Jeremiah 35

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

2. “Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak to them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers. And give them wine to drink.”

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

4. And I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was near the chamber of the rulers, above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door.

5. And I set pots full of wine, and cups, before the sons of the house of the Rechabites. And I said to them, “Drink wine!”

6. But they said, “We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, ‘You shall drink no wine, you nor your sons forever.

7. Nor shall you build houses, nor sow seed, nor plant a vineyard, nor have anything; but all your days you shall live in tents, so that you may live many days in the land where you are strangers.’

8. So we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he has commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters;

9. Nor to build houses for us to live in. Nor do we have vineyard, nor field, nor seed.

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

11. But it came to pass when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, we said, ‘Come and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the Chaldean army, and for fear of the Syrian army.’ So we are living at Jerusalem.”

12. Then came the Word of the LORD to Jeremiah, saying,

13. “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Go and tell the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem, “Will you not receive instruction to hearken to My words?” says the LORD.

14. “The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons not to drink wine, have been kept. For to this day they do not drink any, but obey their father’s commandment. Yet I have spoken to you, again and again, but you did not hearken to Me.

15. I have also sent to you all My servants the prophets, again and again, saying, ‘Return now each man from his evil way, and make your doings good, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and you shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers.’ But you have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened to Me.

16. Because the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have done the commandment of their father, which he commanded them; but this people has not hearkened to Me,

17. Therefore, thus says the LORD, God of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I will bring on Judah and on all the people of Jerusalem all the evil that I have spoken against them. Because I have spoken to them, but they have not hearkened; and I have called to them, but they have not answered.’ ”

18. And Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and have kept all his precepts, and have done according to all that he has commanded you;

19. Therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me forever.” ’ ”