Jeremiah 35

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

2“Go to the Rechabite community and speak with them. Bring them to the house of Yahweh, into one of the side rooms, and offer them wine to drink.”

3So I took Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons, the whole Rechabite community,

4and I brought them into the house of Yahweh, into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, the man of God. It was next to the room of the officials, which was above the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the doorkeeper.

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

6But they said, “We will not drink wine, for our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab commanded us, ‘You and your descendants must never drink wine.

7Do not build houses, sow seed, or plant vineyards; you must not own any of these. Instead, you must live in tents all your lives, so that you may live a long time in the land where you are staying as foreigners.’

8We have obeyed the voice of our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab in everything he commanded us. We have never drunk wine, neither we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters.

9We have not built houses to live in, and we have no vineyard, field, or seed.

10We have lived in tents and have obeyed and done everything our forefather Jonadab commanded us.

11But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the land, we said, ‘Come, let us go to Jerusalem to escape the army of the Chaldeans and the army of the Arameans.’ So we have been living in Jerusalem.”

12Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah:

13“This is what Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, ‘Will you not learn a lesson and listen to my words? declares Yahweh.

14The command that Jonadab son of Rechab gave his descendants not to drink wine has been kept; to this day they have not drunk wine, because they have obeyed their forefather’s command. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you have not listened to me.

15I have sent you all my servants the prophets again and again, saying, “Turn now, each of you, from his evil way, and correct your deeds. Do not go after other gods to serve them. Then you will live in the land that I gave to you and your ancestors.” But you did not pay attention or listen to me.

16The descendants of Jonadab son of Rechab have kept the command their forefather gave them, but this people has not listened to me.’

17Therefore this is what Yahweh, the God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Look, I am bringing on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, because I spoke to them and they did not listen, and I called to them and they did not answer.”

18Then Jeremiah said to the Rechabite community, “This is what Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Because you have obeyed the command of your forefather Jonadab, and have kept all his commands and done everything he commanded you,

19therefore this is what Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Jonadab son of Rechab will never lack a man to stand before me.”