Ezekiel 15

1 And the word of Yahweh came unto me saying:

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

2 Son of man, What can the vine-tree be more than any other tree, —any branch which hath been found among the trees of the forest?

“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?

3 Shall there be taken from it wood, to be made into any work? Or will men take therefrom a peg, to hang thereon any vessel?

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?

4 Lo! into the fire, it is given up for fuel, — The two ends thereof, doth the fire devour, And the middle thereof is charred, Is it fit for any work?

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?

5 Lo! while it was yet whole, it could not be made into any work, — how much less when! the fire hath devoured it. and it is charred, can it still be made into any work?

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?

6 Therefore, Thus, saith My Lord Yahweh, As a vine-tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given up to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

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.

7 Therefore will I set my face against them, Out of one fire, have they come forth But another fire, shall devour them, —So shall ye know that, I, am Yahweh, by my setting my face against them;

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,

8 I will therefore give up the land as a desolation, —because they have committed treachery, Declareth My Lord., Yahweh.

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