Jerusalem the Useless Vine 1 Brenton And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, BSB BSB: Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 Brenton And thou, son of man—of all the wood of the branches that are among the trees of the forest, what shall be made of the wood of the vine? BSB BSB: “Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any other branch among the trees in the forest?
3 Brenton Will they take wood of it to make it fit for work? will they take of it a peg to hang any vessel upon it? BSB BSB: Can wood be taken from it to make something useful? Or can one make from it a peg on which to hang utensils?
4 Brenton It is only given to the fire to be consumed; the fire consumes that which is yearly pruned of it, and it is utterly gone. Will it be useful for any work? BSB BSB: No, it is cast into the fire for fuel. The fire devours both ends, and the middle is charred. Can it be useful for anything?
5 Brenton Not even while it is yet whole will it be useful for any work: if the fire shall have utterly consumed it, will it still be fit for work? BSB BSB: Even when it was whole, it could not be made useful. How much less can it ever be useful when the fire has consumed it and charred it!
6 Brenton Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord, As the vine-tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given up to the fire to be consumed, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem. BSB BSB: Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘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 people of Jerusalem.
7 Brenton And I will set my face against them; they shall go forth of the fire, and yet fire shall devour them; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have set my face against them. BSB BSB: And I will set My face against them. Though they may have escaped the fire, yet another fire will consume them. And when I set My face against them, you will know that I am the LORD.
8 Brenton And I will give up the land to ruin, because they have utterly transgressed, saith the Lord. BSB BSB: Thus I will make the land desolate, because they have acted unfaithfully,’ declares the Lord GOD.”