Two Baskets of Figs

24 After Jehoiachin^[a](A) son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and the officials, the skilled workers and the artisans of Judah were carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Lord showed me two baskets of figs^(B) placed in front of the temple of the Lord. ² One basket had very good figs, like those that ripen early;^(C) the other basket had very bad^(D) figs, so bad they could not be eaten.

³ Then the Lord asked me, “What do you see,^(E) Jeremiah?”

“Figs,” I answered. “The good ones are very good, but the bad ones are so bad they cannot be eaten.”

⁴ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ⁵ “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent^(F) away from this place to the land of the Babylonians.^{[b] 6} My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back^(G) to this land. I will build^(H) them up and not tear them down; I will plant^(I) them and not uproot them. ⁷ I will give them a heart to know^(J) me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people,^(K) and I will be their God, for they will return^(L) to me with all their heart.^(M)

⁸ “‘But like the bad^(N) figs, which are so bad they cannot be eaten,’ says the Lord, ‘so will I deal with Zedekiah^(O) king of Judah, his officials^(P) and the survivors^(Q) from Jerusalem, whether they remain in this land or live in Egypt.^{(R) 9} I will make them abhorrent^(S) and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth, a reproach and a byword,^(T) a curse^[c](U) and an object of ridicule, wherever I banish^(V) them. ¹⁰ I will send the sword,^(W) famine^(X) and plague^(Y) against them until they are destroyed from the land I gave to them and their ancestors.^(Z)’”

Seventy Years of Captivity

25 The word came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim^(AA) son of Josiah king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar^(AB) king of Babylon. ² So Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people of Judah^(AC) and to all those living in Jerusalem: ³ For twenty-three years—from the thirteenth year of Josiah^(AD) son of Amon king of Judah until this very day—the word of the Lord has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again,^(AE) but you have not listened.^(AF)

⁴ And though the Lord has sent all his servants the prophets^(AG) to you again and again, you have not listened or paid any attention.^{(AH) 5} They said, “Turn^(AI) now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay in the land^(AJ) the Lord gave to you and your ancestors for ever and ever. ⁶ Do not follow other gods^(AK) to serve and worship them; do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.”

⁷ “But you did not listen to me,” declares the Lord, “and you have aroused^(AL) my anger with what your hands have made,^(AM) and you have brought harm^(AN) to yourselves.”

⁸ Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: “Because you have not listened to my words, ⁹ I will summon^(AO) all the peoples of the north^(AP) and my servant^(AQ) Nebuchadnezzar^(AR) king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy^[d](AS) them and make them an object of horror and scorn,^(AT) and an everlasting ruin.^{(AU) 10} I will banish from them the sounds^(AV) of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom,^(AW) the sound of millstones^(AX) and the light of the lamp.^{(AY) 11} This whole country will become a desolate wasteland,^(AZ) and these nations will serve^(BA) the king of Babylon seventy years.^(BB)

¹² “But when the seventy years^(BC) are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon^(BD) and his nation, the land of the Babylonians,^[e] for their guilt,” declares the Lord, “and will make it desolate^(BE) forever. ¹³ I will bring on that land all the things I have spoken against it, all that are written^(BF) in this book and prophesied by Jeremiah against all the nations. ¹⁴ They themselves will be enslaved^(BG) by many nations^(BH) and great kings; I will repay^(BI) them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”

The Cup of God’s Wrath

¹⁵ This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup^(BJ) filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send^(BK) you drink it. ¹⁶ When they drink^(BL) it, they will stagger^(BM) and go mad^(BN) because of the sword^(BO) I will send among them.”

¹⁷ So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and made all the nations to whom he sent^(BP) me drink it: ¹⁸ Jerusalem^(BQ) and the towns of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a ruin^(BR) and an object of horror and scorn,^(BS) a curse^[f](BT)—as they are today;^{(BU) 19} Pharaoh king^(BV) of Egypt,^(BW) his attendants, his officials and all his people, ²⁰ and all the foreign people there; all the kings of Uz;^(BX) all the kings of the Philistines^(BY) (those of Ashkelon,^(BZ) Gaza,^(CA) Ekron, and the people left at Ashdod); ²¹ Edom,^(CB) Moab^(CC) and Ammon;^{(CD) 22} all the kings of Tyre^(CE) and Sidon;^(CF) the kings of the coastlands^(CG) across the sea; ²³ Dedan,^(CH) Tema,^(CI) Buz^(CJ) and all who are in distant places^[g];^{(CK) 24} all the kings of Arabia^(CL) and all the kings of the foreign people^(CM) who live in the wilderness; ²⁵ all the kings of Zimri,^(CN) Elam^(CO) and Media;^{(CP) 26} and all the kings of the north,^(CQ) near and far, one after the other—all the kingdoms^(CR) on the face of the earth. And after all of them, the king of Sheshak^[h](CS) will drink it too.

²⁷ “Then tell them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Drink, get drunk^(CT) and vomit, and fall to rise no more because of the sword^(CU) I will send among you.’ ²⁸ But if they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink^(CV), tell them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: You must drink it! ²⁹ See, I am beginning to bring disaster^(CW) on the city that bears my Name,^(CX) and will you indeed go unpunished?^(CY) You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword^(CZ) on all^(DA) who live on the earth,^(DB) declares the Lord Almighty.’

³⁰ “Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them:

³² This is what the Lord Almighty says:

³³ At that time those slain^(DP) by the Lord will be everywhere—from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned or gathered^(DQ) up or buried,^(DR) but will be like dung lying on the ground.