24 The vision of the baskets of figs, 5 Signifieth that part of the people should be brought again out of captivity. 8 And that Zedekiah and the rest of the people should be carried away.

The Lord showed me, and behold, two [a]baskets of figs were set before the Temple of the Lord, after that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah with the workmen, and cunning men of Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babel.

One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe, and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so evil.

Then said the Lord unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs: the good figs very good, and the naughty very naughty, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel, Like these good figs, so will I know them that are carried away captive of Judah to be good, whom I have sent out of this [b]place, into the land of the Chaldeans.

For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land, and I will build them and not destroy them, and I will plant them, and not root them out.

And I will give them [c]an heart to know me, that I am the Lord, and they shall be (A)my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

(B)And as the naughty figs which cannot be eaten, they are so evil (surely thus saith the Lord) so will I give Zedekiah the King of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell [d]in the land of Egypt:

I will even give them for a terrible plague to all the kingdoms of the earth, and for a reproach and for a proverb, for a common talk, and for a curse, in all places where I shall cast them.

10 And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence among them, till they be consumed out of the land, that I gave unto them, and to their fathers.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 24:1 The good figs signified them that were gone into captivity, and so saved their life, as Jer. 21:8, and the naughty figs them that remained, which were yet subject to the sword, famine and pestilence.
  2. Jeremiah 24:5 Whereby he approveth the yielding of Jeconiah and his company, because they obeyed the Prophet, who exhorted them thereunto.
  3. Jeremiah 24:7 Which declareth that man of himself can know nothing, till God give the heart and understanding.
  4. Jeremiah 24:8 Which fled thither for succor.

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. 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.

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.”

Then the word of the Lord came to me: “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] 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. 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)

“‘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) 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)’”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 24:1 Hebrew Jeconiah, a variant of Jehoiachin
  2. Jeremiah 24:5 Or Chaldeans
  3. Jeremiah 24:9 That is, their names will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that they are cursed.