Ezekiel 15
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 15[a]
The Useless Vine. 1 This word of the Lord came to me:
2 Son of man, how is the wood of the vine
better than any other wood,
the vine branch from a tree in the forest?
3 Is its wood used to make anything?
Are pegs fashioned from it to hang anything?
4 If it is thrown on the fire for fuel,
and the fire consumes both ends and chars the middle,
is it useful for anything?
5 When it was whole,
it served no purpose.
How much less, when the fire has consumed it
and it is charred,
can it be used for anything?
6 Therefore, thus says the Lord God:
Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest
that I have thrown on the fire for fuel,
so will I treat the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
7 I have set my face against them.
Although they escape from the fire,
that fire will still devour them.
And you will know that I am the Lord
when I turn my face against them.
8 I will reduce the entire land into a desolate waste
because they have been unfaithful,
says the Lord God.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 15:1 Ezekiel likes allegories and parables (Ezek 17:2). We have already met in Isaiah, the song of the disappointed vineyard owner (Isa 5:7). A vineyard was valuable for its fruit, not for its wood.
Ezekiel 15
English Standard Version
Jerusalem, a Useless Vine
15 And the word of the Lord came to me: 2 (A)“Son of man, how does (B)the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest? 3 Is wood taken from it to make anything? Do people take (C)a peg from it to hang any vessel on it? 4 (D)Behold, it is given to 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? 5 (E)Behold, 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! 6 Therefore thus says the Lord God: (F)Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, (G)which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 7 (H)And I will set my face against them. Though (I)they escape from the fire, the fire shall yet consume them, (J)and you will know that I am the Lord, (K)when I set my face against them. 8 (L)And I will make the land desolate, because (M)they have acted faithlessly, declares the Lord God.”
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
