Jerusalem the Useless Vine

1And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2And 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? 3Will they take wood of it to make it fit for work? will they take of it a peg to hang any vessel upon it? 4It 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? 5Not 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? 6Therefore 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. 7And 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. 8And I will give up the land to ruin, because they have utterly transgressed, saith the Lord.