Daily Bread

Jerusalem as a Useless Vine

15 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, how is the wood of a vine^(A) different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest? ³ Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful?^(B) Do they make pegs^(C) from it to hang things on? ⁴ And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and the fire burns both ends and chars the middle, is it then useful for anything?^{(D) 5} If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it is charred?

⁶ “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem. ⁷ I will set my face against^(E) them. Although they have come out of the fire^(F), the fire will yet consume them. And when I set my face against them, you will know that I am the Lord.^{(G) 8} I will make the land desolate^(H) because they have been unfaithful,^(I) declares the Sovereign Lord.”

Jerusalem as an Adulterous Wife

16 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, confront^(J) Jerusalem with her detestable practices^{(K) 3} and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Jerusalem: Your ancestry^(L) and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father^(M) was an Amorite^(N) and your mother a Hittite.^{(O) 4} On the day you were born^(P) your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. ⁵ No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.

⁶ “‘Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!”^{[a](Q) 7} I made you grow^(R) like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, yet you were stark naked.^(S)

⁸ “‘Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment^(T) over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant^(U) with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.^(V)

⁹ “‘I bathed you with water and washed^(W) the blood from you and put ointments on you. ¹⁰ I clothed you with an embroidered^(X) dress and put sandals of fine leather on you. I dressed you in fine linen^(Y) and covered you with costly garments.^{(Z) 11} I adorned you with jewelry:^(AA) I put bracelets^(AB) on your arms and a necklace^(AC) around your neck, ¹² and I put a ring on your nose,^(AD) earrings^(AE) on your ears and a beautiful crown^(AF) on your head.^{(AG) 13} So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes^(AH) were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oil^(AI) and the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen.^{(AJ) 14} And your fame^(AK) spread among the nations on account of your beauty,^(AL) because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AM)

¹⁵ “‘But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by^(AN) and your beauty became his.^{(AO) 16} You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places,^(AP) where you carried on your prostitution.^(AQ) You went to him, and he possessed your beauty.^{[b] 17} You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, the jewelry made of my gold and silver, and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with them.^{(AR) 18} And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense^(AS) before them. ¹⁹ Also the food I provided for you—the flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat—you offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what happened, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AT)

²⁰ “‘And you took your sons and daughters^(AU) whom you bore to me^(AV) and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough?^{(AW) 21} You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols.^{(AX) 22} In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth,^(AY) when you were naked and bare,^(AZ) kicking about in your blood.^(BA)

²³ “‘Woe!^(BB) Woe to you, declares the Sovereign Lord. In addition to all your other wickedness, ²⁴ you built a mound for yourself and made a lofty shrine^(BC) in every public square.^{(BD) 25} At every street corner^(BE) you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, spreading your legs with increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by.^{(BF) 26} You engaged in prostitution^(BG) with the Egyptians,^(BH) your neighbors with large genitals, and aroused my anger^(BI) with your increasing promiscuity.^{(BJ) 27} So I stretched out my hand^(BK) against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over^(BL) to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines,^(BM) who were shocked by your lewd conduct. ²⁸ You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians^(BN) too, because you were insatiable; and even after that, you still were not satisfied.^{(BO) 29} Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia,^[c](BP) a land of merchants, but even with this you were not satisfied.^(BQ)

³⁰ “‘I am filled with fury against you,^[d] declares the Sovereign Lord, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute!^{(BR) 31} When you built your mounds at every street corner and made your lofty shrines^(BS) in every public square, you were unlike a prostitute, because you scorned payment.

³² “‘You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband! ³³ All prostitutes receive gifts,^(BT) but you give gifts^(BU) to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.^{(BV) 34} So in your prostitution you are the opposite of others; no one runs after you for your favors. You are the very opposite, for you give payment and none is given to you.