The Good and the Bad Figs

24 After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had deported Jeconiah^[a] son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, the officials of Judah, and the craftsmen and metalsmiths^(A) from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon, the Lord showed me two baskets of figs^(B) placed before the temple of the Lord. ² One basket contained very good figs, like early figs,^(C) but the other basket contained very bad figs, so bad they were inedible. ³ The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “Figs! The good figs are very good, but the bad figs are extremely bad, so bad they are inedible.”

⁴ The word of the Lord came to me: ⁵ “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Like these good figs, so I regard as good the exiles from Judah I sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. ⁶ I will keep My eyes on them for their good and will return them to this land. I will build them up and not demolish them; I will plant them and not uproot them.^{(D) 7} I will give them a heart to know Me,^(E) that I am Yahweh. They will be My people, and I will be their God because they will return to Me with all their heart.^(F)

⁸ “But as for the bad figs, so bad they are inedible,^(G) this is what the Lord says: in this way I will deal with king Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem—those remaining in this land and those living in the land of Egypt.^{(H) 9} I will make them an object of horror^(I) and disaster to all the kingdoms of the earth, a disgrace, an object of scorn, ridicule,^(J) and cursing, wherever I have banished them. ¹⁰ I will send the sword, famine, and plague^(K) against them until they have perished from the land I gave to them and their ancestors.”

The Seventy-Year Exile

25 This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim^(L) son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon). ² The prophet Jeremiah spoke concerning all the people of Judah and all the residents of Jerusalem as follows: ³ “From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon,^(M) king of Judah, until this very day—23 years—the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken to you time and time again,^[b](N) but you have not obeyed. ⁴ The Lord sent all His servants the prophets to you time and time again,^[c] but you have not obeyed or even paid attention.^{[d](O) 5} He announced, ‘Turn, each of you, from your^[e] evil way of life and from your evil deeds.^(P) Live in the land the Lord gave to you and your ancestors long ago and forever. ⁶ Do not follow other gods to serve them and to worship them,^(Q) and do not provoke Me to anger by the work of your hands.^(R) Then I will do you no harm.

⁷ “‘But you would not obey Me’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘in order that you might provoke Me to anger by the work of your hands and bring disaster on yourselves.’

⁸ “Therefore, this is what the Lord of Hosts says: ‘Because you have not obeyed My words, ⁹ I am going to send for all the families of the north’^(S)—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘and send for My servant^(T) Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will bring them against this land, against its residents, and against all these surrounding nations, and I will completely destroy them and make them a desolation,^(U) a derision, and ruins forever. ¹⁰ I will eliminate the sound of joy and gladness from them—the voice of the groom and the bride,^(V) the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. ¹¹ This whole land will become a desolate ruin, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for 70 years.^{(W) 12} When the 70 years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘the land of the Chaldeans, for their guilt, and I will make it a ruin forever.^{(X) 13} I will bring on that land all My words I have spoken against it, all that is written in this book that Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. ¹⁴ For many nations and great kings will enslave them, and I will repay them according to their deeds^(Y) and the work of their hands.’”