
ThomsonSo they chained him and in a cage he came to the king of Babylon, who put him in prison that his voice should not be heard on the mountains of Israel.
BrentonAnd they put him in chains and in a cage, and he came to the king of Babylon; and he cast him into prison, that his voice should not be heard on the mountains of Israel.
GreekΚαὶ ἔθεντο αὐτὸν ἐν κημῷ καὶ ἐν γαλεάγρᾳ, ἦλθε πρὸς βασιλέα Βαβυλῶνος, καὶ εἰσήγαγεν αὐτὸν εἰς φυλακὴν, ὅπως μὴ ἀκουσθῇ ἡ φωνὴ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη τοῦ Ἰσραήλ.
KJVAnd 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.
JPSAnd they put him in a cage with hooks, And brought him to the king of Babylon; That they might bring him into strongholds, So that his voice should no more be heard Upon the mountains of Israel.
10
ThomsonThy mother was like a vine or a flowery pomegranate planted by water. It was fruitful and full of buds by being plentifully watered.
BrentonThy mother was as a vine and as a blossom on a pomegranate tree, planted by water: her fruit and her shoots abounded by reason of much water.
GreekἩ μήτηρ σου ὡς ἄμπελος καὶ ὡς ἄνθος ἐν ῥοᾷ, ἐν ὕδατι πεφυτευμένη, ὁ καρπὸς αὐτῆς καὶ ὁ βλαστὸς αὐτῆς ἐγένετο ἐξ ὕδατος πολλοῦ.
KJVThy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.
JPSThy mother was like a vine, in thy likeness, Planted by the waters; She was fruitful and full of branches By reason of many waters.
11
ThomsonAnd it became a sceptre for them who bear rule over tribes, and became distinguished for its greatness among other stocks, and was conscious of its greatness by the multitude of its branches.
BrentonAnd she became a rod for a tribe of princes, and was elevated in her bulk in the midst of other trees, and she saw her bulk in the multitude of her branches.
GreekΚαὶ ἐγένετο αὕτη ῥάβδος ἐπὶ φυλὴν ἡγουμένων, καὶ ὑψώθη τῷ μεγέθει αὐτῆς ἐν μέσῳ στελεχῶν· καὶ εἶδε τὸ μέγεθος αὐτῆς ἐν πλήθει κλημάτων αὐτῆς.
KJV—
JPS—
12
ThomsonBut it is broken in wrath and thrown on the ground; and a burning wind hath blasted its choice branches. Vengeance hath been taken on them: and the rod of its strength is withered; a fire hath consumed it.
BrentonBut she was broken down in wrath, she was cast upon the ground, and the east wind dried up her choice branches: vengeance came upon them, and the rod of her strength was withered; fire consumed it.
GreekΚαὶ κατεκλάσθη ἐν θυμῷ, ἐπὶ γῆν ἐῤῥίφη, καὶ ἄνεμος ὁ καύσων ἐξήρανε τὰ ἐκλεκτὰ αὐτῆς· ἐξεδικήθησαν, καὶ ἐξηράνθη ἡ ῥάβδος ἰσχύος αὐτῆς· πῦρ ἀνήλωσεν αὐτήν.
KJVBut 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.
JPSBut 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 off and withered, The fire consumed her.
13
ThomsonAnd now, when they had planted it in a desert, in a land without water,
BrentonAnd now they have planted her in the wilderness, in a dry land.
GreekΚαὶ νῦν πεφύτευκαν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ ἠρημῳ, ἐν γῇ ἀνύδρῳ.
KJVAnd now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.
JPSAnd now she is planted in the wilderness, In a dry and thirsty ground.
14
Thomsona fire hath issued forth from a rod of her choice shoots and consumed her, and she hath no more in her a sceptre of power. The tribe is become a parable in the song of woe, and shall be for a subject of lamentation.
BrentonAnd fire is gone out of a rod of her choice boughs, and has devoured her; and there was no rod of strength in her. Her race is become a parable of lamentation, and it shall be for a lamentation.
GreekΚαὶ ἐξῆλθε πῦρ ἐκ ῥάβδου ἐκλεκτῶν αὐτῆς, καὶ κατέφαγεν αὐτὴν, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἐν αὐτῇ ῥάβδος ἰσχύος· φυλὴ εἰς παραβολὴν θρήνου ἐστὶ, καὶ ἐσται εἰς θρῆνον.
KJVAnd 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.
JPSAnd fire is gone out of the rod of her branches, It hath devoured her fruit, So that there is in her no strong rod To be a sceptre to rule.’ This is a lamentation, and it was for a lamentation.