3 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.”

⁹ So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’^[a]”^{(A) 10} I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth,^(B) but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.

¹⁷ “Son of man, I have made you a watchman^(A) for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.^{(B) 18} When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,^(C)’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for^[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.^{(D) 19} But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn^(E) from their wickedness^(F) or from their evil ways, they will die^(G) for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.^(H)

²⁰ “Again, when a righteous person turns^(I) from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block^(J) before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.^{(K) 21} But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.^(L)”

⁸ But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel^(A) like that rebellious people;^(B) open your mouth and eat^(C) what I give you.”

⁹ Then I looked, and I saw a hand^(D) stretched out to me. In it was a scroll,^(E)

¹⁵ Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.

¹⁵ I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Aviv near the Kebar River.^(A) And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days^(B)—deeply distressed.

¹⁰ And he said to me, “Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart^(A) all the words I speak to you. ¹¹ Go^(B) now to your people in exile and speak to them. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says,’^(C) whether they listen or fail to listen.^(D)”

³ He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day.^(A)

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)