Chapter 35

The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,²

Go² unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak¹⁴ unto them, and bring⁵² them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.⁵²

Then I took⁴ Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites;

And I brought them into⁵⁵ the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which [was] by the chamber of the princes, which [was] above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper⁶ of the door:

And I set⁴ before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups, and I said⁴ unto them, Drink³ ye wine.

But they said,⁴ We will drink⁴ no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded¹⁴ us, saying,² Ye shall drink⁴ no wine, [neither ye], nor your sons for ever:

Neither shall ye build⁴ house, nor sow⁴ seed, nor plant⁴ vineyard, nor have [any]: but all your days ye shall dwell⁴ in tents; that ye may live⁴ many days in the land where ye [be] strangers.⁶

Thus have we obeyed⁴ the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged¹⁴ us, to drink² no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters;

Nor to build² houses for us to dwell in:² neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed:

But we have dwelt⁴ in tents, and have obeyed,⁴ and done⁴ according to all that Jonadab our father commanded¹⁴ us.

But it came to pass, when Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came up² into the land, that we said,⁴ Come,³ and let us go⁴ to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans, and for fear of the army of the Syrians: so we dwell⁴ at Jerusalem.

Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,²

Thus saith¹ the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Go² and tell¹ the men of Judah and the inhabitants⁶ of Jerusalem, Will ye not receive⁴ instruction to hearken² to my words? saith⁷ the LORD.

The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded¹⁴ his sons not to drink² wine, are performed;⁹⁰ for unto this day they drink¹ none, but obey¹ their father's commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken¹⁴ unto you, rising early⁵³ and speaking;¹⁵ but ye hearkened¹ not unto me.

I have sent⁴ also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early⁵³ and sending² [them], saying,² Return³ ye now every man from his evil way, and amend⁵⁴ your doings, and go⁴ not after other gods to serve² them, and ye shall dwell³ in the land which I have given¹ to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined⁵² your ear, nor hearkened¹ unto me.

Because the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed⁵² the commandment of their father, which he commanded¹⁴ them; but this people hath not hearkened¹ unto me:

Therefore thus saith¹ the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring⁵⁶ upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants⁶ of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced¹⁴ against them: because I have spoken¹⁴ unto them, but they have not heard;¹ and I have called⁴ unto them, but they have not answered.¹

And Jeremiah said¹ unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith¹ the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Because ye have obeyed¹ the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept⁴ all his precepts, and done⁴ according unto all that he hath commanded¹⁴ you:

Therefore thus saith¹ the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want¹¹ a man to stand⁶ before me for ever. ³¹¹⁷