Ezekiel 15

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

Then this message came to me from the Lord:

“Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any wood of a branch which is among the trees of the forest?

“Son of man, how does a grapevine compare to a tree? Is a vine’s wood as useful as the wood of a tree?

Can wood be taken from it to make ^[a]anything, or can men take a peg from it on which to hang any vessel?

Can its wood be used for making things, like pegs to hang up pots and pans?

^[b]If it has been put into the fire for fuel, and the fire has consumed both of its ends and its middle part has been charred, is it then useful for ^[c]anything?

No, it can only be used for fuel, and even as fuel, it burns too quickly.

Behold, while it is intact, it is not made into ^[d]anything. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it still be made into ^[e]anything!

Vines are useless both before and after being put into the fire!

Therefore, thus says the Lord ^[f]God, ‘As the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem;

“And this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Jerusalem are like grapevines growing among the trees of the forest. Since they are useless, I have thrown them on the fire to be burned.

and I set My face against them. Though they have come out of the fire, yet the fire will consume them. Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I set My face against them.

And I will see to it that if they escape from one fire, they will fall into another. When I turn against them, you will know that I am the Lord.

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

And I will make the land desolate because my people have been unfaithful to me. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”