A Funeral Song for Kings Who Never Made It.

וְאַתָּה֙ שָׂ֣א קִינָ֔ה אֶל־נְשִׂיאֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

And you, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,

וְאָמַרְתָּ֗ מָ֤ה אִמְּךָ֙ לְבִיָּ֔א בֵּ֥ין אֲרָי֖וֹת רָבָ֑צָה בְּת֥וֹךְ כְּפִרִ֖ים רִבְּתָ֥ה גוּרֶֽיהָ׃

[2] and say: What was your mother? A lioness! Among lions she crouched; in the midst of young lions she reared her cubs.

וַתַּ֛עַל אֶחָ֥ד מִגֻּרֶ֖יהָ כְּפִ֣יר הָיָ֑ה וַיִּלְמַ֥ד לִטְרָף־טֶ֖רֶף אָדָ֥ם אָכָֽל׃

[3] And she brought up one of her cubs; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured men.

וַיִּשְׁמְע֥וּ אֵלָ֛יו גּוֹיִ֖ם בְּשַׁחְתָּ֣ם נִתְפָּ֑שׂ וַיְבִאֻ֥הוּ בַֽחַחִ֖ים אֶל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

[4] The nations heard about him; he was caught in their pit, and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.

וַתֵּ֙רֶא֙ כִּ֣י נֽוֹחֲלָ֔ה אָבְדָ֖ה תִּקְוָתָ֑הּ וַתִּקַּ֛ח אֶחָ֥ד מִגֻּרֶ֖יהָ כְּפִ֥יר שָׂמָֽתְהוּ׃

[5] When she saw that she waited in vain, that her hope was lost, she took another of her cubs and made him a young lion.

וַיִּתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בְּתוֹךְ־אֲרָי֖וֹת כְּפִ֣יר הָיָ֑ה וַיִּלְמַ֥ד לִטְרָף־טֶ֖רֶף אָדָ֥ם אָכָֽל׃

[6] He prowled among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured men,

וַיֵּ֙דַע֙ אַלְמְנוֹתָ֔יו וְעָרֵיהֶ֖ם הֶחֱרִ֑יב וַתֵּ֤שַׁם אֶ֙רֶץ֙ וּמְלֹאָ֔הּ מִקּ֖וֹל שַׁאֲגָתֽוֹ׃

[7] and seized their widows. He laid waste their cities, and the land was appalled and all who were in it at the sound of his roaring.

וַיִּתְּנ֨וּ עָלָ֥יו גּוֹיִ֛ם סָבִ֖יב מִמְּדִינ֑וֹת וַֽיִּפְרְשׂ֥וּ עָלָ֛יו רִשְׁתָּ֖ם בְּשַׁחְתָּ֥ם נִתְפָּֽשׂ׃

[8] Then the nations set against him from provinces on every side; they spread their net over him; he was taken in their pit.

וַֽיִּתְּנֻ֤הוּ בַסּוּגַר֙ בַּֽחַחִ֔ים וַיְבִאֻ֖הוּ אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ בָּבֶ֑ל יְבִאֻ֙הוּ֙ בַּמְּצֹד֔וֹת לְמַ֗עַן לֹא־יִשָּׁמַ֥ע קוֹל֛וֹ ע֖וֹד אֶל־הָרֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ פ

[9] With hooks they put him in a cage and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into custody, that his voice should no more be heard on the mountains of Israel.

אִמְּךָ֥ כַגֶּ֛פֶן בְּדָמְךָ֖ עַל־מַ֣יִם שְׁתוּלָ֑ה פֹּֽרִיָּה֙ וַֽעֲנֵפָ֔ה הָיְתָ֖ה מִמַּ֥יִם רַבִּֽים׃

[10] Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard planted by the water, fruitful and full of branches by reason of abundant water.

וַיִּֽהְיוּ־לָ֞הּ מַטּ֣וֹת עֹ֗ז אֶל־שִׁבְטֵי֙ מֹֽשְׁלִ֔ים וַתִּגְבַּ֥הּ קֽוֹמָת֖וֹ עַל־בֵּ֣ין עֲבֹתִ֑ים וַיֵּרָ֣א בְגָבְה֔וֹ בְּרֹ֖ב דָּלִיֹּתָֽיו׃

[11] Its strong stems became rulers' scepters; it towered aloft among the thick boughs; it was seen in its height with the mass of its branches.

וַתֻּתַּ֤שׁ בְּחֵמָה֙ לָאָ֣רֶץ הֻשְׁלָ֔כָה וְר֥וּחַ הַקָּדִ֖ים הוֹבִ֣ישׁ פִּרְיָ֑הּ הִתְפָּרְק֧וּ וְיָבֵ֛שׁוּ מַטֵּ֥ה עֻזָּ֖הּ אֵ֥שׁ אֲכָלָֽתְהוּ׃

[12] But the vine was plucked up in fury, cast down to the ground; the east wind dried up its fruit; they were stripped off and withered. As for its strong stem, fire consumed it.

וְעַתָּ֖ה שְׁתוּלָ֣ה בַמִּדְבָּ֑ר בְּאֶ֖רֶץ צִיָּ֥ה וְצָמָֽא׃

[13] Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.

וַתֵּצֵ֨א אֵ֜שׁ מִמַּטֵּ֤ה בַדֶּ֙יהָ֙ פִּרְיָ֣הּ אָכָ֔לָה וְלֹא־הָ֥יָה בָ֛הּ מַטֵּה־עֹ֖ז שֵׁ֣בֶט לִמְשׁ֑וֹל קִ֥ינָה הִ֖יא וַתְּהִ֥י לְקִינָֽה׃ פ

[14] And fire has gone out from the stem of its shoots, has consumed its fruit, so that there remains in it no strong stem, no scepter for ruling. This is a lamentation and has become a lamentation.