Ezekiel 15

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

The word of the LORD came to me, saying,

2 “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?

"Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any tree, the vine-branch which is among the trees of the forest?

3 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?

Shall wood be taken of it to make any work? Or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?

4 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?

Look, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire has devoured both its ends, and its midst is burned: is it profitable for any work?

5 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?

Look, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less, when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned, shall it yet be meet for any work.

6 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.

"Therefore thus says the LORD: 'As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

7 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,

I will set my face against them; they shall go forth from the fire, but the fire shall devour them; and you shall know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them.

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

I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass,' says the LORD."