Jeremiah 35

The Rechabites refuse wine

1This word came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah: 2“Go to the Rechabite family and speak with them. Bring them into one of the rooms in the house of the LORD and give them wine to drink.” 3So I took Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, his brothers, all his sons, and the whole Rechabite family. 4I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, the man of God. It was beside the officials' room, above the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the doorkeeper. 5I set bowls full of wine and cups before the members of the Rechabite family and told them, “Drink some wine.”

6They answered, “We will not drink wine. Our ancestor Jonadab son of Rechab commanded us, ‘Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. 7You must not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, or own one. You must live in tents all your days, so that you may live a long time on the soil where you reside as foreigners.’ 8We have obeyed our ancestor Jonadab son of Rechab in everything he commanded us. We have never drunk wine—neither we nor our wives, sons, or daughters. 9We have not built houses to live in, and we have no vineyards, fields, or sown crops. 10We have lived in tents and have obeyed and done everything our ancestor Jonadab commanded us. 11But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the land, we said, ‘Come, let us go to Jerusalem to escape the Chaldean and Aramean armies.’ That is why we are living in Jerusalem.”

Obedience and refusal

12Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 13“The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, ‘Will you not accept correction and listen to my words? declares the LORD. 14The command of Jonadab son of Rechab that his descendants must not drink wine has been kept. They have drunk none to this day because they obeyed their ancestor's command. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you have not listened to me. 15I have sent all my servants the prophets to you again and again, saying, “Turn back, each of you, from your evil way. Put your deeds right. Do not follow other gods to serve them. Then live on the soil I gave you and your ancestors.” But you have not inclined your ears or listened to me. 16The descendants of Jonadab son of Rechab have carried out their ancestor's command, but this people has not listened to me.’ 17“So the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, says: I am bringing on Judah and all Jerusalem's inhabitants all the disaster I announced against them, because I spoke to them and they did not listen; I called to them and they did not answer.”

A promise to the Rechabites

18But Jeremiah told the Rechabite family, “The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says: Because you obeyed your ancestor Jonadab's command, kept all his commands, and did everything he told you, 19the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says: Jonadab son of Rechab will never lack a man to stand before me.”