Ezekiel 15

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

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

2 “Son of man, what can be made from the stalk of a vine, compared to all the plants of the woods that are among the trees of the forests?

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 any wood be taken from it, so that it may be made into a work, or formed into a peg so as to hang some kind of vessel upon it?

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 Behold, it is used in the fire as fuel. The fire consumes both its ends; and its middle is reduced to ashes. So how can it be useful for any work?

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 was unsuitable for a work. How much more so, when fire has devoured it and burned it up, will nothing of it be useful?

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, thus says the Lord God: Like the stalk of the vine among the trees of the forests, which I have given to be devoured by fire, so will I deliver the inhabitants 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. They will go away from fire, and yet fire will consume them. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I will have set my face against them,

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 and when I will have made their land impassable and desolate. For they have stood forth as transgressors, says the Lord God.”

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