^31 (A)For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?”

¹⁷ For the time has come ^(A)for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, ^(B)what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? ¹⁸ Now

⁶ If anyone does not abide in Me, ^(A)he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

⁴⁷ and say to the forest of the South, ‘Hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, ^(A)I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour ^(B)every green tree and every dry tree in you; the blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces ^(C)from the south to the north shall be scorched by it. ⁴⁸ All flesh shall see that I, the Lord, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.” ’ ”

^12 (A)His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will ^(B)burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

³ and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I am ^(A)against you, and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off both ^(B)righteous and wicked from you. ⁴ Because I will cut off both righteous and wicked from you, therefore My sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh ^(C)from south to north,

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.

²⁹ For behold, ^(A)I begin to bring calamity on the city ^(B)which is called by My name, and should you be utterly unpunished? You shall not be unpunished, for ^(C)I will call for a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth,” says the Lord of hosts.’