Ezekiel 15

1 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

2 “Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any other branch among the trees in the forest?

Son of man, what shall be made of the wood of the vine, out of all the trees of the woods that are among the trees of the forests?

3 Can wood be taken from it to make something useful? Or can one make from it a peg on which to hang utensils?

Shall wood be taken of if, to do any work, or shall a pin be made of it for any vessel to hang thereon?

4 No, it is cast into the fire for fuel. The fire devours both ends, and the middle is charred. Can it be useful for anything?

Behold it is cast into the fire for fuel: the fire hath consumed both ends thereof, and the midst thereof is reduced to ashes: shall it be useful for any work?

5 Even when it was whole, it could not be made useful. How much less can it ever be useful when the fire has consumed it and charred it!

Even when it was whole it was not fit for work: how much less, when the fire hath devoured and consumed it, shall any work be made of it?

6 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give up the people of Jerusalem.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God: As the vine tree among the trees of the forests which I have given to the fire to be consumed, so will I deliver up the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

7 And I will set My face against them. Though they may have escaped the fire, yet another fire will consume them. And when I set My face against them, you will know that I am the LORD.

And I will set my face against them: they shall go out from fire, and fire shall consume them: and you shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have set my face against them.

8 Thus I will make the land desolate, because they have acted unfaithfully,’ declares the Lord GOD.”

And I shall have made their land a wilderness, and desolate, because they have been transgressors, saith the Lord God.