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Jeremiah 24-25
English Standard Version
Jeremiah 24-25
English Standard Version
The Good Figs and the Bad Figs
24 (A)After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken into exile from Jerusalem (B)Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, together with (C)the officials of Judah, the craftsmen, and the metal workers, and had brought them to Babylon, the Lord showed me this vision: behold, (D)two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the Lord. 2 One basket had very good figs, (E)like first-ripe figs, but the other basket had (F)very bad figs, so bad that they could not be eaten. 3 And the Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “Figs, the good figs very good, and the bad figs very bad, so bad that they cannot be eaten.”
4 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 5 “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, (G)whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. 6 (H)I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. (I)I will build them up, and not tear them down; (J)I will plant them, and not pluck them up. 7 (K)I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, (L)and they shall be my people (M)and I will be their God, (N)for they shall return to me with their whole heart.
8 “But thus says the Lord: Like (O)the bad figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten, so will I treat (P)Zedekiah the king of Judah, his officials, the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who (Q)dwell in the land of Egypt. 9 I will make them (R)a horror[a] to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be (S)a reproach, (T)a byword, (U)a taunt, and (V)a curse in all the places where I shall drive them. 10 And I will send (W)sword, famine, and pestilence upon them, until they shall be utterly destroyed from the land that I gave to them and their fathers.”
Seventy Years of Captivity
25 (X)The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), 2 which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: 3 “For twenty-three years, (Y)from the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, to this day, the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken (Z)persistently to you, (AA)but you have not listened. 4 (AB)You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the Lord (AC)persistently sent to you all his servants the prophets, 5 saying, (AD)‘Turn now, every one of you, (AE)from his evil way and evil deeds, and (AF)dwell upon the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers from of old and forever. 6 (AG)Do not go after other gods to serve and worship them, (AH)or provoke me to anger (AI)with the work of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.’ 7 (AJ)Yet you have not listened to me, declares the Lord, (AK)that you might provoke me to anger (AL)with the work of your hands to your own harm.
8 “Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my words, 9 (AM)behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the Lord, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, (AN)my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, (AO)and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation. 10 Moreover, (AP)I will banish from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, (AQ)the grinding of the millstones and (AR)the light of the lamp. 11 (AS)This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and (AT)these nations shall serve the king of Babylon (AU)seventy years. 12 Then after (AV)seventy years are completed, (AW)I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, (AX)the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the Lord, (AY)making the land an everlasting waste. 13 I will bring upon that land all the words that I have uttered against it, everything written (AZ)in this book, which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. 14 (BA)For many nations (BB)and great kings shall make slaves even of them, (BC)and I will recompense them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”
The Cup of the Lord's Wrath
15 Thus the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: (BD)“Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. 16 They shall drink and stagger and be crazed because of (BE)the sword that I am sending among them.”
17 So I took the cup from the Lord's hand, (BF)and made all the nations to whom the Lord sent me drink it: 18 (BG)Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and officials, (BH)to make them a desolation and a waste, a hissing and a curse, as at this day; 19 (BI)Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his officials, all his people, 20 and (BJ)all the mixed tribes among them; all the kings of (BK)the land of Uz and all the kings of (BL)the land of the Philistines ((BM)Ashkelon, (BN)Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of (BO)Ashdod); 21 (BP)Edom, (BQ)Moab, and the sons of (BR)Ammon; 22 all the kings of (BS)Tyre, all the kings of (BT)Sidon, and the kings of the coastland across (BU)the sea; 23 (BV)Dedan, (BW)Tema, (BX)Buz, and all who cut (BY)the corners of their hair; 24 all the (BZ)kings of Arabia and all the kings of (CA)the mixed tribes who dwell in the desert; 25 all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of (CB)Elam, and all the kings of (CC)Media; 26 all the kings of (CD)the north, far and near, one after another, and all the kingdoms of the world that are on the face of the earth. And after them the king of (CE)Babylon[b] shall drink.
