Old/New Testament
Parable of the Baskets of Figs
24 Adonai showed me, all of a sudden, there were two baskets of figs set before the Temple of Adonai. It was after King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had taken away into exile Jeconiah son of King Jehoiakim of Judah and the princes of Judah, along with the craftsmen and smiths from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.
2 One basket had very good figs, like the figs that are first ripe, but the other basket had very bad figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad. 3 Then Adonai said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
So I said, “Figs—the good figs are very good, but the bad are very bad, and cannot be eaten, they are so bad.”
4 Then the word of Adonai came to me, saying, 5 thus says Adonai, the God of Israel: “Like these good figs, so will I regard the exiles of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place to the land of the Chaldeans, as good. 6 I will set My eyes on them as good. I will bring them back to this land, and I will build them up and not pull them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. 7 Then I will give them a heart to know Me—for I am Adonai—and they will be My people, and I will be their God.[a] For they will return to Me with their whole heart.
8 “Now as for the bad figs, which cannot be eaten they are so bad”—surely thus says Adonai—“so I will give up Zedekiah the king of Judah, his princes and the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, as well as those dwelling in the land of Egypt. 9 I will even give them as a horror, as an evil thing, among all the kingdoms of the earth—as a disgrace and a proverb, a taunt and a curse—in all places where I will drive them. 10 I will also send the sword, famine and pestilence among them, until they be consumed from off the land that I gave to them and to their fathers.”
Unheard Voice of the Prophets
25 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon). 2 Jeremiah the prophet spoke it to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying: 3 “From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, until this day—these 23 years—the word of Adonai has come to me. So I have spoken to you, speaking early and often, but you have not listened. 4 Moreover, Adonai has sent to you all His servants the prophets, sending them early and often—but you have not listened or inclined your ear to hear— 5 saying: ‘Turn, now, everyone from his evil way, and from the evil of your deeds, and dwell in the land that Adonai has given to you and to your fathers forever and ever. 6 Do not go after other gods to serve them, to worship them, and so do not provoke Me with the work of your hands, so I would do you no harm.’
7 “Yet you have not listened to Me,” declares Adonai. “So you are provoking Me with the work of your hands, to your own hurt.”
8 Therefore thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: “Since you have not heard My words, 9 I will soon send for and bring all the families of the north”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“and I will send for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, and against its inhabitants, and against all these nations round about, and I will utterly destroy them, and make them a horror, and a hissing, an enduring desolation.
10 “Moreover, I will silence among them the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride,[b] the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp.
Seventy Years of Desolation
11 “So this whole land will be a desolate ruin, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for 70 years. 12 Then it will come to pass, when 70 years are completed, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,” declares Adonai, “the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, and I will make it ruins forever. 13 I will bring on that land all My words which I pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations. 14 For many nations and great kings will make slaves of them also. So I will repay them according to their deeds and according to the work of their own hands.”
Cup of Fury and Reeling
15 For thus says Adonai, the God of Israel, to me: “Take this cup of the wine of fury from My hand, and make all the nations to whom I am sending you drink it. 16 They will drink, and reel to and fro, and be like madmen, because of the sword that I will send among them. 17 Then I took the cup from Adonai’s hand, and made all the nations drink, to whom Adonai had sent me: 18 Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with its kings and its princes—to make them an appalling horror and hissing, a curse as it is this day; 19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, with his servants, his princes and all his people; 20 and all the mingled people, all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the land of the Philistines, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod; 21 Edom, Moab, and Ammon’s children; 22 all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the coastland across the sea; 23 Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who shave the corners[c]; 24 all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the mixed people dwelling in the wilderness; 25 all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam and all the kings of Media; 26 all the kings of the north, either far or close to another; and all the kingdoms of the world which are on the face of the earth. And the king of Sheshach[d] will drink after them.”
27 And you will say to them, thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Israel: “Drink, be drunken, vomit, fall down and rise no more, because of the sword that I will send among you.” 28 And if they refuse to take the cup at your hand to drink, then here is what you will say to them: “Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, you will surely drink! 29 See, I am beginning to bring evil on the city where My name is called, and should you go completely unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth.” It is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot.
30 Therefore you are to prophesy against them all these words, and say to them:
“Adonai is roaring from on high,
giving voice from His holy dwelling.
He roars mightily over His sheepfold.
He shouts like those who tread grapes,
against all who dwell on the earth.
31 A noise has come to the end of the earth,
for Adonai has a dispute with the nations.
He is passing judgment on all flesh.
As for the wicked, He has given them over to the sword.”
