以西结书 15

1 耶和华的话临到我说：

A message from the Lord came to me, saying,

2 “人子啊，葡萄树比别样树有什么强处？葡萄枝比众树枝有什么好处？

“Son of man, is wood from a vine better than the wood from any other tree in the forest?

3 其上可以取木料做什么工用，可以取来做钉子挂什么器皿吗？

Can you make anything useful from vine wood? Can you use it to make even just a peg to hang up pots and pans?

4 看哪，已经抛在火中当作柴烧，火既烧了两头，中间也被烧了，还有益于工用吗？

No, you just throw it on the fire to keep the fire burning. Even then the fire burns both ends, but only chars the middle part. Can you use it for anything?

5 完全的时候尚且不合乎什么工用，何况被火烧坏，还能合乎什么工用吗？”

Even before you burned it you couldn't make it into anything useful. It's even less useful once the fire has burned and charred it!

6 所以，主耶和华如此说：“众树以内的葡萄树，我怎样使它在火中当柴，也必照样待耶路撒冷的居民。

So this is what the Lord God says: In the same way that I have taken the wood of a vine from the forest and thrown it on the fire to be burned, so I'm going to throw away the people of Jerusalem.

7 我必向他们变脸；他们虽从火中出来，火却要烧灭他们。我向他们变脸的时候，你们就知道我是耶和华。

I will turn against them. While they might have escaped this fire, another fire is going to burn them up. When I turn against them, then you will know that I am the Lord.

8 我必使地土荒凉，因为他们行事干犯我。这是主耶和华说的。”

I'm going to turn the country into a wasteland, because they were unfaithful to me, declares the Lord God.”