The example given by the Rechabites
1 A message from Yahweh came to Jeremiah in the days of Josiah’s son Jehoiakim, king of Judah:
2 “Go to the Rechabite family; speak to them and bring them to a room in the House of Yah weh; then give them wine to drink.”
3 So I went to get Jaazaniah, son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, his brothers and sons and all the household of the Rechabites.
4 I brought them to the House of Yahweh, into the room of the sons of Hanan, son of Igdaliah, the man of God. It was close to the room of the leaders which is above the room of the doorkeeper Maasekah, son of Shallum.
5 I then placed pitchers of wine and cups before the Rechabites and told them, “Drink wine!”
6 But they answered, “We don’t drink wine because our father Jonadab son of Rechab commanded us: ‘Never drink wine, you as well as your children;
7 don’t build a house and don’t sow seeds. You shall not plant or own a vineyard; do nothing like that but live in tents all your days so that you may live for a long time in the land where you dwell!’
8 We have observed all the commands of our father Jonadab, son of Rechab, always abstaining from wine, we, our wives, our sons and daughters.
9 We haven’t built houses to live in and we have no vineyards, fields or seeds.
10 We live in tents and we obey and practice all that our father Jonadab ordered us.
11 But when king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked the land, we said: “Come, we shall go to Jerusalem to escape from the army of the Chaldeans and the army of the Arameans. This is why now we stay in Jerusalem.”
12 Yahweh spoke again to Jere miah,
13 “Yahweh the God of hosts and the God of Israel bids you to go and tell the people of Judah and the citizens of Jeru salem: Will you reject a correction and refuse what I say? – word of Yahweh.
14 Jona dab son of Rechab commanded his children not to drink wine, and his words have been observed; to this day they have obeyed their father by not taking wine. As for you, I have spoken to you time and time again and you have not listened to me!
15 I have sent you my servants the prophets again and again say ing: ‘Turn away from your wickedness, reform your way of life and do not follow other gods to serve them. Then you will live in the land that I gave you and your forebearers.’ But you neither heeded nor listened to me.
16 The descendants of Jonadab son of Rechab have carried out their father’s order but this nation has not obeyed me.”
17 Therefore this is what Yahweh the God of hosts and the God of Israel says,
“I am going to bring on Judah and on everyone living in Jerusalem all the disaster I foretold, because I spoke and they would not listen, I called and they would not respond.”
18 Then Jeremiah said to the Re cha bites, “This is what Yahweh God of hosts and God of Israel says: ‘Because you have been obedient to your father Jonadab and observed all his instructions, because you have acted according to his commands,
19 because of that – word of Yahweh – Jonadab shall always have a descendant to stand before me.”