ʻIsikieli 15

1 Naʻe hoko ʻae folofola ʻa Sihova kiate au, ʻo pehē,

Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2 “Foha ʻoe tangata, ʻoku lelei hake ʻi he hā, ʻae ʻakau ko e vaine ʻi he ngaahi ʻakau kehe, mo e ngaahi vaʻa ʻakau ʻoe vao?

“Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any other branch among the trees in the forest?

3 He ʻoku toʻo mei ai ha laupapa ke fai ʻaki ha ngāue? Pe ʻoku ngaohi ʻe ha taha ha faʻo mei ai ko e tautauʻanga ʻo ha meʻa?

Can wood be taken from it to make something useful? Or can one make from it a peg on which to hang utensils?

4 Vakai, ʻoku lī ia ki he afi ko e fefie, pea fakatou vela ai hono hiku mo hono kongaloto. He ʻoku ʻaonga ia ki he ngāue?

No, it is cast into the fire for fuel. The fire devours both ends, and the middle is charred. Can it be useful for anything?

5 Vakai, ʻi heʻene kei haohaoa naʻe ʻikai ʻaonga ki ha ngāue; kae fēfē nai ʻene ʻaonga ki ha ngāue, ka kuo keina ia ʻe he afi, pea kuo vela?”

Even when it was whole, it could not be made useful. How much less can it ever be useful when the fire has consumed it and charred it!

6 Ko ia ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtua; “Hangē ko e ʻakau ko e vaine ʻi he ngaahi ʻakau ʻoe vao, ʻe pehē ʻa ʻeku foaki ʻae kakai ʻo Selūsalema ke vela ʻi he afi.

Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give up the people of Jerusalem.

7 Pea te u fakahanga hoku fofonga ke tuʻu kiate kinautolu; te nau hao mei he afi ʻe taha, kae vela ʻakinautolu ʻi he afi kehe ʻe taha; pea te mou ʻilo ko au ko Sihova, ʻoku tuʻu hoku mata kiate kimoutolu.

And I will set My face against them. Though they may have escaped the fire, yet another fire will consume them. And when I set My face against them, you will know that I am the LORD.

8 Pea te u ngaohi ke lala ʻae fonua koeʻuhi kuo nau fai ʻae meʻa hala.” ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtua.

Thus I will make the land desolate, because they have acted unfaithfully,’ declares the Lord GOD.”