¹ 你当为以色列的王作起哀歌，

² 说：你的母亲是甚麽呢？是个母狮子，蹲伏在狮子中间，在少壮狮子中养育小狮子。

³ 在他小狮子中养大一个，成了少壮狮子，学会抓食而吃人。

⁴ 列国听见了就把他捉在他们的坑中，用钩子拉到埃及地去。

⁵ 母狮见自己等候失了指望，就从他小狮子中又将一个养为少壮狮子。

⁶ 他在众狮子中走来走去，成了少壮狮子，学会抓食而吃人。

⁷ 他知道列国的宫殿，又使他们的城邑变为荒场；因他咆哮的声音，遍地和其中所有的就都荒废。

⁸ 於是四围邦国各省的人来攻击他，将网撒在他身上，捉在他们的坑中。

⁹ 他们用钩子钩住他，将他放在笼中，带到巴比伦王那里，将他放入坚固之所，使他的声音在以色列山上不再听见。

¹⁰ 你的母亲先前如葡萄树，极其茂盛（原文是在你血中），栽於水旁。因为水多，就多结果子，满生枝子；

¹¹ 生出坚固的枝干，可作掌权者的杖。这枝干高举在茂密的枝中，而且他生长高大，枝子繁多，远远可见。

¹² 但这葡萄树因忿怒被拔出摔在地上；东风吹乾其上的果子，坚固的枝干折断枯乾，被火烧毁了；

¹³ 如今栽於旷野乾旱无水之地。

¹⁴ 火也从他枝干中发出，烧灭果子，以致没有坚固的枝干可作掌权者的杖。这是哀歌，也必用以作哀歌。

¹⁷ Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, Thus says Yahweh, the God of Armies, the God of Israel: If you will go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then your soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and you shall live, and your house.

¹⁸ But if you will not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape out of their hand.

¹⁹ Zedekiah the king said to Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews who are fallen away to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.

²⁰ But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver you. Obey, I beg you, the voice of Yahweh, in that which I speak to you: so it shall be well with you, and your soul shall live.

²¹ But if you refuse to go forth, this is the word that Yahweh has shown me:

²² behold, all the women who are left in the king of Judah's house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, and those women shall say, Your familiar friends have set you on, and have prevailed over you: [now that] your feet are sunk in the mire, they are turned away back.

²³ They shall bring out all your wives and your children to the Chaldeans; and you shall not escape out of their hand, but shall be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and you shall cause this city to be burned with fire.