[1] The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoi'akim
the son of Josi'ah, king of Judah: [2] "Go to the house of the Re'chabites,
and speak with them, and bring them to the house of the LORD, into one of
the chambers; then offer them wine to drink." [3] So I took Ja-azani'ah the
son of Jeremiah, son of Habazzini'ah, and his brothers, and all his sons,
and the whole house of the Re'chabites. [4] I brought them to the house of
the LORD into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdali'ah, the
man of God, which was near the chamber of the princes, above the chamber of
Ma-asei'ah the son of Shallum, keeper of the threshold. [5] Then I set
before the Re'chabites pitchers full of wine, and cups; and I said to them,
"Drink wine." [6] But they answered, "We will drink no wine, for Jon'adab
the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, `You shall not drink wine,
neither you nor your sons for ever; [7] you shall not build a house; you
shall not sow seed; you shall not plant or have a vineyard; but you shall
live in tents all your days, that you may live many days in the land where
you sojourn.' [8] We have obeyed the voice of Jon'adab the son of Rechab,
our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days,
ourselves, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, [9] and not to build
houses to dwell in. We have no vineyard or field or seed; [10] but we have
lived in tents, and have obeyed and done all that Jon'adab our father
commanded us. [11] But when Nebuchadrez'zar king of Babylon came up against
the land, we said, `Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army
of the Chalde'ans and the army of the Syrians.' So we are living in
Jerusalem." [12] Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: [13] "Thus
says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Go and say to the men of Judah
and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you not receive instruction and
listen to my words? says the LORD. [14] The command which Jon'adab the son
of Rechab gave to his sons, to drink no wine, has been kept; and they drink
none to this day, for they have obeyed their father's command. I have
spoken to you persistently, but you have not listened to me. [15] I have
sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently,
saying, `Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and amend your
doings, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and then you shall
dwell in the land which I gave to you and your fathers.' But you did not
incline your ear or listen to me. [16] The sons of Jon'adab the son of
Rechab have kept the command which their father gave them, but this people
has not obeyed me. [17] Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of hosts,
the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing on Judah and all the inhabitants
of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them; because I
have spoken to them and they have not listened, I have called to them and
they have not answered." [18] But to the house of the Re'chabites Jeremiah
said, "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have
obeyed the command of Jon'adab your father, and kept all his precepts, and
done all that he commanded you, [19] therefore thus says the LORD of hosts,
the God of Israel: Jon'adab the son of Rechab shall never lack a man to
stand before me."