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.

⁶ Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.

⁷ I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.

⁸ I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.

⁹ Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

¹⁰ With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

¹¹ Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

¹² Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.

¹³ With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.

¹⁴ I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.

¹⁵ I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

¹⁶ I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

¹⁷ Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.