Jeremiah 35

1The word that has been to Jeremiah from YHWH, in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,

2“Go to the house of the Rechabites, and you have spoken with them, and brought them into the house of YHWH, to one of the chambers, and caused them to drink wine.”

3And I take Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, and his brothers, and all his sons, and all the house of the Rechabites,

4and bring them into the house of YHWH, to the chamber of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God, that [is] near to the chamber of the princes, that [is] above the chamber of Maaseiah son of Shallum, keeper of the threshold;

5and I put before the sons of the house of the Rechabites goblets full of wine, and cups, and I say to them, “Drink wine.”

6And they say, “We do not drink wine: for Jonadab son of Rechab, our father, charged us, saying, You do not drink wine, you and your sons—for all time;

7and you do not build a house, and you do not sow seed, and you do not plant a vineyard, nor have of [these]; for you dwell in tents all your days, that you may live many days on the face of the ground to where you are sojourning.

8And we listen to the voice of Jonadab son of Rechab, our father, to all that he commanded us, not to drink wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, and our daughters;

9nor to build houses to dwell in; and we have no vineyard, and field, and seed;

10and we dwell in tents, and we listen, and we do according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us;

11and it comes to pass, in the coming up of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to the land, that we say, Come, and we enter Jerusalem, because of the force of the Chaldeans, and because of the force of Aram—and we dwell in Jerusalem.”

12And there is a word of YHWH to Jeremiah, saying, “Thus said YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel:

13Go, and you have said to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Do you not receive instruction to listen to My words? A declaration of YHWH.

14The words of Jonadab son of Rechab, when he commanded his sons not to drink wine, have stood, and they have not drunk to this day, for they have obeyed the command of their father; and I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, and you have not listened to Me.

15And I send all My servants the prophets to you, rising early and sending, saying, Please turn back, each from his evil way, and amend your doings, indeed, you do not walk after other gods, to serve them; and dwell on the ground that I have given to you and to your fathers; and you have not inclined your ear, nor listened to Me.

16Because the sons of Jonadab son of Rechab have stood by the command of their father that he commanded them, and this people have not listened to Me,

17therefore, thus said YHWH, God of Hosts, God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing to Judah, and to all inhabitants of Jerusalem, all the calamity that I have spoken against them, because I have spoken to them, and they have not listened, indeed, I call to them, and they have not answered.”

18And Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites: “Thus said YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel: Because that you have listened to the command of your father Jonadab, and you observe all his commands, and do according to all that he commanded you;

19therefore, thus said YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel: A man of Jonadab son of Rechab is not cut off [from] standing before Me all the days.”