Jerusalem like a Useless Vine

1 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, how is the wood of the (A)vine better than any wood of a branch which is among the trees of the forest? 3 Can wood be taken from it to make (a)anything, or can men take a peg from it on which to hang any vessel? 4 (b)If it has been put into the (B)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? 5 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! 6 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; 7 and I (C)set My face against them. Though they have (D)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. 8 Thus I will make the land desolate, because they have (E)acted unfaithfully,’” declares the Lord God.

Footnotes:

a. Ezekiel 15:3: ['Lit ', a work]
b. Ezekiel 15:4: ['Or ', Behold]
c. Ezekiel 15:4: ['Lit ', a work]
d. Ezekiel 15:5: ['Lit ', a work]
e. Ezekiel 15:5: ['Lit ', a work]
f. Ezekiel 15:6: ['Heb ', YHWH, ', usually rendered ', Lord, ', and so throughout the ch']

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