1 ¶ And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

Then the Word of the Lord came to me saying,

2 S on of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree? What is the branch among the trees of the forest?

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

3 S hall wood be taken from it to do a work? Will men take a peg from it to hang any vessel thereon?

Can wood be taken from it to make anything? Or can men take a piece of wood from it on which to hang a pot?

4 B ehold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devours both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it meet for any work?

If it has been put into the fire to burn, and the fire has burned up both of its ends, and the center of it is black from the fire, can it then be used for anything?

5 B ehold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work; how much less afterward shall it be meet for any work when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned?

See, if it is not used for anything while it is whole, how much less can it ever be used for anything when the fire has burned it up and it has turned black!

6 T herefore thus hath the Lord GOD said: As the vine tree among the trees of the forest which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I have given over the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

So the Lord God says, ‘Like the wood of the vine among the trees, which I have given to be burned in the fire, so will I give up the people of Jerusalem.

7 A nd I will set my face against them; they came out of one fire, and another fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am the LORD when I set my face against them.

I will set My face against them. Even if they get away from the fire, the fire will yet destroy them. Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I set My face against them.

8 A nd I will make the land desolate because they have completely rebelled, said the Lord GOD.

I will lay waste the land, because they have not been faithful,’” says the Lord God.