“ Son of man, how is the wood of a vine different from the wood of any tree in the forest?

“人子啊，葡萄树比别样树有什么强处？葡萄枝比众树枝有什么好处？

“人子啊，葡萄树比一切其他的树，就是树林里众树木的树枝，有什么长处呢？

“人子啊，葡萄树比一切其他的树，就是树林里众树木的树枝，有什么长处呢？

“人子啊，葡萄木比林中其他木材更好吗？

“人子啊！葡萄树的木料怎能胜过树林中的枝子呢？

「人子啊，葡萄樹比別樣樹有甚麼強處？葡萄枝比眾樹枝有甚麼好處？

「人子啊，葡萄樹比一切其他的樹，就是樹林裏眾樹木的樹枝，有甚麼長處呢？

「人子啊，葡萄樹比一切其他的樹，就是樹林裏眾樹木的樹枝，有甚麼長處呢？

「人子啊，葡萄木比林中其他木材更好嗎？

“人子啊！葡萄樹的木料怎能勝過樹林中的枝子呢？

『人子啊，葡萄樹比別樣樹有甚麼強處呢？森林樹木中的葡萄枝比別的樹枝有甚麼好處呢？

人子歟、葡萄樹在眾木中、葡萄枝在叢林中、有何長乎、

人子、葡萄之樹、豈得於林中眾木、等量齊觀乎。

人子、葡萄樹較諸他樹、有何長乎、葡萄樹枝、在林之諸樹中、有何勝乎、

“ Son of man, how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest?

“ Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest?

“ Son of man, how does a grapevine compare to a tree? Is a vine’s wood as useful as the wood of a tree?

“ Son of man, how does the wood of the vine, that branch among the trees of the forest, compare to any other wood?

“ Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any wood of a branch which is among the trees of the forest?

“ Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any other wood, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest?

Son of man, what is the vine- tree more than any tree, the vine- branch which is among the trees of the forest?

“ Son of man, how does the wood of the vine, that branch among the trees of the forest, compare to any other wood?

Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree,[ or than] a branch which is among the trees of the forest?

“ Son of man, of all the woody branches among the trees of the forest, what happens to the wood of the vine?

“ Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any tree, the vine- branch which is among the trees of the forest?

I will sing a song for the Lord. He is the one I love. It’s a song about his vineyard Israel. The one I love had a vineyard. It was on a hillside that had rich soil.He dug up the soil and removed its stones. He planted the very best vines in it. He built a lookout tower there. He also cut out a winepress for it. Then he kept looking for a crop of good grapes. But the vineyard produced only bad fruit.So the Lord said,“ People of Jerusalem and Judah, you be the judge between me and my vineyard.What more could I have done for my vineyard? I did everything I could. I kept looking for a crop of good grapes. So why did it produce only bad ones?Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard. I will take away its fence. And the vineyard will be destroyed. I will break down its wall. And people will walk all over my vineyard.I will turn my vineyard into a dry and empty desert. It will not be pruned or taken care of. Thorns and bushes will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.”The vineyard of the Lord who rules over all is the nation of Israel. The people of Judah are the vines he took delight in. He kept looking for them to do what is fair. But all he saw was blood being spilled. He kept looking for them to do what is right. But all he heard were cries of suffering.

Israel was like a spreading vine. They produced fruit for themselves. As they grew more fruit, they built more altars. As their land became richer, they made more beautiful the sacred stones they worshiped.

You brought Israel out of Egypt. Israel was like a vine. After you drove the nations out of Canaan, you planted the vine in their land.You prepared the ground for it. It took root and spread out over the whole land.The mountains were covered with its shade. The shade of its branches covered the mighty cedar trees.Your vine sent its branches out all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. They reached as far as the Euphrates River.Why have you broken down the walls around your vine? Now all who pass by it can pick its grapes.Wild pigs from the forest destroy it. Insects from the fields feed on it.God who rules over all, return to us! Look down from heaven and see us! Watch over your vine.Guard the root you have planted with your powerful right hand. Take care of the branch you have raised up for yourself.Your vine has been cut down and burned in the fire. You have been angry with us, and we are dying.

You were like a good vine when I planted you. You were a healthy plant. Then how did you turn against me? How did you become a bad, wild vine?

“ I went down to a grove of nut trees. I wanted to look at the new plants growing in the valley. I wanted to find out whether the vines had budded. I wanted to see if the pomegranate trees had bloomed.

