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24 It was after N’vukhadretzar king of Bavel had carried Y’khanyahu the son of Y’hoyakim, king of Y’hudah, along with the leaders of Y’hudah, the artisans and the skilled workers into exile from Yerushalayim and brought them to Bavel, that Adonai gave me a vision. There, in front of the temple of Adonai, two baskets of figs were placed. One of the baskets had in it very good figs, like those that ripen first; while the other basket had very bad figs, so bad that they were inedible. Then Adonai asked me, “Yirmeyahu, what do you see?” I answered, “Figs — the good figs are very good; but the bad ones are very bad, so bad they are inedible.” The word of Adonai came to me: “Here is what Adonai the God of Isra’el says: ‘I will regard the exiles from Y’hudah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Kasdim, as good, just as I do these good figs.

“‘I will look after them for their good,
I will bring them back to this land;
I will build them up and not tear them down,
plant them and not pull them up.
I will give them a heart to know me
that I am Adonai.
They will be my people,
and I will be their God;
for they will return to me
with all their heart.’

“But concerning the bad figs that are so bad as to be inedible, Adonai says: ‘I will make Tzidkiyahu the king of Y’hudah and his leaders resemble them, likewise the rest of Yerushalayim remaining in this land and those living in the land of Egypt. Everywhere I drive them I will make them an object of horror, repulsive to all the kingdoms of the earth, a disgrace, a byword, a laughingstock and a curse; 10 and I will send sword, famine and plague among them until they have disappeared from the land I gave them and their ancestors.’”

24 Hashem showed me, and, hinei, two baskets of figs were set in front of the Heikhal Hashem; after that Nevuchadretzar Melech Bavel had carried away into the Golus Melech Yehudah Yechanyah ben Y’hoyakim, and the sarim (princes) of Yehudah, with the craftsmen and artisans, from Yerushalayim, and had brought them to Babylon.

One basket had figs tovot me’od, even like the figs that are early ripening; and the other basket had figs ra’ot me’od, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.

Then said Hashem unto me, What seest thou, Yirmeyah? And I answered, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the bad, very bad, that cannot be eaten they are so bad.

Again the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

Thus saith Hashem Elohei Yisroel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that of Yehudah are carried away unto the Golus, whom I have sent out of this place into the Eretz Kasdim (Chaldeans) for their good.

For I will set mine eyes over them for tovah, and I will bring them again to ha’aretz hazot; and I will build them up, and not tear them down; and I will plant them, and not uproot them.

And I will give them a lev to have da’as of me, that I am Hashem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their Elohim; for they shall return unto Me with all their lev.

And as the bad figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so bad, surely thus saith Hashem, So will I give Tzidkiyah Melech Yehudah, and his sarim (princes), and the she’erit Yerushalayim, that remain in ha’aretz hazot, and them that dwell in Eretz Mitzrayim;

And I will deliver them for abhorrence, for an offense to kol mamlechot ha’aretz to be a reproach and a byword, a taunt and a kelalah (curse) in all places where I shall drive them.

10 And I will send the cherev, the ra’av (famine), and the dever (pestilence), among them, until they are consumed from off ha’aretz that I gave unto them and to their avot.