The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Jeremiah 35
1 The word whichcame to Jeremiahfrom
Yahweh 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 Yahweh’s
house, into one of the rooms, and
give them wine to drink.”
3 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;
4 and I brought them into Yahweh’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.
5 I set before the sons of the house of the
Rechabites bowls full of wine, and cups;
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, neither you nor your children,
forever.
7 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.’
8 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;
9 and not to build houses for ourselves
to dwell in. We have no vineyard, field, or
seed;
10 but we have lived in tents, and have
obeyed, and done according to all that
Jonadab our father commanded us.
11 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.’ ”
12 Then Yahweh’s word came to
Jeremiah, saying,
13 “Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel,
says: ‘Go and tell the men of Judah and
the inhabitants ofJerusalem, “Will you not
receive instruction to listen to my words?”
says Yahweh.
14 “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.
15 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.
16 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.” ’
17 “Therefore Yahweh, 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.
18 Jeremiah said to the house of the
Rechabites, “Yahweh of Armies, the God
of Israel, says: ‘Because you have obeyed
the commandment ofJonadab your father,
and kept all his precepts, and done
according to all that he commanded you,’
19 therefore Yahweh of Armies, the God
of Israel, says: ‘Jonadab the son of Rechab
will not lack a man to stand before me
forever.’ ”