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
Expanded Bible
Story of the Vine
15 The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me, saying: 2 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], is the wood of the vine better than the wood of any tree in the forest? 3 Can wood be taken from the vine to make anything? Can you use it to make a peg on which to hang something? 4 If the vine is thrown into the fire for fuel, and the fire burns up both ends and ·starts to burn [chars] the middle, is it useful for anything? 5 [L Look; T Behold] When the vine was whole, it couldn’t be made into anything. When the fire has burned it completely, ·it certainly cannot [how much less can it] be made into anything.”
6 So this is what the Lord God says: “Out of all the trees in the forest, I have given the wood of the vine as fuel for fire. In the same way I have given up the people who live in Jerusalem 7 and will ·turn [L set my face] against them. Although they came through one fire, fire will still ·destroy [consume] them. When I ·turn [L set my face] against them, you will know that I am the Lord. 8 So I will make the land ·empty [desolate], because the people have not been ·loyal [faithful], says the Lord God.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.