Ezekiela 15

1 Ary tonga tamiko ny tenin’ i Jehovah nanao hoe:

A message from the Lord came to me, saying,

2 Ry zanak’ olona, inona no ihoaran’ ny tahom-boaloboka noho ny hazo rehetra, dia ny sakeli-boaloboka izay isan’ ny hazo any an’ ala?

“Son of man, is wood from a vine better than the wood from any other tree in the forest?

3 Moa mba fangalan-kazo hatao zavatra akory va izy, na mba fangalana fihantonan-javatra?

Can you make anything useful from vine wood? Can you use it to make even just a peg to hang up pots and pans?

4 Indro, hatsipy any anaty afo hataina izy; ny laniny roa ho levon’ ny afo, ary ny tenatenany ho may. Ka moa azo atao zavatra akory va izy?

No, you just throw it on the fire to keep the fire burning. Even then the fire burns both ends, but only chars the middle part. Can you use it for anything?

5 Indro, fony izy tsy mbola nahafahana aza, dia tsy azo natao zavatra, koa mainka fa rehefa levon’ ny afo sy may izy?

Even before you burned it you couldn't make it into anything useful. It's even less useful once the fire has burned and charred it!

6 Koa izao no lazain’ i Jehovah Tompo: Toy ny tahom-boaloboka amin’ ny hazo any an’ ala, izay natolotro hataina, dia toy izany no hanolorako ny mponina any Jerosalema.

So this is what the Lord God says: In the same way that I have taken the wood of a vine from the forest and thrown it on the fire to be burned, so I'm going to throw away the people of Jerusalem.

7 Ary hanandrina azy ny tavako; hiala avy amin’ ny afo izy nefa ho levon’ ny afo hafa indray; ka dia ho fantatrareo fa Izaho no Jehovah, raha manandrina azy ny tavako.

I will turn against them. While they might have escaped this fire, another fire is going to burn them up. When I turn against them, then you will know that I am the Lord.

8 Ary hataoko lao ny tany noho ny nivadihany tamiko, hoy Jehovah Tompo.

I'm going to turn the country into a wasteland, because they were unfaithful to me, declares the Lord God.”