A reading from the book of Ezekiel.

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

What was your mother, a lioness? Among lions she crouched. In the midst of young lions, she reared her cubs,

and she brought up one of her cubs. He became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey. He devoured men. The nations

heard about him. He was caught in their pit, and they brought him with hooks to the land of

Egypt. 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. He prowled among the lions. He became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey.

He devoured men, 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. Then the nation set against him, from provinces

on every side. They spread their net over him. He was taken in their pit. 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. Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard,

planted by the water, fruitful and full of branches, by reason of abundant water. Its strong stems

became ruler's scepters. It towered

aloft among the thick boughs. It was seen in its height with the mass of his branches,

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. Now it is planted in the wilderness,

and a dry and thirsty land, 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 sceptre for ruling. This is a lamentation,

it has become a lamentation. In the seventh year in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, certain of the

elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord and sat before me.

And the word of the Lord came to me.

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