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TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
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Chapter 24

Translation and Transliteration of 

1Hashem showed me two baskets of figs, placed in front of the Temple of Hashem. This was after King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon had exiled King Yechonya son of Yehoyakim of Yehuda, and the officials of Yehuda, and the craftsmen and smiths, from Yerushalayim, and had brought them to Babylon.

hi-r'-a-NEE a-do-NAI, v'-hi-NEH sh'-NAY du-da-EY t'-EY-neem mu-a-DEEM lif-NEY hay-KHAL a-do-NAI, a-kha-RAY ha-g'-LOT n'-vu-khad-re-TSAR me-lekh ba-VEL et y'-kho-ny-a-HU ben y'-ho-y'-KHEEM me-lekh y'-hu-DAH, v'-et sa-RAY y'-hu-DAH, v'-et he-KHA-rash v'-et ha-mas-GAYR mi-ru-sha-LA-yim, va-y'-vi-EM ba-VEL

אהִרְאַ֘נִי֮ יְהֹוָה֒ וְהִנֵּ֗ה שְׁנֵי֙ דּוּדָאֵ֣י תְאֵנִ֔ים מוּעָדִ֕ים לִפְנֵ֖י הֵיכַ֣ל יְהֹוָ֑ה אַחֲרֵ֣י הַגְל֣וֹת נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֣ר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֡ל אֶת־יְכׇנְיָ֣הוּ בֶן־יְהוֹיָקִ֣ים מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה֩ וְאֶת־שָׂרֵ֨י יְהוּדָ֜ה וְאֶת־הֶחָרָ֤שׁ וְאֶת־הַמַּסְגֵּר֙ מִיר֣וּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם וַיְבִאֵ֖ם בָּבֶֽל׃

2One basket contained very good figs, like first-ripened figs, and the other basket contained very bad figs, so bad that they could not be eaten.

ha-DUD e-KHAD t'-ay-NEEM to-VOT m'-OD kit-ay-NAY ha-ba-ku-ROT v'-ha-DUD e-KHAD t'-ay-NEEM ra-OT m'-OD a-SHER lo tay-a-KHAL-nah may-RO-a

בהַדּ֣וּד אֶחָ֗ד תְּאֵנִים֙ טֹב֣וֹת מְאֹ֔ד כִּתְאֵנֵ֖י הַבַּכֻּר֑וֹת וְהַדּ֣וּד אֶחָ֗ד תְּאֵנִים֙ רָע֣וֹת מְאֹ֔ד אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־תֵאָכַ֖לְנָה מֵרֹֽעַ׃

24:2   One basket contained very good figs

Ripe figs in a Tel Aviv market

After the captivity of the ruling classes in 597 BCE, Yirmiyahu is shown a vision of two baskets of figs: one basket has good, ripe figs, the other has rotten figs that cannot be eaten. Until this time, exile from the Land of Israel, the source of all goodness and blessing, was considered the worst possible punishment. Those who remained thought they had been spared, while those who were exiled thought that Hashem had abandoned them. Yirmiyahu explains that in reality, the opposite is true; those in exile will rediscover the ways of God and return (represented in the image by the ripe figs), while those who remain in the land (the bad figs) will eventually be destroyed. The use of the fig, one of the seven agricultural species unique to Eretz Yisrael, is significant in this metaphor, as the Bible also uses the image of a fig tree to denote peace and prosperity in the land (see I Kings 5:5).

3And Hashem said to me, “What do you see, Yirmiyahu?” I answered, “Figs—the good ones are very good, and the bad ones very bad, so bad that they cannot be eaten.”

vai-YO-mer a-do-NAI e-LAI ma-a a-TAH ro-EH yir-m'-YA-hu, va-o-MAR t'-E-nim, ha-t'-E-nim ha-TO-vot TO-vot m'-OD, v'-ha-ra-OT ra-OT m'-OD, a-SHER lo tay-a-KHAL-na m'-RO-a.

גוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י מָה־אַתָּ֤ה רֹאֶה֙ יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ וָאֹמַ֖ר תְּאֵנִ֑ים הַתְּאֵנִ֤ים הַטֹּבוֹת֙ טֹב֣וֹת מְאֹ֔ד וְהָֽרָעוֹת֙ רָע֣וֹת מְאֹ֔ד אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־תֵאָכַ֖לְנָה מֵרֹֽעַ׃

4Then the word of Hashem came to me:

vai-HI d'-var a-do-NAI e-LAI lay-MOR

דוַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃

5Thus said Hashem, the God of Yisrael: As with these good figs, so will I single out for good the Judean exiles whom I have driven out from this place to the land of the Chaldeans.

koh-a-MAR a-do-NAI e-lo-HAY yis-ra-AYL ka-t'-E-nim ha-TO-vot ha-E-leh, ken-a-KHEER et ga-LUT y'-hu-DAH a-SHER shi-LAKH-tee min ha-ma-KOM ha-ZEH, e-RETZ kash-DEEM l'-to-VAH

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

6I will look upon them favorably, and I will bring them back to this land; I will build them and not overthrow them; I will plant them and not uproot them.

v'-sam-TEE a-YE-ni a-l'-HEM l'-to-VAH va-ha-shi-vo-TEEM al ha-A-retz ha-ZOT, u-nee-TEEM v'-lo e-h'-ROS, u-ne-ta-TEEM v'-lo e-TOSh

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

7And I will give them the understanding to acknowledge Me, for I am Hashem. And they shall be My people and I will be their God, when they turn back to Me with all their heart.

v'-na-TA-tee LA-HEM LAYV la-DA-at o-TEE KEE a-NEE a-do-NAI, v'-ha-YU-lee l'-AM, v'-a-NO-khee e-HE-yeh LA-HEM l'-e-lo-HEEM, KEE ya-SHU-vu ay-LAI b'-KOL li-BAM. (SA)

זוְנָֽתַתִּי֩ לָהֶ֨ם לֵ֜ב לָדַ֣עַת אֹתִ֗י כִּ֚י אֲנִ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה וְהָיוּ־לִ֣י לְעָ֔ם וְאָ֣נֹכִ֔י אֶהְיֶ֥ה לָהֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִ֑ים כִּֽי־יָשֻׁ֥בוּ אֵלַ֖י בְּכׇל־לִבָּֽם׃

8And like the bad figs, which are so bad that they cannot be eaten—thus said Hashem—so will I treat King Tzidkiyahu of Yehuda and his officials and the remnant of Yerushalayim that is left in this land, and those who are living in the land of Egypt:

v'-ka-t'-E-nim ha-RA-ot a-SHER lo te-a-KHAL-na me-RO-a KI-kho a-MAR a-do-NAI KEN e-TEN et-tzi-d'-ki-YA-hu me-lekh y'-hu-DAH v'-et-sa-RAV v'-ET she-e-REET y'-ru-sha-LA-im ha-ni-sh'-A-rim ba-A-retz ha-ZOT v'-ha-yo-sh'-VEEM b'-E-retz mitz-RA-yim

חוְכַתְּאֵנִים֙ הָרָע֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־תֵאָכַ֖לְנָה מֵרֹ֑עַ כִּי־כֹ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֗ה כֵּ֣ן אֶ֠תֵּ֠ן אֶת־צִדְקִיָּ֨הוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֤ה וְאֶת־שָׂרָיו֙ וְאֵ֣ת ׀ שְׁאֵרִ֣ית יְרוּשָׁלַ֗͏ִם הַנִּשְׁאָרִים֙ בָּאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את וְהַיֹּשְׁבִ֖ים בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

9I will make them a horror—an evil—to all the kingdoms of the earth, a disgrace and a proverb, a byword and a curse in all the places to which I banish them.

u-n'-ta-TEEM (l'-zo-AH) [l'-za-a-VAH] l'-ra-AH l'-KOL mam-l'-KHOT ha-A-retz, l'-kher-PAH u-l'-ma-SHAL, li-sh'-NEE-nah v'-lik-la-LAH, b'-KOL ha-m'-ko-MOT a-SHER a-di-KHEM SHAM.

טוּנְתַתִּים֙ (לזועה) [לְזַעֲוָ֣ה] לְרָעָ֔ה לְכֹ֖ל מַמְלְכ֣וֹת הָאָ֑רֶץ לְחֶרְפָּ֤ה וּלְמָשָׁל֙ לִשְׁנִינָ֣ה וְלִקְלָלָ֔ה בְּכׇל־הַמְּקֹמ֖וֹת אֲשֶֽׁר־אַדִּיחֵ֥ם שָֽׁם׃

10I will send the sword, famine, and pestilence against them until they are exterminated from the land that I gave to them and their fathers.

v'-shi-LAkh-TI bam et ha-KHE-rev et ha-RA-av v'-et ha-DA-ver ad-tu-MAM me-al ha-a-da-MAH a-SHER na-TA-tee la-HEM v'-la-a-vo-TAY-hem.

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