Ezekiel 15

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

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

2 “Son of man, how is a vine better than any tree with branches that is among the trees in a forest?

Son of man, what is the vine-tree more than any branching tree which is among the trees of the woods?

3 Do people take wood from a vine to make anything? Or do they make a peg from it to hang anything on it?

Will its wood be used for any work? do men make of it a pin for hanging any vessel on?

4 See! If it is thrown into a fire as fuel, and if the fire has burned both of its ends and also the middle, is it good for anything?

See, it is put into the fire for burning: the fire has made a meal of its two ends and the middle part of it is burned; is it good for any work?

5 See! When it was complete, it could not make anything; surely then, when the fire has burned, then it still will not make anything useful.

Truly, before it was cut down, it was not used for any purpose: how much less, when the fire has made a meal of it and it is burned, will it be made into anything?

6 Therefore the Lord Yahweh says this: Unlike the trees in the forests, I have given the vine as fuel for fires; I will act in the same way toward the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

For this cause the Lord has said: Like the vine-tree among the trees of the woods which I have given to the fire for burning, so will I give the people of Jerusalem.

7 For I will set my face against them. Though they come out from the fire, yet the fire will consume them; so you will know that I am Yahweh, when I set my face against them.

And my face will be turned against them; and though they have come out of the fire they will be burned up by it; and it will be clear to you that I am the Lord when my face is turned against them.

8 Then I will make the land into an abandoned wasteland because they have committed sin—this is the Lord Yahweh's declaration.”

And I will make the land a waste because they have done evil, says the Lord.