Jeremiah 24 - 26

The Good and the Rotten Figs

After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken away into exile Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the officials of Judah with the craftsmen and smiths from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon, Yahweh showed me: behold, two baskets of figs set before the temple of Yahweh! 2 One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, and the other basket had very rotten figs which could not be eaten due to rottenness. 3 Then Yahweh said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “Figs, the good figs, very good; and the rotten figs, very rotten, which cannot be eaten due to rottenness.” 4 Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 5 “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Like these good figs, so I will recognize as good the exiles of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans. 6 For I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will return them to this land; and I will build them up and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not uproot them. 7 I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am Yahweh; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart. 8 ‘But like the rotten figs which cannot be eaten due to rottenness—indeed, thus says Yahweh—so I will give over Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials and the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land and the ones who inhabit the land of Egypt. 9 I will give them over to be a terror and an evil for all the kingdoms of the earth, as a reproach and a proverb, a byword and a curse in all places where I will banish them. 10 I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence upon them until they come to an end from being upon the land which I gave to them and their fathers.’”

Seventy Years of Captivity

The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), 2 which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 3 “From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, these twenty-three years the word of Yahweh has come to me, and I have spoken to you, rising up early and speaking, but you have not listened. 4 And Yahweh has sent to you all His slaves the prophets, rising up early and sending, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear, 5 saying, ‘Turn now everyone from his evil way and from the evil of your deeds, and live on the ground which Yahweh has given to you and your fathers forever and ever; 6 and do not walk after other gods to serve them and to worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands, and I will bring no evil against you.’ 7 Yet you have not listened to Me,” declares Yahweh, “in order that you might provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands to your own evil demise. 8 “Therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘Because you have not listened to My words, 9 behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these surrounding nations; and I will devote them to destruction and make them an object of horror and of hissing and an everlasting waste place. 10 Moreover, I will make the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp, to perish from them. 11 This whole land will be a waste place and an object of horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

Punishment Against Babylon

12 ‘Then it will be when seventy years are fulfilled, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares Yahweh, ‘for their iniquity, even the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it an everlasting desolation. 13 I will bring upon that land all My words which I have spoken against it, all that is written in this book which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations. 14 —For many nations and great kings will make slaves of them, even them; and I will repay them according to their deeds and according to the work of their hands—’” 15 For thus Yahweh, the God of Israel, says to me, “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it. 16 They will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them.” 17 Then I took the cup from the hand of Yahweh and made all the nations to whom Yahweh sent me drink it: 18 Jerusalem and the cities of Judah and its kings and its princes, to make them a waste place, an object of horror, an object of hissing, and a curse, as it is this day; 19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his princes, and all his people, 20 and all the foreign people, all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the land of the Philistines (even Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod), 21 Edom, Moab, and the sons of Ammon, 22 and all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the coastlands which are beyond the sea, 23 and Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who cut the corners of their hair, 24 and all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the foreign people who dwell in the desert, 25 and all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of Media, 26 and all the kings of the north, near and far, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the earth which are upon the face of the ground, and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them. 27 “You shall say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “Drink, be drunk, vomit, fall, and rise no more because of the sword which I will send among you.”’ 28 And it will be, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you will say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts: “You shall surely drink! 29 For behold, I am beginning to bring evil against this city which is called by My name. But shall you be completely free from punishment? You will not be free from punishment, for I am calling for a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth,” declares Yahweh of hosts.’ 30 “Therefore you shall prophesy against them all these words, and you shall say to them,

‘Yahweh will roar from on high

And give forth His voice from His holy habitation;

He will roar mightily against His pasture.

He will bellow a shout like those who tread the grapes,

Against all the inhabitants of the earth.

A rumbling has come to the end of the earth

Because Yahweh has a contention against the nations.

He is entering into judgment with all flesh;

As for the wicked, He has given them to the sword,’ declares Yahweh.”

32 Thus says Yahweh of hosts,

“Behold, evil is going forth

From nation to nation,

And a great storm is being stirred up

From the remotest parts of the earth.

33 “Those slain by Yahweh on that day will be from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be lamented, gathered, or buried; they will be like dung on the face of the ground. 34

Wail, you shepherds, and cry out;

And roll yourselves in ashes, you masters of the flock;

For the days of your slaughter and your scatterings are being fulfilled,

And you will fall like a desirable vessel.

Refuge will perish from the shepherds

And escape from the mighty ones of the flock.

Hear the sound of the cry of the shepherds,

And the wailing of the mighty ones of the flock!

For Yahweh is destroying their pasture,

And the peaceful pastures are made silent

Because of the burning anger of Yahweh.

He has forsaken His hiding place like the lion;

For their land has become an object of horror

Because of the burning desire of the oppressor

And because of His burning anger.”

