Ezekiel 15

The Useless Vine

¹⁵The word of the Lord came to me:

²O mortal, how does the wood of the vine surpass all other wood,

the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest?^*

³Is wood taken from it to make anything?

Does one take a peg from it on which to hang any object?

⁴It is put in the fire for fuel;

when the fire has consumed both ends of it

and the middle of it is charred,

is it useful for anything?^*

⁵When it was whole it was used for nothing;

how much less—when the fire has consumed it,

and it is charred—

can it ever be used for anything!

⁶Therefore thus says the Lord God: 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 inhabitants of Jerusalem.^{* 7}I will set my face against them; although they escape from the fire, the fire shall still consume them, and you shall know that I am the Lord when I set my face against them.^{* 8}And I will make the land desolate because they have acted faithlessly, says the Lord God.^*