1[YAH continues,]“And lift up this funeral-dirge for the leaders of Israel, 😇:
2Sing, ‘[See the history of] your motherland, [Israel]: She's a lioness, enthroned [on a rock], surrounded by her pride. She raises her cubs [to stand out] among the [other] young lions.
3[Mother Judah] brings up one of her cubs, 😇. He, [evil king Jehoahaz,] becomes a young lion. He learns to catch prey. He devours men.
4Then the beast-nations hear of [this Judean lion, 😇]. [Led by Pharaoh Necho,] the [nations] snare him in their pit-trap. They drag him in chains to the land of Egypt.
5Now, 😇, when [Judah the mother lion] sees that she's waited [too long for her son-lion to] return, she loses all hope [of seeing him again]. Then she takes another of her cubs, [evil king Jehoiakim]. She rears him to be a young lion.
6So this [2nd cub (Jehoiakim)] runs up and down [mountains] with the lion-pack. He grows into a young [strong] lion. He learns to catch prey. He too devours men, 😇!
7[The bad lion-king] ravages widows. He wastes cities. His roaring tumult leaves the [promised] land [shaking in] terror.
8So the beast-nations lay snares to fight [the lion Jehoiakim] on every side, 😇. They spread their nets over him. They drag him into their pit-trap.
9Then, 😇, the [beast-nations] put [the murderous lion] in chains under guard. They drag him to the Babylonian Emperor, who throws the [lion] into cages with [jumping] hoops. No [one] ever again hears the [Lion's] voice on the mountains of Israel.
Israel Smokes Like A Burned-Up VineYard
10[Look into your nation's past:] Your mother [Israel shines]. She's a vine [bursting with] blood [red juice], planted by the waterside, 😇. Abundant hydration makes her fruitful branches overflow [the countryside].
11[Mother Israel's] strong rod[s] become rulers' scepters, 😇. She swells to tower over [all] foliage. High and conspicuous, she flaunts [her] countless boughs.
12But in fury [Babylon] plucks up [your mother vine, 😇]! [He] flings her to the ground. The east wind dries up her fruit. Her strong rods lie broken, withered, eaten by wildfire.
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13[So] now [Israel] lies transplanted [~650km northeast] in the [Babylonian] desert, 😇. [She wastes] in dry and thirsty ground.
14Flame arcs from [Israel's] stem. [Fire] devours her fruit. [Pain burns up] her one [last] strong rod fit to be a ruling scepter. 😇, cry this tragic song.” Zedekiah destroyed Israel by making, then breaking, a treaty of subjection to Nebuchadnezzar.
Older Testament 
