Jerusalem, a Useless Vine

Ezekiel 15

¹ The word of the Lord came to me:

² O mortal, how does the wood of the vine surpass all other wood--
the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest?
³ Is wood taken from it to make anything?
Does one take a peg from it on which to hang any object?
⁴ It is put in the fire for fuel;
when the fire has consumed both ends of it
and the middle of it is charred,
is it useful for anything?
⁵ When it was whole it was used for nothing;
how much less--when the fire has consumed it,
and it is charred--
can it ever be used for anything!

⁶ Therefore thus says the Lord God: Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ⁷ I will set my face against them; although they escape from the fire, the fire shall still consume them; and you shall know that I am the Lord, when I set my face against them. ⁸ And I will make the land desolate, because they have acted faithlessly, says the Lord God.