1The word which came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah , king of Judah , saying , 2Go unto the house of the Rechabites , and speak unto them , and bring them into the house of Jehovah , into one of the chambers , and give them wine to drink . 3Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah , the son of Habazziniah , and his brethren, and all his sons , and the whole house of the Rechabites ; 4and I brought them into the house of Jehovah , into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah , the man of God , which was by the chamber of the princes , which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum , the keeper of the threshold . 5And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine , and cups ; and I said unto them , Drink ye wine . 6But 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 : 7neither 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 wherein ye sojourn . 8And we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab , our father , in all that he charged us , to drink no wine all our days , we , our wives, our sons , or 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 .
God's Message to Israel
12Then came the word of Jehovah unto Jeremiah , saying , 13Thus saith Jehovah of hosts , the God of Israel : Go , and say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem , Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words ? saith Jehovah . 14The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab , that he commanded his sons , not to drink wine , are performed ; and unto this day they drink none , for they obey their father ’s commandment . But I have spoken unto you , rising up early and speaking ; and ye have not hearkened unto me . 15I 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 . 16Forasmuch as 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 ;
The Consequences of Disobedience
17therefore thus saith Jehovah , the 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 . 18And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites , Thus saith Jehovah 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 commanded you ; 19therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts , the God of Israel : Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever .