| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1Then the word of the LORD came to me: " | 1This message came to me from the LORD: |
| 2Son of man, how does the wood of the vine, that branch among the trees of the forest, compare to any other wood? | 2"Son of Man, how does wood from a vine compare to a branch taken from any of the trees in the forest? |
| 3Can wood be taken from it to make something useful? Or can anyone make a peg from it to hang things on? | 3Is wood ever taken from it to make anything practical? Can it even be made into a peg to hang something on? |
| 4In fact, it is put into the fire as fuel. The fire devours both of its ends, and the middle is charred. Can it be useful for anything? | 4After all, it's useful only for kindling a fire, isn't it? And once you've burnt up the ends and charred through the middle of it, is it useful for anything else? |
| 5Even when it was whole it could not be made into a useful object. How much less can it ever be made into anything useful when the fire has devoured it and it is charred!" | 5If it was useless before it was burned, now that it's been burned and charred through, it's even more useless! |
| 6Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire as fuel, so I will give up the residents of Jerusalem. | 6Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: "Just as the wood from a grape vine is removed from the forest and used for kindling fires, I'm giving the inhabitants of Jerusalem over |
| 7I will turn against them. They may have escaped from the fire, but it will still consume them. And you will know that I am Yahweh when I turn against them. | 7to punishment. They may have escaped one fire, but the coming fire will burn them up completely, and they will know that I am the LORD, when I set myself in opposition to them |
| 8I will make the land desolate because they have acted unfaithfully." This is the declaration of the Lord GOD. | 8and dedicate the land to desolation because of their unfaithful unbelief," declares the Lord GOD. |
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