The Good and the Bad Figs

Jeremiah 24   

1After King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had deported Jeconiah F son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, the officials of Judah, and the craftsmen and metalsmiths p from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon, the LORD showed me two baskets of figs q placed in front of the temple of the LORD. 2 One basket contained very good figs, like early figs, r 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 s and will return them to this land. I will build them up and not demolish them; I will plant them and not uproot them. t 7 I will give them a heart to know me, u that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God because they will return to me with all their heart. v

8 “But as for the bad figs, so bad they are inedible, w 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 or living in the land of Egypt. x 9 I will make them an object of horror y and a disaster to all the kingdoms of the earth, an example for disgrace, scorn, ridicule, z and cursing, wherever I have banished them. a 10 I will send the sword, famine, and plague b against them until they have perished from the land I gave to them and their ancestors.”