Chapter 35 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of
Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, Go into the house of the
Rechobites and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of the Lord,
into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.
Then I took Jeazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazaniah, and his brethren,
and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechobites, and I brought them into
the house of the Lord, into the chamber of the sons of Hanun, the son of Igdaliah,
a man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber
of Maaseah, the son of Shalom, the keeper of the door.
And I said before the sons of the house of the Rechobites, pots full of wine and
cups, and I said unto them, Drink ye wine.
But they said, We will drink no wine.
For Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no
wine, neither ye nor your sons, for ever.
Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any.
But all your days ye shall dwell in tents, that ye may live many days in the land
where ye be strangers.
Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father, in all that
he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons,
nor our daughters.
Nor to build houses for us to dwell in, neither have we vineyard, nor field,
nor seed.
But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed and done according to all that
Jonadab our father commanded us.
But it came to pass, when Nebuchadrezza 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.
Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord of
hosts, the God of Israel, Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words?
saith the Lord.
The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink
wine, are performed.
For unto this day they drink none, but obey their father's commandment.
Notwithstanding, I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking, but ye
hearkened not unto me.
I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending
them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings,
and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I
have given to you and to your fathers.
But ye have not inclined your ear nor hearkened unto me.
Because the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of
their father, which he commanded them, but this people hath not hearkened unto
me.
Therefore thus saith 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 unto them,
but they have not heard, and I have called unto them, but they have not answered.
And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith the Lord of hosts,
the God of Israel, Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father,
and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath commanded
you.
Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Jonadab the son of
Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.