1The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying:
2“Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak with them, and bring them into the house of Yahweh, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.”
3So I took Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons and the whole house of the Rechabites,
4and I brought them into the house of Yahweh, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was beside the chamber of the officials, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the keeper of the threshold.
5Then I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine, and cups, and I said to them, “Drink wine!”
6But they said, “We will not drink wine, for Jonadab son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, ‘You shall not drink wine, neither you nor your sons, forever.
7And you shall not build a house, nor sow seed, nor plant a vineyard, nor have any; but you shall dwell in tents all your days, so that you may live many days on the face of the ground where you are sojourning.’
8So we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days—we, our wives, our sons, and our daughters—
9and to build no houses for us to dwell in; and we have no vineyard or field or seed.
10So we have dwelt in tents, and we have obeyed and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.
11But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, we said, ‘Come, let us go to Jerusalem before the army of the Chaldeans and before the army of Aram’; so we have dwelt in Jerusalem.”
12Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying:
13“Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel: Go and say to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, ‘Will you not accept discipline by listening to my words?’ declares Yahweh.
14‘The words of Jonadab son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons—not to drink wine—have been carried out, and they have not drunk to this day, for they have obeyed their father’s command. But I myself have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, yet you have not listened to me.
15I sent to you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, “Turn now, each one from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to serve them; then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to you and to your fathers.” But you did not incline your ear, and you did not listen to me.
16Indeed, the sons of Jonadab son of Rechab have carried out the command of their father which he commanded them, but this people has not listened to me.’
17Therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have spoken against them, because I spoke to them and they did not listen, and I called out to them and they did not answer.”
18But to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah said, “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father and have kept all his commands and done according to all that he commanded you,
19therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel: A man shall never be cut off from Jonadab son of Rechab to stand before me all the days.”
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