The Useless Vine
Ezekiel 15
The Lord compares Jerusalem to the wood of a vine, which is useless for any craft and fit only to be burned, unlike the wood of other trees. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem, having already passed through fire once, will be given up entirely to destruction for their unfaithfulness.
About these editions
The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.
Thomson 1808Septuagint
Brenton 1851Septuagint
Greek · BrentonSeptuagint
KJV 1769Masoretic
JPS 1917Masoretic
1
ThomsonAGAIN a word of the Lord came to me, saying,
BrentonAnd the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
GreekΚαὶ ἐγένετο λόγος Κυρίου πρὸς μὲ, λέγων,
KJVAnd the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
JPSAnd the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:
2
ThomsonSon of man, why should the wood of the grape-vine be distinguished from the wood of all the branchy trees which are among the trees of the forest?
BrentonAnd thou, son of man—of all the wood of the branches that are among the trees of the forest, what shall be made of the wood of the vine?
GreekΚαὶ σὺ υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, τί ἂν γένοιτο τὸ ξύλον τῆς ἀμπέλου ἐκ πάντων τῶν ξύλων τῶν κλημάτων τῶν ὄντων ἐν τοῖς ξύλοις τοῦ δρυμοῦ;
KJVSon of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?
JPS’Son of man, what is the vine-tree more than any tree, the vine branch which grew up among the trees of the forest?
3
ThomsonCan men use the wood of it for any kind of workmanship? Can they make a pin of it to hang thereon any utensil?
BrentonWill they take wood of it to make it fit for work? will they take of it a peg to hang any vessel upon it?
GreekΕἰ λήψονται ἐξ αὐτῆς ξύλον τοῦ ποιῆσαι εἰς ἐργασίαν; εἰ λήψονται ἐξ αὐτῆς πάσσαλον τοῦ κρεμᾶσαι ἐπʼ αὐτὸν πᾶν σκεῦος;
KJVShall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?
JPSShall wood be taken thereof to make any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?
4
Thomson—
BrentonIt is only given to the fire to be consumed; the fire consumes that which is yearly pruned of it, and it is utterly gone. Will it be useful for any work?
GreekΠάρεξ ὃ πυρὶ δέδοται εἰς ἀναλωσιν, τὴν κατʼ ἐνιαυτὸν κάθαρσιν ἀπʼ αὐτῆς ἀναλίσκει τὸ πῦρ, καὶ ἐκλείπει εἰς τέλος· μὴ χρήσιμον ἔσται εἰς ἐργασίαν;
KJV—
JPS—
5
ThomsonEven when entire, it will be unfit for any work; how then, when fire hath burned it to a brand, can it serve for any work?
BrentonNot even while it is yet whole will it be useful for any work: if the fire shall have utterly consumed it, will it still be fit for work?
GreekΟὐδὲ ἔτι αὐτοῦ ὄντος ὁλοκλήρου οὐκ ἔσται εἰς ἐργασίαν; μὴ ὅτι ἐὰν καὶ πῦρ αὐτὸ ἀναλώσῃ εἰς τέλος, εἰ ἔτι ἔσται εἰς ἐργασίαν.
KJVBehold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned?
JPSBehold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work; how much less, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is singed, shall it yet be meet for any work?
6
ThomsonSay therefore, Thus saith the Lord: Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have doomed to be destroyed by fire, so have I doomed the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
BrentonTherefore say, Thus saith the Lord, As the vine-tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given up to the fire to be consumed, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
GreekΔιὰ τοῦτο εἰπὸν, Τάδε λέγει Κύριος, ὃν τρόπον τὸ ξύλον τῆς ἀμπέλου ἐν τοῖς ξύλοις τοῦ δρυμοῦ ὃ δέδωκα αὐτὸ πυρὶ εἰς ἀνάλωσιν, οὕτως δέδωκα τοὺς κατοικοῦντας Ἰερουσαλήμ.
KJVTherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
JPSTherefore thus saith the Lord GOD: As the vine-tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so do I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
7
ThomsonAnd I will set My face against them. When they escape out of one fire another shall devour them. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I set My face against them.
BrentonAnd I will set my face against them; they shall go forth of the fire, and yet fire shall devour them; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have set my face against them.
GreekΚαὶ δώσω τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ἐπʼ αὐτούς· ἐκ τοῦ πυρὸς ἐξελεύσονται, καὶ πῦρ αὐτοὺς καταφάγεται, καὶ ἐπιγνώσονται ὅτι ἐγὼ Κύριος ἐν τῷ στηρίσαι με τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ἐπʼ αὐτούς.
KJVAnd I will set my face against them; they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them.
JPSAnd I will set My face against them; out of the fire are they come forth, and the fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I set My face against them.
8
ThomsonAnd I will make the land a desolation for their apostacy, saith the Lord.
BrentonAnd I will give up the land to ruin, because they have utterly transgressed, saith the Lord.
GreekΚαὶ δώσω τὴν γῆν εἰς ἀφανισμὸν, ἀνθʼ ὧν παρέπεσον παραπτώματι, λέγει Κύριος.
KJVAnd I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord GOD.
JPSAnd I will make the land desolate, because they have acted treacherously, saith the Lord GOD.’