Jeremiah 35

1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, [in] the days of Jehoyakim the son of Josiah the king of Judah, saying,

2 “Go to the house of the Rechabites, speak to them, and bring them to one of the chambers of the house of the LORD to offer them a drink of wine.”

Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak with them, and bring them into the house of the Lord, into one of the chambers, and offer them wine to drink.

3 So I took Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons—the entire house of the Rechabites—

Then I took Yaazanyah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Chabazzinyah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites;

4 and I brought them into the house of the LORD, to a chamber occupied by the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. This room was near the chamber of the officials, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah son of Shallum the doorkeeper.

And I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the chamber of the sons of Chanan, the son of Yigdalyahu, the man of God, which was alongside of the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Ma'aseyahu the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door:

5 Then I set pitchers full of wine and some cups before the men of the house of the Rechabites, and I said to them, “Drink some wine.”

And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites goblets full of wine, and cups; and I said unto them, Drink wine.

6 “We do not drink wine,” they replied, “for our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab commanded us, ‘Neither you nor your descendants are ever to drink wine.

But they said, We will not drink wine; for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father hath laid a charge on us, saying, Ye shall not drink wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever;

7 Nor are you ever to build a house or sow seed or plant a vineyard. Those things are not for you. Instead, you must live in tents all your lives, so that you may live a long time in the land where you wander.’

Nor shall ye build any house, nor sow seed, nor plant a vineyard, nor have [any such]; but in tents shall ye dwell all your days, in order that ye may live many days on the face of the land where ye may sojourn.

8 And we have obeyed the voice of our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab in all he commanded us. So we have not drunk wine all our lives—neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters.

And we have hearkened unto the voice of Jehonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, not to drink any wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, and our daughters;

9 Nor have we built houses in which to live, and we have not owned any vineyards or fields or crops.

And not to build houses for our dwelling: and we never had any vineyard, or field, or seed;

10 But we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done exactly as our forefather Jonadab commanded us.

But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done in accordance with all that Jonadab our father commanded us.

11 So when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched into the land, we said: ‘Come, let us go into Jerusalem to escape the armies of the Chaldeans and the Arameans.’ So we have remained in Jerusalem.”

But it came to pass, when Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, Come, and let us go into Jerusalem because of the army of the Chaldeans, and because of the army of the Syrians; and so we dwell at Jerusalem.

12 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:

Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying,

13 “This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem: ‘Will you not accept discipline and obey My words?’ declares the LORD.

Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Go and say to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? saith the Lord.

14 The words of Jonadab son of Rechab have been carried out. He commanded his sons not to drink wine, and they have not drunk it to this very day because they have obeyed the command of their forefather. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you have not obeyed Me!

Fulfilled are the words of Jehonadab the son of Rechab, that he hath commanded his sons not to drink wine: and they have not drunk any even unto this day; because they have obeyed the commandment of their father; but I, I have spoken unto you, early in the day and speaking; but ye have not hearkened unto me.

15 Again and again I have sent you all My servants the prophets, proclaiming: ‘Turn now, each of you, from your wicked ways, and correct your actions. Do not go after other gods to serve them. Live in the land that I have given to you and your fathers.’ But you have not inclined your ear or listened to Me.

And I have sent unto you all my servants the prophets, making them rise up early and sending them, saying, Do but return every man from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and go not after other gods to serve them: and so shall ye remain in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers; but ye have not inclined your ear, and have not hearkened unto me.

16 Yes, the sons of Jonadab son of Rechab carried out the command their forefather gave them, but these people have not listened to Me.

Because the sons of Jehonadab the son of Rechab have fulfilled the commandment of their father, which he hath commanded them; but as this people have not hearkened unto me:

17 Therefore this is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will bring to Judah and to all the residents of Jerusalem all the disaster I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them but they have not obeyed, and I have called to them but they have not answered.’”

Therefore thus hath said the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will bring upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have spoken concerning them; because I spoke unto them, but they would not hear; and I called unto them, but they would not answer.

18 Then Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites: “This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you have obeyed the command of your forefather Jonadab and have kept all his commandments and have done all that he charged you to do,

And unto the house of the Rechabites said Jeremiah, Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Whereas ye have hearkened to the charge of Jonadab your father, and have kept all his commandments, and have done in accordance with all that he hath commanded you:

19 this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Jonadab son of Rechab will never fail to have a man to stand before Me.’”

Therefore thus hath said the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, There shall not be wanting unto Jehonadab the son of Rechab a man to stand before me at all times.