Jeremiah 35

The Rechabites’ Obedience

1The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of 1Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, 2“Go to the house of the 2Rechabites and speak to them, and bring them into the house of the Lord, into one of the 3chambers, and give them wine to drink.” 3So I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons, and all the household of the Rechabites, 4and I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the 4man of God, which was next to the chamber of the officials, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, 5the doorkeeper. 5Then I set before the 6men of the house of the Rechabites pitchers full of wine, and cups; and I said to them, “7Drink wine!” 6But they said, “We will not drink wine, for 8Jonadab the son of 9Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, ‘You shall 10not drink wine, you or your sons, forever. 7You shall not build a house, and you shall not sow seed nor plant a vineyard, nor 11own one; but you shall live in 12tents all your days, so that you may live 13many days 14in the land where you 15live as strangers.’ 8And we have 16obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, not to drink wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, 9nor to build ourselves houses to live in; and we 17do not have a vineyard, a field, or seed. 10But we have 18lived only in tents, and have obeyed and have done according to all that our father 19Jonadab commanded us. 11However, when 20Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, we said, ‘Come, and let’s 21go to Jerusalem away from the army of the Chaldeans and the army of the Arameans.’ So we have lived in Jerusalem.”

Judah Rebuked

12Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, 13“This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Go and say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “22Will you not accept instruction by listening to My words?” declares the Lord. 14“The 23words of Jonadab the son of Rechab have been followed, which he commanded his sons: not to drink wine. And they do not drink wine to this day, for they have obeyed their father’s command. But I have spoken to you 24again and again, yet you have 25not listened to Me. 15Also I have sent to you all My 26servants the prophets, sending them again and again, saying: ‘27Turn now every person from his evil way and amend your deeds, and 28do not follow other gods to worship them. Then you will 29live in the land which I have given to you and to your forefathers; but you have not 30inclined your ear or listened to Me. 16Indeed, the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have 31followed the command of their father which he commanded them, but this people has not listened to Me.’”’ 17Therefore this is what the Lord says, the God of armies, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, 32I am bringing on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them; because I 33spoke to them but they did not listen, and I have called them but they did not answer.’”

18Then Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Because you have 34obeyed the command of Jonadab your father, kept all his commands, and done according to all that he commanded you, 19therefore this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Jonadab the son of Rechab 35will not lack a man to 36stand before Me 37always.”’”