Ezekiel 15
Common English Bible
The vine’s wood
15 The Lord’s word came to me: 2 Human one, how is the vine’s wood better than the wood of all the trees in the forest? 3 Can you make anything useful from its wood? Can you make a peg from it and hang objects on it? 4 If not, can it be used as firewood? Fire would consume its two ends, but its middle part would only get charred. So is it useful for anything? 5 Look, even when it was whole, it was worthless. Now that the fire has consumed it, and it is charred, it’s even more useless.
6 Therefore, the Lord God proclaims: Of all the trees in the forest, I have decreed that the vine’s wood is destined to be consumed by fire. So also have I decreed for those who live in Jerusalem, 7 and I have confronted them. They may try to go out from the fire, but the fire will consume them. You will know that I am the Lord, because I confronted them. 8 I will turn the land into a ruin because they acted faithlessly, proclaims the Lord God.
Ezekiel 15
Easy-to-Read Version
Jerusalem, the Vine, Will Be Burned
15 Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 2 “Son of man,[a] are the pieces of wood from a grapevine[b] any better than the little branches cut from trees in the forest? 3 Can you use that wood from a grapevine to make anything? Can you use that wood to make pegs to hang dishes on? 4 People throw that wood into the fire. The ends burn, and the middle is scorched. 5 If you cannot make anything from that wood before it is burned, you surely cannot make anything from that wood after it is burned! 6 So people throw the pieces of wood from a grapevine into the fire. It is just like wood from any other tree in the forest. In the same way I will throw the people living in Jerusalem into the fire!” This is what the Lord God said. 7 “I will punish those people. But some of them will be like the sticks that don’t burn completely. They will be punished, but they will not be destroyed completely. You will see that I punished them, and you will know that I am the Lord! 8 I will destroy that country because the people left me to worship false gods.” This is what the Lord God said.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 15:2 Son of man This was usually just a way of saying “a person” or “a human being.” Here, it is a way of addressing Ezekiel.
- Ezekiel 15:2 grapevine The prophets often compared Israel to a vineyard or grapevine. See verse 6.
Ezekiel 15
New King James Version
The Outcast Vine
15 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 “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? 3 Is wood taken from it to make any object? Or can men make a peg from it to hang any vessel on? 4 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? 5 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?
6 “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; 7 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. 8 Thus I will make the land desolate, because they have persisted in unfaithfulness,’ says the Lord God.”
Ezekiel 15
American Standard Version
15 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, what is the vine-tree more than any tree, the vine-branch which [a]is among the trees of the forest? 3 Shall wood be taken thereof to make any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon? 4 Behold, 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? 5 Behold, when it was whole, it was [b]meet for no work: how much less, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned, shall it yet be [c]meet for any work! 6 Therefore 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 [d]will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 7 And I will set my face against them; they [e]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. 8 And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord Jehovah.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 15:2 Or, was
- Ezekiel 15:5 Hebrew made into.
- Ezekiel 15:5 Hebrew made into.
- Ezekiel 15:6 Or, have I given
- Ezekiel 15:7 Or, have gone forth
Ezekiel 15
Contemporary English Version
Jerusalem Is a Useless Vine
15 Some time later, the Lord said:
2 Ezekiel, son of man, what happens to the wood of a grapevine after the grapes have been picked? It isn't like other trees in the forest, 3 because the wood of a grapevine can't be used to make anything, not even a small peg to hang things on. 4 It can only be used as firewood. But after its ends are burnt and its middle is charred, it can't be used for anything. 5 The wood is useless before it is burned, and afterwards, it is completely worthless.
6 I, the Lord God, promise that just as the wood of a grapevine is burned as firewood, 7 I will punish the people of Jerusalem with fire. Some of them have escaped one destruction, but soon they will be completely burned. And when that happens, you, Ezekiel, will know that I am the Lord. 8 I will make their country an empty wasteland, because they have not been loyal to me. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
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Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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