“1 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of
Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying, 2 Go unto the house
of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of
the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink. 3 Then
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; 4 And
I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons
of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a 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 door: 5 And I set before the sons of the
house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups, and I said unto
them, Drink ye wine. 6 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: 7 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. 8 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; 9 Nor to
build houses for us to dwell in: neither have we vineyard, nor field,
nor seed: 10 But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done
according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us. 11 But 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.”
“12 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, 13 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. 14 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. 15 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. 16 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: 17 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. 18
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: 19 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.” (Jeremiah 35:1-19 AV)