The Wood That Was Never Good for Anything.

וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃

And the word of the Lord came to me:

בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם מַה־יִּֽהְיֶ֥ה עֵץ־הַגֶּ֖פֶן מִכָּל־עֵ֑ץ הַזְּמוֹרָ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָיָ֖ה בַּעֲצֵ֥י הַיָּֽעַר׃

[2] “Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest?

הֲיֻקַּ֤ח מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ עֵ֔ץ לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת לִמְלָאכָ֑ה אִם־יִקְח֤וּ מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ יָתֵ֔ד לִתְל֥וֹת עָלָ֖יו כָּל־כֶּֽלִי׃

[3] Is wood taken from it to make anything? Do people take a peg from it to hang any vessel on it?

הִנֵּ֥ה לָאֵ֖שׁ נִתַּ֣ן לְאָכְלָ֑ה אֵת֩ שְׁנֵ֨י קְצוֹתָ֜יו אָכְלָ֤ה הָאֵשׁ֙ וְתוֹכ֣וֹ נָחָ֔ר הֲיִצְלַ֖ח לִמְלָאכָֽה׃

[4] Behold, it is given to 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?

הִנֵּה֙ בִּֽהְיוֹת֣וֹ תָמִ֔ים לֹ֥א יֵֽעָשֶׂ֖ה לִמְלָאכָ֑ה אַ֣ף כִּי־אֵ֤שׁ אֲכָלַ֙תְהוּ֙ וַיֵּחָ֔ר וְנַעֲשָׂ֥ה ע֖וֹד לִמְלָאכָֽה׃ ס

[5] Behold, 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!

לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר עֵץ־הַגֶּ֙פֶן֙ בְּעֵ֣ץ הַיַּ֔עַר אֲשֶׁר־נְתַתִּ֥יו לָאֵ֖שׁ לְאָכְלָ֑ה כֵּ֣ן נָתַ֔תִּי אֶת־יֹשְׁבֵ֖י יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

[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 have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

וְנָתַתִּ֤י אֶת־פָּנַי֙ בָּהֶ֔ם מֵהָאֵ֣שׁ יָצָ֔אוּ וְהָאֵ֖שׁ תֹּֽאכְלֵ֑ם וִֽידַעְתֶּם֙ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה בְּשׂוּמִ֥י אֶת־פָּנַ֖י בָּהֶֽם׃

[7] And I will set my face against them. Though they escape from the fire, the fire shall yet consume them, and you will know that I am the Lord , when I set my face against them.

וְנָתַתִּ֥י אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ שְׁמָמָ֑ה יַ֚עַן מָ֣עֲלוּ מַ֔עַל נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃ פ

[8] And I will make the land desolate, because they have acted faithlessly, declares the Lord God .”