UST JER Chapter 35

◄ JER 35 ► ║ ═ ©

35 Several years earlier, when Jehoiakim, whose father was Josiah, was the king of Judah, Yahweh gave me, Jeremiah, this message. He said, 2 “Go to the place where the families of the Rekabite clan live. Invite them to my temple. When they arrive, take them into one of the side rooms and offer them wine.”

3 So I went to get Jaazaniah and his brothers and all his sons, who represented the Rekabite clan. Jaazaniah was the son of another man named Jeremiah and the grandson of Habazziniah. 4 I took them to the temple of Yahweh, and we went into the room where the sons of Hanan stayed. Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, was a prophet. That room was next to the room that the officials used, and it was above the room that belonged to Maaseiah the son of Shallum, who was the gatekeeper of the temple.

5 Then I set pitchers full of wine and some cups in front of them, and I said to them, “Drink some wine.” 6 They refused and said, “We do not drink wine, because our ancestor Jonadab son of Rekab commanded us that we and our descendants must never drink wine. 7 He also told us that we must not build houses or sow seed or plant vineyards, nor own any of these things. But instead, we must always live in tents, so that we would live for many years in this land where we live as foreigners. 8 So we have obeyed everything that our ancestor Jonadab commanded us. We, our wives, our sons, and our daughters have never drunk wine. 9 We have not built houses to live in, and we do not have vineyards or fields or crops. 10 We have lived in tents, and we have obeyed everything that our ancestor Jonadab commanded us.

11 However, when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his army attacked this country, we said, ‘We must go to Jerusalem to escape from the Babylonian army and the Aramean army.’ So we are now living in Jerusalem.”

12 Then Yahweh gave me, Jeremiah, this message. He said, 13 “Go and tell the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem that this is what I, Yahweh, the commander of the heavenly armies, the God of Israel, say to them: ‘You refuse to accept my correction and pay attention to my messages’ ”. That is what Yahweh declares. 14 The descendants of Jonadab son of Rekab have obeyed what their ancestor commanded them, so they do not drink wine to this day. I, however, have spoken to you people again and again, but you have not obeyed me. 15 I have sent all my servants the prophets to you again and again. They told you, “Each one of you must stop doing wicked things and do what is good. Stop worshiping other gods. Then you will live in the land that I gave to you and your ancestors.” Yet you did not pay attention to me or obey me. 16 The descendants of Jonadab son of Rekab have obeyed the command that their ancestor gave them, but you people have refused to obey me.’

17 So this is what I, Yahweh, the commander of the heavenly armies, the God of Israel, say: ‘Know that I am going to bring on the people of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem all the disasters that I threatened because I spoke to them, but they did not pay attention; I called out to them, but they did not respond.’ ”

18 Then I, Jeremiah, said to the Rekabite clan, “Yahweh, the commander of the heavenly armies, the God of Israel, says this: ‘Because you have obeyed the command of your ancestor Jonadab and have kept all his instructions and have done everything that he commanded you, 19 therefore Yahweh, the commander of the heavenly armies, the God of Israel, promises this: ‘There will always be descendants of Jonadab son of Rekab who will serve before me.’ ”