1The word which came unto Jeremiah from Yahuah (LORD) in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Yahudah (Judah), saying,
2Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of Yahuah (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 Yahuah (LORD), into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of Elohim (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 unto them, Drink you wine.
6But 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 sons for ever:
7Neither shall you build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days you shall dwell in tents; that you may live many days in the land where you 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 dwelt 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 Yahuah (LORD) unto Jeremiah, saying,
13Thus says Yahuah Tseva'ot (LORD of hosts), the Elohim (God) of Yashar'el (Israel); Go and tell the men of Yahudah (Judah) and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you not receive instruction to hearken to my words? says Yahuah (LORD).
14The 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 you hearkened not unto me.
15I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return you now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and you shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but you have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.
16Because the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father, which he commanded them; but this people has not hearkened unto me:
17Therefore thus says Yahuah Elohim (the LORD God) of hosts, the Elohim (God) of Yashar'el (Israel); Behold, I will bring upon Yahudah (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.
18And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus says Yahuah Tseva'ot (LORD of hosts), the Elohim (God) of Yashar'el (Israel); Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he has commanded you:
19Therefore thus says Yahuah Tseva'ot (LORD of hosts), the Elohim (God) of Yashar'el (Israel); Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.