Jeremiah 35

The Obedience of the Rechabites

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah:

2 “Go to the house of the Rechabites, speak to them, bring them into one of the rooms of the LORD’s house, and offer them wine to drink.”

3 So I brought Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, his brothers, all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites

4 Into the house of the LORD, into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. It was next to the room of the officials, above the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the doorkeeper.

5 Then I set cups and pitchers full of wine before the house of the Rechabites and said to them, “Drink wine.”

The Rechabites Refuse Wine

6 But they replied, “We do not drink wine, because Jonadab son of Rechab, our father, commanded us: ‘You and your descendants must never drink wine.’”

7 “‘You must not build houses, sow seed, plant vineyards, or own any of these. You must live in tents all your days, So that you may live long in the land where you wander.’”

8 “We have obeyed everything Jonadab son of Rechab commanded us, Not drinking wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, and our daughters.”

9 “We have not built houses to live in, We do not own vineyards, fields, or seed.”

10 “We live in tents and have obeyed and done everything our ancestor Jonadab commanded us.”

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

Judah Rebuked by Their Example

12 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:

13 “This is what the LORD of armies, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem, ‘Will you not learn a lesson and obey My words?’ declares the LORD.”

14 “The words of Jonadab son of Rechab, which he commanded his descendants not to drink wine, have been kept. To this day they do not drink it, because they obeyed their father’s command. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you have not obeyed Me.”

15 “I sent all My servants the prophets to you again and again, saying, ‘Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways, correct your actions, Do not follow other gods to serve them, And you will live in the land I gave to you and your fathers.’ But you did not listen or pay attention to Me.”

16 “The descendants of Jonadab son of Rechab carried out the command their father gave them, But this people has not obeyed Me.”

Judgment on Judah

17 “Therefore, this is what the LORD, the God of armies, the God of Israel, says: I am bringing on Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem All the disaster I pronounced against them, Because I spoke to them and they did not listen, I called to them and they did not answer.”

Promise to the Rechabites

18 Then Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “This is what the LORD of armies, the God of Israel, says: Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father, Kept all his commands, and done everything he told you to do?”

19 “therefore, this is what the LORD of armies, the God of Israel, says: Jonadab son of Rechab will never fail to have a man to stand before Me forever.”