Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

King James Version

Ezekiel 15:5

Behold, 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?

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Ezekiel;   Vine;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ezekiel;   Vine, Vineyard;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Fuel;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Even when it was whole it could not be made into a useful object. How much less can it ever be made into anything useful when the fire has devoured it and it is charred!”
Hebrew Names Version
Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less, when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned, shall it yet be meet for any work!
English Standard Version
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!
New American Standard Bible
"Behold, while it is intact, it is not made into anything. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it still be made into anything!
New Century Version
When the vine was whole, it couldn't be made into anything. When the fire has burned it completely, it certainly cannot be made into anything."
Amplified Bible
"Notice this, even when it was complete, it was not useful and was not made into anything. How much less, after the fire has burned [part of] it and [the remainder of] it is charred, can it still be made into anything?
World English Bible
Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less, when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned, shall it yet be meet for any work!
Geneva Bible (1587)
Behold, when it was whole, it was meete for no worke: how much lesse shall it bee meete for any worke, when the fire hath consumed it, and it is burnt?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Behold, while it is intact, it is not made into anything. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it still be made into anything!
Legacy Standard Bible
Behold, while it is intact, it is not made into anything. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it still be made into anything!
Berean Standard Bible
Even when it was whole, it could not be made useful. How much less can it ever be useful when the fire has consumed and charred it!
Contemporary English Version
The wood is useless before it is burned, and afterwards, it is completely worthless.
Complete Jewish Bible
When it was whole, it was good for nothing; so how much less, when the fire has consumed it, and it is singed, will it be useful for making something!
Darby Translation
Behold, when it was whole, it was used for no work; how much less when the fire hath consumed it, and it is burned, should it yet be used for any work?
Easy-to-Read Version
If you cannot make anything from that wood before it is burned, you surely cannot make anything from that wood after it is burned!
George Lamsa Translation
Behold, when it was whole, it was not useful for implements; how much less shall it be useful when the fire has devoured it and it is destroyed?
Good News Translation
It was useless even before it was burned. Now that the fire has burned it and charred it, it is even more useless."
Lexham English Bible
Look! When it is in perfect condition, it will not be used for anything, how much less when the fire has consumed it and it is charred; and then can it be used again for anything?
Literal Translation
Behold, when it was whole it was not made for work. How much less when the fire has devoured it, and it is charred! Shall it yet be made to work?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Seinge then, that it was mete for no worke, beinge whole: moch lesse maye there eny thinge be made of it, when the fyre hath consumed and brent it.
American Standard Version
Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned, shall it yet be meet for any work!
Bible in Basic English
Truly, before it was cut down, it was not used for any purpose: how much less, when the fire has made a meal of it and it is burned, will it be made into anything?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Behold, 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?
King James Version (1611)
Behold, when it was whole it was meete for no worke: how much lesse shall it be meete yet for any worke, when the fire hath deuoured it, and it is burned?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Seeing then that it was meete for no worke beyng whole, muche lesse may there any thing be made of it when the fire hath consumed and brent it.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Not 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?
English Revised Version
Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned, shall it yet be meet for any work?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Yhe, whanne it was hool, it was not couenable to werk; hou myche more whanne fier hath deuourid, and hath brent it, no thing of werk schal be maad therof?
Update Bible Version
Look, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less, when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned, shall it yet be meet for any work!
Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, when it was whole, it was fit for no work: how much less then shall it be fit for [any] work, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned?
New English Translation
Indeed! If it was not made into anything useful when it was whole, how much less can it be made into anything when the fire has burned it up and it is charred?
New King James Version
Indeed, when it was whole, no object could be made from it. How much less will it be useful for any work when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned?
New Living Translation
Vines are useless both before and after being put into the fire!
New Life Bible
See, if it is not used for anything while it is whole, how much less can it ever be used for anything when the fire has burned it up and it has turned black!
New Revised Standard
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!
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Lo! when it was yet whole, it could not be made into any work, - how much less when !the fire hath devoured it. and it is charred, can it still be made into any work?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Even when it was whole it was not fit for work: how much less, when the fire hath devoured and consumed it, shall any work be made of it?
Revised Standard Version
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!
Young's Literal Translation
Lo, in its being perfect it is not used for work, How much less, when fire hath eaten of it, And it is scorched, Hath it been used yet for work?
THE MESSAGE
"Hardly. When it was whole it wasn't good for anything. Half-burned is no improvement. What's it good for?

Contextual Overview

1 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest? 3 Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon? 4 Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it meet for any work? 5 Behold, 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? 6 Therefore 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. 7 And 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. 8 And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord God .

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

meet: Heb. made fit, Jeremiah 3:16, *marg.

Cross-References

Genesis 12:2
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Genesis 13:16
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
Genesis 15:7
And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.
Genesis 15:8
And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
Genesis 16:10
And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
Genesis 22:17
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
Genesis 26:4
And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
Genesis 28:14
And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
Exodus 32:13
Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.
Deuteronomy 1:10
The Lord your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Behold, when it was whole it was meet for no work,.... Before it was cut into pieces, and east into the fire, it was not fit to make so much as a pin of to hang anything on; so Israel, when all together, before the ten tribes were carried captive, or the Jews before the captivity of Jeconiah, were useless and unfruitful, and to every good work reprobate:

how much less shall it be meet yet for [any] work when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned? as its wood is good for nothing before it is burned, its ashes are useless after.


 
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