וַיְהִי דְבַר־ה' אֵלַי לֵאמֹר׃

The word of the Lord was with me, saying:

בֶּן־אָדָם מַה־יִּהְיֶה עֵץ־הַגֶּפֶן מִכָּל־עֵץ הַזְּמוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר הָיָה בַּעֲצֵי הַיָּעַר

Son of man, what will be of the vine tree beyond any tree? How is it more significant than any other tree, and how is the vine branch that was among the trees of the forest more esteemed than the other trees? From halakhic and other perspectives, the vine is itself a tree, but it differs from the other trees in the manner described in the following verses.

הֲיֻקַּח מִמֶּנּוּ עֵץ לַעֲשׂוֹת לִמְלָאכָה! אִם־יִקְחוּ מִמֶּנּוּ יָתֵד לִתְלוֹת עָלָיו כָּל־כֶּלִי

Can wood be taken from it to use for labor? Does anyone carve utensils or build furniture from a vine tree? No one does, as vines remain soft and weak even after they have matured. Will they take wood to fashion a peg from it, to use to hang any vessel upon it? This is also not done, for the same reason.

הִנֵּה לָאֵשׁ נִתַּן לְאָכְלָה אֵת שְׁנֵי קְצוֹתָיו אָכְלָה הָאֵשׁ וְתוֹכוֹ נָחָר הֲיִצְלַח ִמְלָאכָה !

Behold, if it has been given to the fire to be consumed; the fire will have immediately consumed its two ends, and its inside is charred. Since the inside of the vine is soft, when it is placed in the fire, it dries out completely and burns. If so, will it be effective for any kind of labor?

הִנֵּה בִּהְיוֹתוֹ תָמִים לֹא יֵעָשֶׂה לִמְלָאכָה אַף כִּי אֵשׁ אֲכָלַתְהוּ וַיֵּחָר וְנַעֲשָׂה עוֹד לִמְלָאכָה!

Behold, even when it was whole it could not be used for labor; all the more so when fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it yet be used for labor?

לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים כַּאֲשֶׁר עֵץ־הַגֶּפֶן בְּעֵץ הַיַּעַר אֲשֶׁר־נְתַתִּיו לָאֵשׁ לְאָכְלָה כֵּן נָתַתִּי אֶת־יֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם

Therefore, so said the Lord God: Like the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for consumption, as it serves no other purpose, so I have rendered the inhabitants of Jerusalem. From the beginning, they did not have much merit, and now, after enduring one conquest after another and they are subjugated to foreign nations, their status is similar to that of the burnt vine: They are of no use.

וְנָתַתִּי אֶת־פָּנַי בָּהֶם מֵהָאֵשׁ יָצָאוּ וְהָאֵשׁ תֹּאכְלֵם וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי־אֲנִי ה' בְּשׂוּמִי אֶת־פָּנַי בָּהֶם

I will direct My attention against them; from the fire of previous conquests they emerged, but the fire will again consume them, and you will know that I am the Lord, when I direct My attention against them.

וְנָתַתִּי אֶת־הָאָרֶץ שְׁמָמָה יַעַן מָעֲלוּ מַעַל נְאֻם ה' אֱלוֹהִים

Ultimately, I will make the land desolate, because they committed a trespass – the utterance of the Lord God.