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Jerusalem, a Useless Vine

¹ And the word of the Lord came to me: ^2 (a)"Son of man, how does ^(b)the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest? ³ Is wood taken from it to make anything? Do people take ^(c)a peg from it to hang any vessel on it? ^4 (d)Behold, it is given to 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? ^5 (e)Behold, 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: ^(f)Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, ^(g)which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ^7 (h)And I will set my face against them. Though ⁽ⁱ⁾they escape from the fire, the fire shall yet consume them, ^(j)and you will know that I am the Lord, ^(k)when I set my face against them. ^8 (l)And I will make the land desolate, because ^(m)they have acted faithlessly, declares the Lord God."