27 “Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: (CF)Drink, be drunk and vomit, fall and rise no more, because of (CG)the sword that I am sending among you.’
28 “And if they refuse to accept the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: (CH)You must drink! 29 For behold, (CI)I begin to work disaster at the city that is called by my name, and shall you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, (CJ)for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the Lord of hosts.’
30 “You, therefore, shall prophesy against them all these words, and say to them:
(CK)“‘The Lord will roar from on high,
and from his holy habitation utter his voice;
he will roar mightily against his fold,
(CL)and shout, like those who tread grapes,
against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 The clamor will resound to the ends of the earth,
for (CM)the Lord has an indictment against the nations;
(CN)he is entering into judgment with all flesh,
and the wicked he will put to the sword,
declares the Lord.’
32 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
Behold, disaster is going forth
from nation to nation,
(CO)and a great tempest is stirring
(CP)from the farthest parts of the earth!
33 (CQ)“And those pierced by the Lord on that day shall extend from one end of the earth to the other. (CR)They shall not be lamented, (CS)or gathered, or buried; (CT)they shall be dung on the surface of the ground.
34 (CU)“Wail, (CV)you shepherds, and cry out,
(CW)and roll in ashes, you lords of the flock,
for the days of your slaughter and dispersion have come,
and you shall fall like a choice vessel.
35 No refuge will remain (CX)for the shepherds,
nor escape for the lords of the flock.
36 A voice—the cry (CY)of the shepherds,
(CZ)and the wail of the lords of the flock!
For the Lord is laying waste their pasture,
37 (DA)and the peaceful folds are devastated
(DB)because of the fierce anger of the Lord.
38 Like a lion (DC)he has left his lair,
for their land has become a waste
because of (DD)the sword of the oppressor,
(DE)and because of his fierce anger.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 24:9 Compare Septuagint; Hebrew horror for evil
- Jeremiah 25:26 Hebrew Sheshach, a code name for Babylon
Jeremiah 24-25
New International Version
Jeremiah 24-25
New International Version
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:
“‘The Lord will roar(DC) from on high;
he will thunder(DD) from his holy dwelling(DE)
and roar mightily against his land.
He will shout like those who tread(DF) the grapes,
shout against all who live on the earth.
31 The tumult(DG) will resound to the ends of the earth,
for the Lord will bring charges(DH) against the nations;
he will bring judgment(DI) on all(DJ) mankind
and put the wicked to the sword,(DK)’”
declares the Lord.
32 This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Look! Disaster(DL) is spreading
from nation to nation;(DM)
a mighty storm(DN) is rising
from the ends of the earth.”(DO)
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.
34 Weep and wail, you shepherds;(DS)
roll(DT) in the dust, you leaders of the flock.
For your time to be slaughtered(DU) has come;
you will fall like the best of the rams.[i](DV)
35 The shepherds will have nowhere to flee,
the leaders of the flock no place to escape.(DW)
36 Hear the cry(DX) of the shepherds,(DY)
the wailing of the leaders of the flock,
for the Lord is destroying their pasture.
37 The peaceful meadows will be laid waste
because of the fierce anger of the Lord.
38 Like a lion(DZ) he will leave his lair,
and their land will become desolate(EA)
because of the sword[j] of the oppressor(EB)
and because of the Lord’s fierce anger.(EC)
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 24:1 Hebrew Jeconiah, a variant of Jehoiachin
- Jeremiah 24:5 Or Chaldeans
- Jeremiah 24:9 That is, their names will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that they are cursed.
- Jeremiah 25:9 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
- Jeremiah 25:12 Or Chaldeans
- Jeremiah 25:18 That is, their names to be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, to be seen by others as cursed
- Jeremiah 25:23 Or who clip the hair by their foreheads
- Jeremiah 25:26 Sheshak is a cryptogram for Babylon.
- Jeremiah 25:34 Septuagint; Hebrew fall and be shattered like fine pottery
- Jeremiah 25:38 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 46:16 and 50:16); most Hebrew manuscripts anger
English Standard Version (ESV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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