< Jeremiah 35 >

1 This is the message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord during the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:
הַדָּבָ֛ר אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֥ה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה בִּימֵ֨י יְהוֹיָקִ֧ים בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּ֛הוּ מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃
2 Go to where the Rechabites live. Invite them to come with you to one of the rooms in the Lord's Temple and offer them wine to drink.
הָלוֹךְ֮ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הָרֵכָבִים֒ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֣ אוֹתָ֔ם וַהֲבִֽאוֹתָם֙ בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־אַחַ֖ת הַלְּשָׁכ֑וֹת וְהִשְׁקִיתָ֥ אוֹתָ֖ם יָֽיִן׃
3 So I went to visit Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons—the whole Rechabite family.
וָאֶקַּ֞ח אֶת־יַאֲזַנְיָ֤ה בֶֽן־יִרְמְיָ֙הוּ֙ בֶּן־חֲבַצִּנְיָ֔ה וְאֶת־אֶחָ֖יו וְאֶת־כָּל־בָּנָ֑יו וְאֵ֖ת כָּל־בֵּ֥ית הָרֵכָבִֽים׃
4 Then I took them into the Lord's Temple, to a room used by the sons of Hanan, son of Igdaliah, a man of God. It was next to the one used by the officials, which was above the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, who was the Temple doorkeeper.
וָאָבִ֤א אֹתָם֙ בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־לִשְׁכַּ֗ת בְּנֵ֛י חָנָ֥ן בֶּן־יִגְדַּלְיָ֖הוּ אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים אֲשֶׁר־אֵ֙צֶל֙ לִשְׁכַּ֣ת הַשָּׂרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר מִמַּ֗עַל לְלִשְׁכַּ֛ת מַעֲשֵׂיָ֥הוּ בֶן־שַׁלֻּ֖ם שֹׁמֵ֥ר הַסַּֽף׃
5 I placed some jugs full of wine and some cups before the Rechabites and told them, “Have some wine to drink.”
וָאֶתֵּ֞ן לִפְנֵ֣י ׀ בְּנֵ֣י בֵית־הָרֵכָבִ֗ים גְּבִעִ֛ים מְלֵאִ֥ים יַ֖יִן וְכֹס֑וֹת וָאֹמַ֥ר אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם שְׁתוּ־יָֽיִן׃
6 “We don't drink wine,” they said, “because our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab gave us these orders: ‘You and your descendants must never drink wine.
וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ לֹ֣א נִשְׁתֶּה־יָּ֑יִן כִּי֩ יוֹנָדָ֨ב בֶּן־רֵכָ֜ב אָבִ֗ינוּ צִוָּ֤ה עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹ֧א תִשְׁתּוּ־יַ֛יִן אַתֶּ֥ם וּבְנֵיכֶ֖ם עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃
7 Don't ever build houses or sow crops or plant vineyards. You're not to do this. Instead, you are to always live in tents so that you may have long lives as you move from place to place in the country.’
וּבַ֣יִת לֹֽא־תִבְנ֗וּ וְזֶ֤רַע לֹֽא־תִזְרָ֙עוּ֙ וְכֶ֣רֶם לֹֽא־תִטָּ֔עוּ וְלֹ֥א יִֽהְיֶ֖ה לָכֶ֑ם כִּ֠י בָּאֳהָלִ֤ים תֵּֽשְׁבוּ֙ כָּל־יְמֵיכֶ֔ם לְמַ֨עַן תִּֽחְי֜וּ יָמִ֤ים רַבִּים֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הָאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתֶּ֖ם גָּרִ֥ים שָֽׁם׃
8 We have done exactly what our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab told us. None of us have ever drunk wine, and that includes our wives and our sons and daughters as well as us.
וַנִּשְׁמַ֗ע בְּק֨וֹל יְהוֹנָדָ֤ב בֶּן־רֵכָב֙ אָבִ֔ינוּ לְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוָּ֑נוּ לְבִלְתִּ֤י שְׁתֽוֹת־יַ֙יִן֙ כָּל־יָמֵ֔ינוּ אֲנַ֣חְנוּ נָשֵׁ֔ינוּ בָּנֵ֖ינוּ וּבְנֹתֵֽינוּ׃
9 We haven't built houses to live in, and we haven't had any vineyards or fields or grown any crops.
וּלְבִלְתִּ֛י בְּנ֥וֹת בָּתִּ֖ים לְשִׁבְתֵּ֑נוּ וְכֶ֧רֶם וְשָׂדֶ֛ה וָזֶ֖רַע לֹ֥א יִֽהְיֶה־לָּֽנוּ׃
10 We've lived in tents and have obeyed our forefather Jonadab, following everything he ordered us to do.
וַנֵּ֖שֶׁב בָּֽאֳהָלִ֑ים וַנִּשְׁמַ֣ע וַנַּ֔עַשׂ כְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֖נוּ יוֹנָדָ֥ב אָבִֽינוּ׃
11 So when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the country we decided, ‘Come on, let's go into Jerusalem to be safe from the armies of the Chaldeans, Babylonians, and Arameans.’ That's why we've stayed in Jerusalem.”
