After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon - had carried away Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah , as well as the officials of Judah - and the craftsmen - and metalsmiths from Jerusalem , and had brought them to Babylon , the LORD - showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the temple of the LORD.
One basket (had) very good figs , like those that ripen early ... , but the other basket contained very - poor figs , so bad they could not be eaten.
“ Jeremiah - , ” the LORD asked - , “ what do you see ? ” “ Figs ! ” I replied. “ The good figs are very good , but the bad figs are very - bad , so bad they cannot be eaten. ”
Then the word of the LORD came to me , saying ,
“ This is what the LORD , the God of Israel , says : ‘ Like these good figs , so I regard - as good the exiles from Judah , whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans.
I will keep My eyes on them for good and will return them to this land. I will build them up and not tear (them) down ; I will plant them and not uproot them.
I will give a heart to know Me , - that I am the LORD. They will be people , and I will be God , for they will return to Me with all their heart.
But like the bad - figs , so bad ... they cannot be eaten , ’ - says the LORD , ‘ so will I deal with - Zedekiah king of Judah , - his officials , - and the remnant of Jerusalem — those remaining in this land and those living in the land of Egypt.
I will make them a horror and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth , a disgrace and an object of scorn , ridicule , and cursing wherever ... - I have banished them. ...
And I will send - sword - and famine - and plague , until they have perished from the land that I gave and their fathers. ’”