Ezekiel 15

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

And the word of Jehovah 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 is the wood of the vine more than any wood, —a branch, that is among the trees of the forest?

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 from it to be wrought into any work? Or will men take a pin of it to hang a vessel upon?

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 devoureth both the ends of it, and the middle of it is burned. Is it then fit 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?

Behold, when it was whole, nothing could be made of it; how much less can anything be made of it when the fire hath devoured it and it is burned!

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 Jehovah: As the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give to it 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 one fire, and another fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah, when I 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 will make the land desolate, because they have grievously trespassed, saith the Lord Jehovah.