And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, ² Son of man, What is the ^avine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest? ³ Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon? ⁴ Behold, ^bit is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it meet for any work? ⁵ Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned?

⁶ Therefore thus saith the Lord God; As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ⁷ And ^eI will set my face against them; ^dthey shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them; ^fcand ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I set my face against them. ⁸ And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord God.

Ezekiel 16