The Words of Yahweh Against Judah

In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from Yahweh, saying, 2 “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Stand in the court of the house of Yahweh, and you shall speak to all the cities of Judah who have come to worship in the house of Yahweh all the words that I have commanded you to speak to them. Do not take away a word! 3 Perhaps they will listen and everyone will turn from his evil way, that I may relent of the evil which I am devising to bring against them because of the evil of their deeds.’ 4 And you will say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “If you will not listen to Me, to walk in My law which I have given before you, 5 to listen to the words of My slaves the prophets, whom I have been sending to you, rising up early and sending, but you have not listened, 6 then I will make this house like Shiloh, and this city I will make a curse to all the nations of the earth.”’”

Plot to Murder Jeremiah

7 The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of Yahweh. 8 Now it happened that when Jeremiah finished speaking all that Yahweh had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You must surely die! 9 Why have you prophesied in the name of Yahweh saying, ‘This house will be like Shiloh, and this city will be laid waste, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered about Jeremiah in the house of Yahweh. 10 When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of Yahweh and sat in the entrance of the New Gate of the house of Yahweh. 11 Then the priests and the prophets spoke to the officials and to all the people, saying, “A judgment of death for this man! For he has prophesied against this city as you have heard in your hearing.” 12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and to all the people, saying, “Yahweh sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard. 13 So now, make good your ways and your deeds and listen to the voice of Yahweh your God; and Yahweh will relent of the evil demise which He has spoken against you. 14 But as for me, behold, I am in your hands; do with me as is good and right in your eyes. 15 Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on its inhabitants; for truly Yahweh has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”

Jeremiah Spared from Death

16 Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets, “No judgment of death for this man! For he has spoken to us in the name of Yahweh our God.” 17 Then some of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying, 18 “Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘Thus Yahweh of hosts has said,

“Zion will be plowed as a field,

And Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins,

And the mountain of the house will become the high places of a forest.”’

19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear Yahweh and entreat the favor of Yahweh, and Yahweh relented of the evil demise which He had spoken against them? But we are committing a great evil against ourselves.” 20 Indeed, there was also a man who prophesied in the name of Yahweh, Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim; and he prophesied against this city and against this land words similar to all those of Jeremiah. 21 And King Jehoiakim and all his mighty men and all the officials heard his words. So the king sought to put him to death; but Uriah heard it, and he was afraid and fled and went to Egypt. 22 Then King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt: Elnathan the son of Achbor and certain men with him went into Egypt. 23 And they brought Uriah out from Egypt and led him to King Jehoiakim, who struck him down with a sword and cast his dead body into the burial place of the common people. 24 But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that he was not given into the hands of the people to put him to death.

Romans 11

God Has Not Rejected Israel

I say then, has God rejected His people? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” 4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I have left for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 In this way then, at the present time, a remnant according to God’s gracious choice has also come to be. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. 7 What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but the chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; 8 just as it is written,

“God gave them a spirit of stupor,

Eyes to see not and ears to hear not,

Down to this very day.”

9 And David says,

“Let their table become a snare and a trap,

And a stumbling block and a retribution to them.

Let their eyes be darkened to see not,

And bend their backs forever.”

Gentiles Grafted In

11 I say then, did they stumble so as to fall? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. 12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness be! 13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 And if the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became a partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast against them, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 Quite right! They were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be haughty, but fear, 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. 22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

All Israel Will Be Saved

25 For I do not want you, brothers, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion,

He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”

“And this is My covenant with them,

When I take away their sins.”

28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. 32 For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all. 33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be repaid to him? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Psalm 106:28 - 106:48

They then joined themselves to Baal‑peor,

And ate sacrifices offered to the dead.

Thus they provoked Him to anger with their actions,

And the plague broke out among them.

Then Phinehas stood up and interceded,

And so the plague was checked.

And it was counted to him for righteousness,

From generation to generation forever.

They also provoked Him to wrath at the waters of Meribah,

So that it went badly with Moses on their account;

Because they were rebellious against His Spirit,

He spoke rashly with his lips.

They did not destroy the peoples,

As Yahweh commanded them,

But they mingled with the nations

And learned their works,

And served their idols,

Which became a snare to them.

They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons,

And they shed innocent blood,

The blood of their sons and their daughters,

Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;

And the land was polluted with the blood.

Thus they became unclean in their works,

And played the harlot in their actions.

So the anger of Yahweh was kindled against His people

And He abhorred His inheritance.

Then He gave them into the hand of the nations,

And those who hated them ruled over them.

Their enemies oppressed them,

And they were subdued under their hand.

Many times He would deliver them;

But they were rebellious in their counsel,

And so they sank down in their iniquity.

Nevertheless He looked upon their distress

When He heard their cry of lamentation;

And He remembered for them His covenant,

And relented according to the abundance of His lovingkindness.

He also made them objects of compassion

In the presence of all their captors.

Save us, O Yahweh our God,

And gather us from among the nations,

To give thanks to Your holy name

And revel in Your praise.

Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel,

From everlasting to everlasting.

And let all the people say, “Amen.”

Praise Yah!