When Exile Was the Rescue.

הִרְאַנִי֮ יְהוָה֒ וְהִנֵּ֗ה שְׁנֵי֙ דּוּדָאֵ֣י תְאֵנִ֔ים מוּעָדִ֕ים לִפְנֵ֖י הֵיכַ֣ל יְהוָ֑ה אַחֲרֵ֣י הַגְל֣וֹת נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֣ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֡ל אֶת־יְכָנְיָ֣הוּ בֶן־יְהוֹיָקִ֣ים מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה֩ וְאֶת־שָׂרֵ֨י יְהוּדָ֜ה וְאֶת־הֶחָרָ֤שׁ וְאֶת־הַמַּסְגֵּר֙ מִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם וַיְבִאֵ֖ם בָּבֶֽל׃

After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken into exile from Jerusalem Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, together with the officials of Judah, the craftsmen, and the metal workers, and had brought them to Babylon, the Lord showed me this vision: behold, two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the Lord .

הַדּ֣וּד אֶחָ֗ד תְּאֵנִים֙ טֹב֣וֹת מְאֹ֔ד כִּתְאֵנֵ֖י הַבַּכֻּר֑וֹת וְהַדּ֣וּד אֶחָ֗ד תְּאֵנִים֙ רָע֣וֹת מְאֹ֔ד אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־תֵֽאָכַ֖לְנָה מֵרֹֽעַ׃ ס

[2] One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, but the other basket had very bad figs, so bad that they could not be eaten.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י מָֽה־אַתָּ֤ה רֹאֶה֙ יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ וָאֹמַ֖ר תְּאֵנִ֑ים הַתְּאֵנִ֤ים הַטֹּבוֹת֙ טֹב֣וֹת מְאֹ֔ד וְהָֽרָעוֹת֙ רָע֣וֹת מְאֹ֔ד אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־תֵאָכַ֖לְנָה מֵרֹֽעַ׃ פ

[3] And the Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “Figs, the good figs very good, and the bad figs very bad, so bad that they cannot be eaten.”

וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃

[4] Then the word of the Lord came to me:

כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כַּתְּאֵנִ֥ים הַטֹּב֖וֹת הָאֵ֑לֶּה כֵּֽן־אַכִּ֞יר אֶת־גָּל֣וּת יְהוּדָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר שִׁלַּ֜חְתִּי מִן־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַזֶּ֛ה אֶ֥רֶץ כַּשְׂדִּ֖ים לְטוֹבָֽה׃

[5] “Thus says the Lord , the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans.

וְשַׂמְתִּ֨י עֵינִ֤י עֲלֵיהֶם֙ לְטוֹבָ֔ה וַהֲשִׁבֹתִ֖ים עַל־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את וּבְנִיתִים֙ וְלֹ֣א אֶהֱרֹ֔ס וּנְטַעְתִּ֖ים וְלֹ֥א אֶתּֽוֹשׁ׃

[6] I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up.

וְנָתַתִּי֩ לָהֶ֨ם לֵ֜ב לָדַ֣עַת אֹתִ֗י כִּ֚י אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וְהָיוּ־לִ֣י לְעָ֔ם וְאָ֣נֹכִ֔י אֶהְיֶ֥ה לָהֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִ֑ים כִּֽי־יָשֻׁ֥בוּ אֵלַ֖י בְּכָל־לִבָּֽם׃ ס

[7] I will give them a 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 to me with their whole heart.

וְכַתְּאֵנִים֙ הָֽרָע֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־תֵאָכַ֖לְנָה מֵרֹ֑עַ כִּי־כֹ֣ה׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה כֵּ֣ן אֶ֠תֵּן אֶת־צִדְקִיָּ֨הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֤ה וְאֶת־שָׂרָיו֙ וְאֵ֣ת׀ שְׁאֵרִ֣ית יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם הַנִּשְׁאָרִים֙ בָּאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את וְהַיֹּשְׁבִ֖ים בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

[8] “But thus says the Lord : Like the bad figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten, so will I treat Zedekiah the king of Judah, his officials, the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt.

וּנְתַתִּים֙ ׳לִזְוָעָה׳ ״לְזַעֲוָ֣ה״ לְרָעָ֔ה לְכֹ֖ל מַמְלְכ֣וֹת הָאָ֑רֶץ לְחֶרְפָּ֤ה וּלְמָשָׁל֙ לִשְׁנִינָ֣ה וְלִקְלָלָ֔ה בְּכָל־הַמְּקֹמ֖וֹת אֲשֶֽׁר־אַדִּיחֵ֥ם שָֽׁם׃

[9] I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a reproach, a byword, a taunt, and a curse in all the places where I shall drive them.

וְשִׁלַּ֣חְתִּי בָ֔ם אֶת־הַחֶ֖רֶב אֶת־הָרָעָ֣ב וְאֶת־הַדָּ֑בֶר עַד־תֻּמָּם֙ מֵעַ֣ל הָאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תִּי לָהֶ֖ם וְלַאֲבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ פ

[10] And I will send sword, famine, and pestilence upon them, until they shall be utterly destroyed from the land that I gave to them and their fathers.”