1. "Sing a song of sadness about Israel's princes.
2. Say to Israel, " 'You were like a mother lion to your princes. She lay down among the young lions. She brought up her cubs.
3. One of them was Jehoahaz. He became a strong lion. He learned to tear apart what he caught. And he ate men up.
4. The nations heard about him. They trapped him in their pit. They put hooks in his face. And they led him away to Egypt.
5. " 'The mother lion looked and waited. But all of her hope was gone. So she got another one of her cubs. She made him into a strong lion.
6. He prowled with the lions. He became very strong. He learned to tear apart what he caught. And he ate men up.
7. He broke down their forts. He completely destroyed their towns. The land and all those who were in it were terrified when he roared.
8. Then nations came against him. They came from all around him. They spread out their net to catch him. He was trapped in their pit.