葡萄树的比喻

15 耶和华对我说: “人子啊,葡萄木比林中其他木材更好吗? 葡萄木有什么用呢?能用它制造挂钩挂东西吗? 它只能用来当柴烧。如果火已经烧了它的两头,中间也烧黑了,它还有什么用呢? 它完好无损的时候,尚且不能用来制造工具,被火烧后岂不更没用了吗? 所以,主耶和华说,我怎样把林中的葡萄树丢在火中当柴烧,也必照样丢弃耶路撒冷的居民。 我必严惩他们。他们纵然火里逃生,仍要被火烧灭。我严惩他们的时候,他们便知道我是耶和华。 我必使他们的土地荒凉,因为他们对我不忠。这是主耶和华说的。”

葡萄樹的比喻

15 耶和華對我說: 「人子啊,葡萄木比林中其他木材更好嗎? 葡萄木有什麼用呢?能用它製造掛鉤掛東西嗎? 它只能用來當柴燒。如果火已經燒了它的兩頭,中間也燒黑了,它還有什麼用呢? 它完好無損的時候,尚且不能用來製造工具,被火燒後豈不更沒用了嗎? 所以,主耶和華說,我怎樣把林中的葡萄樹丟在火中當柴燒,也必照樣丟棄耶路撒冷的居民。 我必嚴懲他們。他們縱然火裡逃生,仍要被火燒滅。我嚴懲他們的時候,他們便知道我是耶和華。 我必使他們的土地荒涼,因為他們對我不忠。這是主耶和華說的。」

Jerusalem as a Useless Vine

15 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, how is the wood of a vine(A) different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest? Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful?(B) Do they make pegs(C) from it to hang things on? And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and the fire burns both ends and chars the middle, is it then useful for anything?(D) If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it is charred?

“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem. I will set my face against(E) them. Although they have come out of the fire(F), the fire will yet consume them. And when I set my face against them, you will know that I am the Lord.(G) I will make the land desolate(H) because they have been unfaithful,(I) declares the Sovereign Lord.”

The Outcast Vine

15 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any other wood, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest? Is wood taken from it to make any object? Or can men make a peg from it to hang any vessel on? Instead, (A)it is thrown into the fire for fuel; the fire devours both ends of it, and its middle is burned. Is it useful for any work? Indeed, when it was whole, no object could be made from it. How much less will it be useful for any work when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned?

“Therefore 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; and (B)I will set My face against them. (C)They will go out from one fire, but another fire shall devour them. (D)Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I set My face against them. Thus I will make the land desolate, because they have persisted in unfaithfulness,’ says the Lord God.”