‘And fire went out from a rod of her branches. It devoured her fruit, so that she has no strong rod, a sceptre to rule.’ ” This is a lament, and it shall be a lament.
‘And she had strong rods for sceptres of rulers. And her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and was seen in her height with the mass of its branches.
But they shouted, “Away, away, impale Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I impale your Sovereign?” The chief priests answered, “We have no sovereign except Caesar!”
“And you shall say to the forest of the South, ‘Hear the word of יהוה! Thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I am kindling a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree and every dry tree in you – the blazing flame is not quenched. And it shall burn all faces from the south to the north.
‘And they are going to surrender all your wives and children to the Chaldeans, and you yourself shall not escape from their hand, but be taken by the hand of the sovereign of Baḇ
“And its rich yield goes to the sovereigns You have set over us, because of our sins. And they rule over our bodies and our livestock at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.
“And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me as sovereign over you, come, take shelter in my shade. But if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Leḇ
‘And they shall take up a lamentation for you, and say to you, “How you have perished, O one inhabited by seafaring men, the city well-praised, who was strong at sea, she and her inhabitants, who put their fear on all her inhabitants!