It is a declaration of Adonai.
32 Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot:
“Evil will soon go forth from nation to nation. A great storm is being stirred up from the uttermost parts of the earth. 33 Those slain by Adonai on that day will be from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth. They will not be lamented, gathered, or buried; they will be dung on the surface of the ground.”
34 Wail, you shepherds, and cry!
Wallow in the dust, you leaders of the flock!
For the days of your slaughter and your dispersions are full.
You will fall like a precious vase.
35 For the shepherds will have no way to flee,
nor the leaders of the flock to escape.
36 Hark! The outcry of the shepherds,
the wailing of the leaders of the flock!
For Adonai is ravaging their pasture.
37 The peace of the pasture is stifled
because of the fierce anger of Adonai.
38 He has left His lair, like a lion.
For their land has become a waste,
because of the fury of the oppressor
and because of His fierce anger.
Surviving a Death Sentence
26 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from Adonai, saying, 2 thus says Adonai: “Stand in the court of Adonai’s House, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in Adonai’s House all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not omit a word! 3 Perhaps they will listen, and turn every man from his evil way, so I may relent of the calamity which I am planning to do to them because of the evil of their deeds.”
4 Then you will say to them, thus says Adonai: “If you will not listen to Me, by walking in My Torah, which I have set before you, 5 and by listening to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I have been sending to you, early and often—but you have not listened— 6 then I will make this House like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.”
7 So the kohanim, the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the House of Adonai.
8 Now when Jeremiah finished speaking all that Adonai had commanded him to speak to all the people, the kohanim and the prophets and all the people laid hold on him, saying: “You will surely die! 9 Why have you prophesied in the Name of Adonai, saying, ‘This House will be like Shiloh, and this city will be an uninhabited ruin?’” Then all the people gathered against Jeremiah in the House of Adonai.
10 When the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s palace to the House of Adonai, and sat in the entrance of the New Gate of Adonai’s House. 11 The kohanim and the prophets spoke to the princes and to all the people, saying: “A death sentence for this man! For he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.”
12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the princes and to all the people, saying: “Adonai sent me to prophesy all the words you have heard against this House and against this city. 13 So now, mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of Adonai your God; so Adonai will relent of the calamity that He has pronounced against you.
14 “But as for me, here I am in your hand; do with me as is good and right in your eyes. 15 Only know for certain that, if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants. For in truth Adonai has sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”
16 Then said the princes and all the people to the kohanim and to the prophets: “No death sentence for this man! For he has spoken to us in the Name of Adonai our God.”
17 Then some of the elders of the land rose up and addressed all the assembly of the people, saying: 18 “Micah the Morashtite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot:
‘Zion will be plowed as a field,
and Jerusalem will become ruins,
and the mountain of the House
as the high places of a forest.’
19 “Did King Hezekiah of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Didn’t he fear Adonai and plead for the favor of Adonai, and then Adonai relented of the calamity that He had pronounced against them? So we may be committing great evil against our own souls.”
20 Now there was a man who had prophesied in the Name of Adonai, Uriah son of Shemaiah of Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land words like all those of Jeremiah. 21 When King Jehoiakim with all his mighty men and all the princes heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah heard it, he was afraid and fled, and went to Egypt. 22 So King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt—Elnathan son of Achbor and some others with him— 23 and they brought Uriah back from Egypt, and led him to King Jehoiakim, who slew him with the sword and threw his corpse into the burial place of the common people.
24 Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that they did not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.
Advice for Behavior in Community
2 But as for you, speak things that are fitting for sound instruction. 2 Older men are to be clear-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, in patience. 3 Likewise, older women are to be sanctified in demeanor—not backbiting or enslaved to much wine. Let them be teachers of what is good, 4 so that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, managing their household, kind, submitted to their own husbands, so that God’s word may not be dishonored.
6 Likewise urge the younger men to be self-controlled, 7 in all things showing yourself to be an example of good deeds—integrity in instruction, dignity, 8 sound speech beyond criticism—so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.
9 Urge slaves to submit themselves to their own masters in all things, well-pleasing and not back-talking, 10 not stealing but showing all good faithfulness, so that they may do credit to the teaching about God our Savior in everything.
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 training us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live in a manner that is self-controlled and righteous and godly in the present age. 13 We wait for the blessed hope and appearance of the glory of our great God and Savior, Messiah Yeshua. 14 He gave Himself for us so that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and so that He might purify for Himself a chosen people, zealous for good deeds. [a] 15 So communicate these things, and encourage and correct with complete authority. Let no one look down on you.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.