The Obedient Rechabites

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

2Go 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.

3Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites;

4And 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 by the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door:

5And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups, and I said to them, Drink you^p wine.

6But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, You^p shall drink no wine, neither you^p, nor your^p sons for ever:

7Neither shall you^p build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your^p days you^p shall dwell in tents; that you^p may live many days in the land where you^p be strangers.

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

9Nor to build houses for us to dwell in: neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed:

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

11But it came to pass, when Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans, and for fear of the army of the Syrians: so we dwell at Jerusalem.

12Then came the word of the Lord to Jeremiah, saying,

13Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you^p not receive instruction to hearken to My words? says the Lord.   Jehovah^s.f. Tsebaoth^p.f.; listen

14The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for to this day they drink none, but obey their father’s commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken to you^p, rising early and speaking; but you^p hearkened not to Me.

15I have sent also to you^p all My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return you^p now every man from his evil way, and amend your^p doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and you^p shall dwell in the land which I have given to you^p and to your^p fathers: but you^p have not inclined your^p ear, nor hearkened to Me.

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

17Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon Judah and upon 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.   Jehovah^s.f. Elohe^p.f. Tsebaoth^p.f.

18And Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Because you^p have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your^p father, and kept all his precepts, and done according to all that he has commanded you^p:   instructions

19Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before Me for ever.   lack