Ezekiel 15

1And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

1The word of the LORD came to me, saying:

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

2'Son of man, how is the wood of a vine better than the wood of any branch found among the trees of the forest?

3Shall wood be taken thereof to make any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?

3Can its wood be used to make anything useful? Do people even use it to make a peg to hang a pot on?

4Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire hath devoured both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned: is it profitable for any work?

4No, it is thrown into the fire as fuel. After the fire has burned both ends and charred the middle, is it useful for anything at all?

5Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned, shall it yet be meet for any work!

5If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less useful is it after the fire has burned and charred it!

6Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: 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.

6'Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: Just like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire as fuel, so I will give up the people living in Jerusalem.

7And I will set my face against them; they shall go forth from the fire, but the fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah, when I set my face against them.

7I will set my face against them. Although they have come out of one fire, another fire will consume them. When I set my face against them, you will know that I am the LORD.

8And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord Jehovah.

8I will make the land a wasteland because they have been unfaithful to me, declares the Lord GOD.'