¹ And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

² Son of man, what is the wood of the vine more than any wood, the vine-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, it is given to the fire for fuel: the fire consumeth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned; is it fit for [any] work?

⁵ Behold, when it was whole, it was used for no work; how much less when the fire hath consumed it, and it is burned, should it yet be used for any work?

⁶ Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: As the wood of the vine 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 I will set my face against them: they shall go forth from [one] fire, and [another] fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I [am] Jehovah when I set my face against them.

⁸ And I will make the land a desolation, because they have wrought unfaithfulness, saith the Lord Jehovah.

¹⁸ There is one who speaks rashly like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise heals.