Jesus went on to tell the people a story.“ A man planted a vineyard,” he said.“ He rented it out to some farmers. Then he went away for a long time.At harvest time he sent a slave to the renters. They were supposed to give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the renters beat the slave. Then they sent him away with nothing.So the man sent another slave. They beat that one and treated him badly. They also sent him away with nothing.The man sent a third slave. The renters wounded him and threw him out.“ Then the owner of the vineyard said,‘ What should I do? I have a son, and I love him. I will send him. Maybe they will respect him.’“ But when the renters saw the son, they talked the matter over.‘ This is the one who will receive all the owner’s property someday,’ they said.‘ Let’s kill him. Then everything will be ours.’So they threw him out of the vineyard. And they killed him.“ What will the owner of the vineyard do to the renters?He will come and kill them. He will give the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they said,“ We hope this never happens!”

“ I am the true vine. My Father is the gardener.He cuts off every branch joined to me that does not bear fruit. He trims every branch that does bear fruit. Then it will bear even more fruit.You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.Remain joined to me, just as I also remain joined to you. No branch can bear fruit by itself. It must remain joined to the vine. In the same way, you can’t bear fruit unless you remain joined to me.“ I am the vine. You are the branches. If you remain joined to me, and I to you, you will bear a lot of fruit. You can’t do anything without me.If you don’t remain joined to me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and dries up. Branches like those are picked up. They are thrown into the fire and burned.

Catch the foxes for us. Catch the little foxes. They destroy our vineyards. The vineyards are in bloom.”

Let’s go out to the vineyards early. Let’s go and see if the vines have budded. Let’s find out whether their flowers have opened. Let’s see if the pomegranate trees are blooming. There I will give you my love.

Solomon, you had a vineyard in Baal Hamon. You rented your vineyard to others. They had to pay 25 pounds of silver for its fruit.But I can give my own vineyard to anyone I want to. So I give my 25 pounds of silver to you, Solomon. Give 5 pounds to those who take care of its fruit.”

Juniper trees, cry out! The cedar trees have fallen down. The majestic trees are destroyed. Cry out, you oak trees of Bashan! The thick forest has been cut down.

The fig trees are producing their early fruit. The flowers on the vines are giving off their sweet smell. Rise up and come, my love. Come with me, my beautiful one.’ ”

So because of what you have done, Zion will be plowed up like a field. Jerusalem will be turned into a pile of trash. The temple hill will be covered with bushes and weeds.

“ Listen to another story. A man who owned some land planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it. He dug a pit for a winepress in it. He also built a lookout tower. He rented the vineyard out to some farmers. Then he moved to another place.When harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the renters. He told the slaves to collect his share of the fruit.“ But the renters grabbed his slaves. They beat one of them. They killed another. They threw stones at the third to kill him.Then the man sent other slaves to the renters. He sent more than he did the first time. The renters treated them the same way.Last of all, he sent his son to them.‘ They will respect my son,’ he said.“ But the renters saw the son coming. They said to one another,‘ This is the one who will receive all the owner’s property someday. Come, let’s kill him. Then everything will be ours.’So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard. Then they killed him.“ When the owner of the vineyard comes back, what will he do to those renters?”“ He will destroy those evil people,” they replied.“ Then he will rent the vineyard out to other renters. They will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

Jesus began to speak to the people using stories. He said,“ A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it. He dug a pit for a winepress. He also built a lookout tower. He rented the vineyard out to some farmers. Then he went to another place.At harvest time he sent a servant to the renters. He told the servant to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.But they grabbed the servant and beat him up. Then they sent him away with nothing.So the man sent another servant to the renters. They hit this one on the head and treated him badly.The man sent still another servant. The renters killed him. The man sent many others. The renters beat up some of them. They killed the others.“ The man had one person left to send. It was his son, and he loved him. He sent him last of all. He said,‘ They will respect my son.’“ But the renters said to each other,‘ This is the one who will receive all the owner’s property someday. Come, let’s kill him. Then everything will be ours.’So they took him and killed him. They threw him out of the vineyard.“ What will the owner of the vineyard do then? He will come and kill those renters. He will give the vineyard to others.

Sing for joy, you heavens! The Lord does wonderful things. Shout out loud, you earth! Burst into song, you mountains! Sing, you forests and all your trees! The Lord sets the family of Jacob free. He shows his glory in Israel.

Their vine comes from the vines of Sodom. It comes from the vineyards of Gomorrah. Their grapes are filled with poison. Their bunches of grapes taste bitter.Their wine is like the poison of snakes. It’s like the deadly poison of cobras.