וַיְהִ֗י בַּעֲל֨וֹת נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֥ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶל֮ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ֒ וַנֹּ֗אמֶר בֹּ֚אוּ וְנָב֣וֹא יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם מִפְּנֵי֙ חֵ֣יל הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים וּמִפְּנֵ֖י חֵ֣יל אֲרָ֑ם וַנֵּ֖שֶׁב בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ פ
12 Then a message from the Lord came to Jeremiah:
וַֽיְהִי֙ דְּבַר־יְהוָ֔ה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ לֵאמֹֽר׃
13 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem: Why don't you accept my instructions and obey what I tell you? the Lord asks.
כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הָלֹ֤ךְ וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֙ לְאִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדָ֔ה וּלְיֽוֹשְׁבֵ֖י יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם הֲל֨וֹא תִקְח֥וּ מוּסָ֛ר לִשְׁמֹ֥עַ אֶל־דְּבָרַ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃
14 The instructions of Jonadab son of Rechab have been followed. He ordered his descendants not to drink wine, and they have not drunk it to this day because they have obeyed their forefather's command. But I have told you what to do time and again, and yet you refuse to obey me!
הוּקַ֡ם אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהוֹנָדָ֣ב בֶּן־רֵ֠כָב אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֨ה אֶת־בָּנָ֜יו לְבִלְתִּ֣י שְׁתֽוֹת־יַ֗יִן וְלֹ֤א שָׁתוּ֙ עַד־הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה כִּ֣י שָֽׁמְע֔וּ אֵ֖ת מִצְוַ֣ת אֲבִיהֶ֑ם וְאָ֨נֹכִ֜י דִּבַּ֤רְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם֙ הַשְׁכֵּ֣ם וְדַבֵּ֔ר וְלֹ֥א שְׁמַעְתֶּ֖ם אֵלָֽי׃
15 Time and again I've sent you so many of my servants the prophets to tell you: Everyone, stop your evil ways and do what's right! Don't go following other gods and worshiping them. Live in the land that I gave you and your fathers. But you haven't paid attention or obeyed me.
וָאֶשְׁלַ֣ח אֲלֵיכֶ֣ם אֶת־כָּל־עֲבָדַ֣י הַנְּבִאִ֣ים ׀ הַשְׁכֵּ֣ים וְשָׁלֹ֣חַ ׀ לֵאמֹ֡ר שֻׁבוּ־נָ֡א אִישׁ֩ מִדַּרְכּ֨וֹ הָרָעָ֜ה וְהֵיטִ֣יבוּ מַֽעַלְלֵיכֶ֗ם וְאַל־תֵּ֨לְכ֜וּ אַחֲרֵ֨י אֱלֹהִ֤ים אֲחֵרִים֙ לְעָבְדָ֔ם וּשְׁבוּ֙ אֶל־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תִּי לָכֶ֖ם וְלַאֲבֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם וְלֹ֤א הִטִּיתֶם֙ אֶֽת־אָזְנְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א שְׁמַעְתֶּ֖ם אֵלָֽי׃
16 These descendants of Jonadab son of Rechab have followed the command given to them by their forefather, but these people haven't obeyed me.
כִּ֣י הֵקִ֗ימוּ בְּנֵי֙ יְהוֹנָדָ֣ב בֶּן־רֵכָ֔ב אֶת־מִצְוַ֥ת אֲבִיהֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוָּ֑ם וְהָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה לֹ֥א שָׁמְע֖וּ אֵלָֽי׃ ס
17 So this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Watch as I bring down on Judah and on all the people living in Jerusalem all the disasters I have threatened to do to them, because I have told them what to do but they haven't obeyed; I have appealed to them but they haven't responded.
לָ֠כֵן כֹּֽה־אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֜ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י צְבָאוֹת֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הִנְנִ֧י מֵבִ֣יא אֶל־יְהוּדָ֗ה וְאֶ֤ל כָּל־יֽוֹשְׁבֵי֙ יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם אֵ֚ת כָּל־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם יַ֣עַן דִּבַּ֤רְתִּי אֲלֵיהֶם֙ וְלֹ֣א שָׁמֵ֔עוּ וָאֶקְרָ֥א לָהֶ֖ם וְלֹ֥א עָנֽוּ׃
18 Then Jeremiah told the Rechabites: This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Because you have obeyed your forefather Jonadab's instructions and have followed his orders and have done everything he told you to do,
וּלְבֵ֨ית הָרֵכָבִ֜ים אָמַ֣ר יִרְמְיָ֗הוּ כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל יַ֚עַן אֲשֶׁ֣ר שְׁמַעְתֶּ֔ם עַל־מִצְוַ֖ת יְהוֹנָדָ֣ב אֲבִיכֶ֑ם וַֽתִּשְׁמְרוּ֙ אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֹתָ֔יו וַֽתַּעֲשׂ֔וּ כְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֖ה אֶתְכֶֽם׃ ס
19 this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Jonadab son of Rechab will always have someone who will be in my presence serving me.
לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֛ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לֹֽא־יִכָּרֵ֨ת אִ֜ישׁ לְיוֹנָדָ֧ב בֶּן־רֵכָ֛ב עֹמֵ֥ד לְפָנַ֖י כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃ פ

< Jeremiah 35 >