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Chapter 15

Parable of the Vine. [a]The word of the Lord came to me:

Son of man,
    what makes the wood of the vine
Better than the wood of branches
    found on the trees in the forest?(A)
Can wood be taken from it
    to make something useful?
Can someone make even a peg out of it
    on which to hang a vessel?
Of course not! If it is fed to the fire for fuel,
    and the fire devours both ends of it,
Leaving the middle charred,
    is it useful for anything then?
Even when it is whole
    it cannot be used for anything;
So when fire has devoured and charred it,
    how useful can it be?
Therefore, thus says the Lord God:
Like vine wood among forest trees,
    which I have given as fuel for fire,
So I will give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
I will set my face against them:
Although they have escaped the fire,
    the fire will still devour them;
You shall know that I am the Lord,
    when I set my face against them.(B)
Yes, I will make the land desolate,
    because they are so unfaithful—
    oracle of the Lord God.

Footnotes

  1. 15:1–8 Verses 2–5 point out that the wood of the vinestock may be burned for fuel, fit only for destruction. In vv. 6–8 Ezekiel asserts that Jerusalem has the same destiny.

The Useless Vine

15 The word of the Lord came to me:

O mortal, how does the wood of the vine surpass all other wood—
    the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest?
Is wood taken from it to make anything?
    Does one take a peg from it on which to hang any object?
It is put in the fire for fuel;
    when the fire has consumed both ends of it
    and the middle of it is charred,
    is it useful for anything?
When it was whole it was used for nothing;
    how much less—when the fire has consumed it,
    and it is charred—
    can it ever be used for anything!

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. I will set my face against them; although they escape from the fire, the fire shall still consume them; and you shall know that I am the Lord, when I set my face against them. And I will make the land desolate, because they have acted faithlessly, says the Lord God.

The vine’s wood

15 The Lord’s word came to me: Human one, how is the vine’s wood better than the wood of all the trees in the forest? Can you make anything useful from its wood? Can you make a peg from it and hang objects on it? 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? 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.

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, 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. I will turn the land into a ruin because they acted faithlessly, proclaims the Lord God.

Jerusalem like a Useless Vine

15 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, [a]how is the wood of the (A)vine better than any wood of a branch which is among the trees of the forest? Can wood be taken from it to make [b]anything, or can even a peg be taken from it on which to hang any utensil? 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 good for [c]anything? 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! Therefore, this is what the Lord [f]God says: ‘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; 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. So I will make the land desolate, because they have (E)acted unfaithfully,’” declares the Lord God.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 15:2 Or of all the wood of the branches...what becomes of the wood of the vine
  2. Ezekiel 15:3 Lit a work
  3. Ezekiel 15:4 Lit a work
  4. Ezekiel 15:5 Lit a work
  5. Ezekiel 15:5 Lit a work
  6. Ezekiel 15:6 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch

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.”