Jeremiah 24:2-10

One basket was full of excellent figs that ripened early, and the other was full of rotten figs that were not fit to eat. “Jeremiah,” YAHWEH asked, “what do you see?” “Figs,” I said. “Some are very good, but the others are very bad, too rotten to eat.” Then YAHWEH replied, “This is what I, YAHWEH, the God of Israel, say to you: ‘The good figs are the people of Judah whom I sent away in exile to Babylon. My eyes will compassionately watch over them for their good, to bring them back to this land, to build them up and not to tear them down, to plant them and not to uproot them. I will give them a willing heart to know that I am YAHWEH. They will be my beloved people, and I will be their loving God, for they will return to me with every passion of their heart. “ ‘As for the bad figs that were too rotten to eat, they represent King Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, and all the others left in Jerusalem who were not taken away to Babylon, whether they stayed here in Judah or went to live in Egypt. I will punish them with such a disaster that everyone on earth will tremble in horror when they hear about it. I will force the people of Judah to go to foreign countries, where they will be an object of scorn, cursing, and insult. I will send the sword, food shortages, and plague against them until they have vanished from the land I gave to them and their ancestors.’ ”