1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 And you, 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? 3 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? 4 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? 5 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? 6 Therefore say, Thus says 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. 7 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. 8 And I will give up the land to ruin, because they have utterly transgressed, says the Lord.