1 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any wood of a branch which is among the trees of the forest? 3 "Can wood be taken from it to make anything, or can men take a peg from it on which to hang any vessel? 4 "If it has been put into the fire for fuel, and the fire has consumed both of its ends and its middle part has been charred, is it then useful for anything? 5 "Behold, while it is intact, it is not made into anything. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it still be made into anything! 6 "Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, 'As the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem; 7 and I set My face against them Though they have come out of the fire, yet the fire will consume them. Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I set My face against them. 8 'Thus I will make the land desolate, because they have acted unfaithfully,'" declares the Lord GOD.