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Jeremiah, 24

1. The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs [were] set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.

1. Yahweh showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the Temple. It was after Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon had deported Jekoniah, son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah together with the princes of Judah, the blacksmiths and metalworkers and had taken them to Babylon.

2. 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 bad.

2. One of the baskets had choice figs that ripen early, the other had bad ones, so bad that they couldn't be eaten.

3. Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

3. Yahweh said to me, "What do you see Jeremiah?" I replied, "Figs. The good figs are excellent but the bad figs are so rotten they cannot be eaten!"

4. Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

4. So the word of Yahweh came to me: "Just as these figs are good, so do I consider good those who have been deported from Judah to the land of the Chaldeans.

5. Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for [their] good.

5.

6. 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 pull [them] down; and I will plant them, and not pluck [them] up.

6. I will look kindly on them and bring them back to this land. I will restore and not destroy them, I will plant and not uproot them.

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

7. I will dispose their heart to know me as Yahweh. They will be my people and I will be their God for they will come back to me with all their heart.

8. And as the evil 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 in the land of Egypt:

8. "But as far as King Zedekiah of Judah is concerned, I will deal with him as one deals with rotten figs - so rotten they cannot be eaten. I will likewise deal with his princes and the remnants of Jerusalem - those who have stayed in the country and those who have migrated to Egypt.

9. And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for [their] hurt, [to be] a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them.

9. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, a reproach and a byword, an object of ridicule, a curse in all the countries to which I will drive them.

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

10. I will also bring sword, famine and plague upon them until they are utterly erased from the land I gave to them and to their fathers.



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Footnotes:

24:1-2 - Jeremiah sees a vision of two baskets of figs before the temple. The baskets symbolize the destiny of the people of Judah: one for exile and the other for restoration. The choice between good and evil is a matter of obedience to God (see also Deuteronomy 30:19-20 and Matthew 25:31-46).

24:3-7 - The good figs represent the exiles who will be restored, while the rotten figs represent those who will remain in Jerusalem and suffer destruction. The promise of restoration for the righteous, even in exile, is a sign of God's mercy (see also Isaiah 40:1-2 and Romans 8:28).

24:8-10 - The rotten figs represent the people who will remain in Judah and be destroyed by sword, famine, and pestilence. Choosing to follow evil leads to condemnation, while obedience to God brings restoration and peace (see also Ezekiel 5:12-13 and Matthew 7:13-14).

Verses related to Jeremiah, 24:

Jeremiah chapter 24 presents the vision of the two baskets of figs. What future awaits the exiles and those who remained in Jerusalem? This symbolic text uses good and bad figs to illustrate the contrasting fates of the two groups. The chapter reveals God's surprising plan to bless the exiles and judge those who remained. Jeremiah 24 also promises a new heart to know God. Investigate with us five biblical passages that elucidate the deep themes of this intriguing chapter.

Amos 8:1-2: "The Sovereign Lord showed me this: a basket of ripe fruit. 'What do you see, Amos?' he asked. 'A basket of ripe fruit,' I replied. Then the Lord said to me, 'The end has come for my people Israel; I will spare him no more.'" - This vision of Amos uses fruit as a symbol of judgment, similar to the vision of figs in Jeremiah 24.

Matthew 21:43: "Therefore I tell you that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and will be given to a people who bear the fruits of the Kingdom." - Jesus uses the metaphor of fruit to talk about the Kingdom of God, echoing the image of figs in Jeremiah 24.

Romans 11:5: "So now, too, there is a remnant chosen by grace." - Paul speaks of a faithful remnant, similar to the group represented by the good figs in Jeremiah 24.

Hosea 9:10: "When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; When I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the first fruits of a fig tree. But when they came to Baal-peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as detestable as that which they loved." - Hosea uses the metaphor of fruit to describe Israel, similar to the vision of figs in Jeremiah 24.

Luke 13:6-9: "Then Jesus told this parable: 'A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit in it, and found nothing. So I said to the one tending the vineyard: 'I've been looking for fruit on this fig tree for three years now and I can't find any. Cut it! Why let it waste the land?'' The man replied, 'Lord, leave it for another year, and I will dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, great! If not, you can cut it.'" - This parable of Jesus uses a fig tree to illustrate the expectation of spiritual fruit, a similar theme to the vision of figs in Jeremiah 24.

FAQ:

What do the two baskets of figs in Jeremiah 24 represent?

The good figs represent the exiles who would be restored, while the bad ones symbolize those who remained and would be destroyed. (Jeremiah 24:1-10)

What did God promise the exiles symbolized by the good figs?

God promised to care for them in exile, transforming their hearts and bringing them back to the land. (Jeremiah 24:4-7)

What was the fate of those who remained in Jerusalem?

God said that those who remained in the city would be given over to destruction, pestilence, and the sword. (Jeremiah 24:8-10)

What spiritual lesson can we learn from the baskets of figs?

It shows that God disciplines but also restores those who repent and trust in Him. (Jeremiah 24:5-7)

What did the separation between the two groups of figs mean?

It represented the distinction between the faithful who would be restored and the rebels who would be destroyed. (Jeremiah 24:8-10)


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