Ezekiel 15
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Useless Vine
15 The word of the Lord came to me:
2 O mortal, how does the wood of the vine surpass all other wood,
the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest?(A)
3 Is wood taken from it to make anything?
Does one take a peg from it on which to hang any object?
4 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?(B)
5 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: 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.(C) 7 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.(D) 8 And I will make the land desolate because they have acted faithlessly, says the Lord God.(E)
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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.
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