Jeremiah 24

1 After Nebuchadnezzar [king of the Babylonian empire] king of Babylon had carried away Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, as well as the officials [rulers, leaders] of Judah and the craftsmen [skilled artisans, workers] and metalsmiths [smiths, workers in metal] from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon, the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] showed me two baskets of figs [a common fruit] placed in front of the temple [a sacred building, the house of God] of the LORD. word study 2 One basket had very good [exceedingly pleasant] figs, like those that ripen [are first-ripe] early, but the other basket contained very poor [naughty, bad] figs, so bad [evil, greatly corrupted] they could not be eaten [devoured, consumed as food]. word study 3 “Jeremiah,” the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] asked, “what [inquiring about the nature of the vision] do you see?” “Figs [the fruit]!” I replied. “The good [pleasant, beneficial] figs are very good [exceedingly beneficial], but the bad [evil, morally harmful] figs are very bad [extremely evil], so bad [corrupted, worthless] they cannot be eaten [consumed, enjoyed].” word study 4 Then the word [message from God, divine communication] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord of Israel] came [existed, came into being] to me, saying [to speak, to command, to proclaim], word study 5 “This is what the LORD [Yehovah, the God of Israel’s covenant], the God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler] of Israel, says: ‘Like these good [pleasant, beneficial] figs, so I regard as good [for their welfare, with favor] the exiles [captives, those carried away] from Judah, whom I have sent away [deported, relocated] from this place [location, region] to the land [territory, nation] of the Chaldeans [Babylonians, a pagan people]. word study 6 I will keep My eyes [upon them with care] on them for good [their welfare, prosperity] and will return [bring back, restore] them to this [specific] land. I will build [establish, construct] them up and not [never] tear them down [overthrow, destroy]; I will plant [establish, settle] them and not [never] uproot [pluck up, remove] them. word study 7 I will give them a heart [to desire, to have knowledge] to know Me, that I am the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. They will be My people [a nation, a tribe], and I will be their God [Elohim, the supreme God], for they will return [to turn back, to repent] to Me with all [everything, their whole being] their heart [feelings, will, and intellect]. word study 8 But like the bad [evil, morally corrupt] figs, so bad [rotten, worthless] they cannot be eaten [consumed, used for nourishment],’ says the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God], ‘so will I deal with [treat, judge] Zedekiah king [ruler, leader] of Judah [the tribe, the region], his officials [princes, leaders], and the remnant [what is left, the surviving ones] of Jerusalem [the city of peace]—those remaining [left behind, spared] in this land [the promised land, the earthly territory] and those living [dwelling, residing] in the land [the country, the territory] of Egypt [the foreign nation, the place of exile]. word study 9 I will make them a horror [a trembling, to be feared] and an offense [a reproach, a shame] to all [every one of] the kingdoms [nations, territories] of the earth [land, world], a disgrace [a byword, a curse] and an object of scorn [taunt], ridicule [mocking, derision], and cursing [a curse, to be hated] wherever [in all places, locations] I have banished [driven away, expelled] them. word study 10 And I will send [with divine judgment] against them sword [war, battle] and famine [hunger, scarcity] and plague [disease, pestilence], until they have perished [been completely destroyed] from the land [earth, territory] that I gave [bestowed, entrusted] to them and their fathers [ancestors, forefathers].’” word study