Ezekiel 15

1 Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,

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

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

And thou, son of man—of all the wood, of the branches that are among the trees of the forest, what shall be made of the wood of the vine?

3 Will wood be taken of it to make anything? Will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel on it?

Will they take wood of it to make [it fit] for work? will they take of it a peg to hang any vessel upon it?

4 Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire has devoured both its ends, and the middle of it is burned. Is it profitable for any work?

It is only given to the fire to be consumed; the fire consumes that which is yearly pruned of it, and it is utterly gone. Will it be useful for [any] work?

5 Behold, when it was whole, it was suitable for no work. How much less, when the fire has devoured it, and it has been burned, will it yet be suitable for any work?”

Not even while it is yet whole will it be [useful] for [any] work: if the fire shall have utterly consumed it, will it still be [fit] for work?

6 Therefore the Lord Yahweh says: “As the vine wood among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord, As the vine-tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given up to the fire to be consumed, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

7 I will set my face against them. They will go out from the fire, but the fire will still devour them. Then you will know that I am Yahweh, when I set my face against them.

And I will set my face against them; they shall go forth of the fire, and [yet] fire shall devour them; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have set my face against them.

8 I will make the land desolate, because they have acted unfaithfully,” says the Lord Yahweh.

And I will give up the land to ruin, because they have utterly transgressed, saith the Lord.