The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah

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- Chapter 35 -

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, and he said,

“Go to the clan of the Rechabites and speak with them. Then bring them to my house, into one of the rooms there and give them wine to drink.”

So I took Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah son of Habazziniah and his brothers, all his sons, and all the clan of the Rechabites.

I took them to the house of Yahweh, into the rooms of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, the man of God. These rooms were beside the room of the leaders which was above the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the gatekeeper.

Then I placed bowls and cups full of wine in front of the Rechabites and said to them, “Drink some wine.”

But they said, “We will not drink any wine, for our ancestor, Jonadab son of Rechab, commanded us, ’Do not drink any wine, neither you nor your descendants, forever.

Also, do not build any houses, sow any seeds, or plant any vineyards; this is not for you. For you must live in tents all your days, so that you might live many days in the land where you are staying as foreigners.’

We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab son of Rechab, our ancestor, in all that he commanded us, to never drink wine all of our days, we, our wives, our sons, and our daughters.

We will never build houses to live in, and there will be no vineyard, field, or seed in our possession.

We have lived in tents and we have obeyed and done all that Jonadab our ancestor commanded us.

But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked the land, we said, ‘Come, we must go to Jerusalem to escape from the Chaldean and Aramean armies.’ So we are living in Jerusalem.”

Judah Rebuked

Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah and said,

“Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this, ’Go and say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Will you not receive correction and listen to my words? -this is Yahweh’s declaration.

The words of Jonadab son of Rechab that he gave to his sons as a command, not to drink any wine, have been observed to this very day. They have obeyed their ancestor’s command. But as for me, I myself have been making persistent proclamations to you, but you do not listen to me.

I sent out to you all my servants, the prophets. I was persistent in sending them to say, ‘Let each person turn from his wicked way and do good deeds; let no one walk any longer after other gods and worship them. Instead, come back to the land that I gave to you and your ancestors.’ Yet you will not listen to me or pay attention to me.

For the descendants of Jonadab son of Rechab have observed the commands of their ancestor that he gave them, but this people refuses to listen to me.”’

So Yahweh, God of hosts and God of Israel, says this, ‘Look, all the disasters that I have proclaimed against them-I am about to bring these disasters on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, because I have made proclamations to them, but they refused to listen. I called to them, but they did not answer.’”

Jeremiah said to the family of the Rechabites, “Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this: You have listened to the commands of Jonadab your ancestor and have kept them all-you have obeyed all that he commanded you to do-

so Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this, ‘There will always be someone descended from Jonadab son of Rechab to serve me.’”

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

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

Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, with his brothers, all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites;

and I brought them into the LORD’s house, into the room of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was by the room of the princes, which was above the room of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the threshold.

I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine, and cups; and I said to them, “Drink wine!”

But they said, “We will drink no wine; for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, ‘You shall drink no wine, neither you nor your children, forever.

You shall not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, or have any; but all your days you shall dwell in tents, that you may live many days in the land in which you live as nomads.’

We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters;

and not to build houses for ourselves to dwell in. We have no vineyard, field, or seed;

but we have lived in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.

But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, we said, ‘Come! Let’s go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans, and for fear of the army of the Syrians; so we will dwell at Jerusalem.’”

Judah Rebuked

Then the LORD’s word came to Jeremiah, saying,

“The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Will you not receive instruction to listen to my words?” says the LORD.

“The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab that he commanded his sons, not to drink wine, are performed; and to this day they drink none, for they obey their father’s commandment; but I have spoken to you, rising up early and speaking, and you have not listened to me.

I have sent also to you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, ‘Every one of you must return now from his evil way, amend your doings, and don’t go after other gods to serve them. Then you will dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers;’ but you have not inclined your ear, nor listened to me.

The sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father which he commanded them, but this people has not listened to me.”’

“Therefore the LORD, the God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them, but they have not heard; and I have called to them, but they have not answered.’”

Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according to all that he commanded you,’

therefore the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jonadab the son of Rechab will not lack a man to stand before me forever.’”