< Ezekiel 15 >
1 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2 Son of man, what is the wood of the vine more than any wood, the vine-branch, which is among the trees of the forest?
And you, son of man—of all the wood, of the branches that are among the trees of the forest, what shall be made of the wood of the vine?
3 Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will [men] take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?
Will they take wood of it to make [it fit] for work? will they take of it a peg to hang any vessel upon it?
4 Behold, it is given to the fire for fuel: the fire consumeth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned; is it fit for [any] work?
It is only given to the fire to be consumed; the fire consumes that which is yearly pruned of it, and it is utterly gone. Will it be useful for [any] work?
5 Behold, when it was whole, it was used for no work; how much less when the fire hath consumed it, and it is burned, should it yet be used for any work?
Not even while it is yet whole will it be [useful] for [any] work: if the fire shall have utterly consumed it, will it still be [fit] for work?
6 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 the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Therefore say, Thus says the Lord, As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given up to the fire to be consumed, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
7 And I will set my face against them: they shall go forth from [one] fire, and [another] fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I [am] Jehovah when I set my face against them.
And I will set my face against them; they shall go forth of the fire, and [yet] fire shall devour them; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have set my face against them.
8 And I will make the land a desolation, because they have wrought unfaithfulness, saith the Lord Jehovah.
And I will give up the land to ruin, because they have utterly transgressed, says the Lord.