Jeremiah 35

1 The word which came unto Jeremiah from Yahweh, —in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah saying:

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

2 Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak with them, and bring them into the house of Yahweh, into one of the chambers, —and give them, wine, to drink.

“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.”

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

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

4 and brought them into the house of Yahweh, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God, —which was beside the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah son of Shallum keeper of the porch;

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.

5 and I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine, and cups, —and said unto them Drink ye wine.

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.”

6 Then said they, —We will not drink wine, —for Jonadab son of Rechab, our father, laid command upon us, saying, Ye shall not drink wine, ye, nor your sons, unto times age-abiding;

“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.

7 nor house, shall ye build nor, seed, shall ye sow, nor vineyard, shall ye plant, neither shall ye have them, —but in tents, shall ye dwell, all your days, that ye may live many days on the face of the soil where ye are sojourning.

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.’

8 So we have hearkened unto the voice of Jonadab, son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, —not to drink wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons nor our daughters;

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.

9 and not to build houses for us to dwell in, —and so, vineyard or field or seed, have we none;

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

10 but we have dwelt in tents, —and have hearkened and done, according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.

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

11 And so it came to pass when Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, —Let us even enter, Jerusalem, because of the force of the Chaldeans and because of the force of the Syrians: So have we dwelt in Jerusalem.

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.”

12 Then came the word of Yahweh unto Jeremiah, saying:

Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:

13 Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, Go and say to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, —Will ye not receive correction by hearkening unto my words? Demandeth Yahweh:

“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.

14 Confirmed are the words of Jonadab son of Rechab—which he commanded his sons that they should not drink, wine, and they have not drunk until this day, for they have hearkened unto the command of their father, But, I, have spoken unto you, betimes, speaking, and ye have not hearkened, unto me.

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!

15 And I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, betimes, sending, saying, Return I pray you—every man from his wicked way, And amend your doings, And do not go after other gods to serve them, So shall ye remain on the soil which I gave to you, and to your fathers, —but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened, unto me.

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.

16 Because the sons of Jonadab son of Rechab have, confirmed, the commandment of their father which he commanded them, —whereas, this people, have not hearkened unto me,

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

17 Therefore, Thus, saith Yahweh, God of hosts, God of Israel, Behold me! bringing in against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, all the calamity, which I have spoken concerning them, —Because I spake unto them and they did not hearken, And I called to them and they did not answer.

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.’”

18 But to the house of the Rechabites, said Jeremiah: Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, Because ye have hearkened unto the commandment of Jonadab your father, and have kept all his commandments, and done according to all that he commanded you

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,

19 Therefore, Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, —Jonadab son of Rechab shall not want one to stand before me, all the days!

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.’”