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Burning a Useless Vine

¹ The word of the Lord came to me: ² "Son of man, of all the woody branches among the trees of the forest, what happens to the wood of the vine? ³ Can wood be taken from it to make anything useful? Or can anyone make a peg from it to hang things on? ⁴ No! It is thrown in the fire for fuel; when the fire has burned up both ends of it and it is charred in the middle, will it be useful for anything? ⁵ Indeed! If it was not made into anything useful when it was whole, how much less can it be made into anything when the fire has burned it up and it is charred?

⁶ "Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Like the wood of the vine is among the trees of the forest which I have provided as fuel for the fire—so I will provide the residents of Jerusalem as fuel. ⁷ I will set my face against them—although they have escaped from the fire, the fire will still consume them! Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I set my face against them. ⁸ I will make the land desolate because they have acted unfaithfully, declares the sovereign Lord."