1This is the message Jeremiah received from Yahweh during the time of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah:
2“Go to the family of the Rechabites. Speak to them and bring them into the house of Yahweh, into one of the rooms, and offer them wine to drink.”
3So I took Jaazaniah, son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, along with his brothers and all his sons, and the entire family of the Rechabites.
4I brought them into the house of Yahweh, into the room of the sons of Hanan, son of Igdaliah, a man of God. This room was next to the room of the officials, and above the room of Maaseiah, son of Shallum, who guarded the entrance.
5I set out bowls filled with wine and cups for the members of the Rechabite family, and I told them, “Drink some wine!”
6But they said, “We will not drink wine, because our ancestor Jonadab, son of Rechab, commanded us, ‘You and your descendants must never drink wine.
7You must not build houses, plant seeds, plant vineyards, or own any land. Instead, you must live in tents your whole lives so that you may live for a long time in the land where you are nomads.’
8We have obeyed everything our ancestor Jonadab, son of Rechab, commanded us. We, our wives, our sons, and our daughters have not drunk wine our entire lives.
9We have not built houses to live in, and we don’t own any vineyards, fields, or seeds.
10We have lived in tents and have obeyed and done everything our ancestor Jonadab commanded us.
11However, when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded the land, we said, ‘Come, let’s go to Jerusalem to escape the army of the Babylonians and the army of the Arameans.’ So we have been living in Jerusalem.”
12Then the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying,
13Yahweh, the God of Israel and commander of armies, says: ‘Go and tell the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem, “Won't you accept my correction and listen to what I say?” says Yahweh.
14The people have obeyed the command of Jonadab, Rechab’s son, not to drink wine. To this day, they still don't drink any because they obey their father's command. But I have spoken to you repeatedly, and you haven't listened to me.
15I have also sent all my servants the prophets to you, time and again, saying, ‘Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways, and change your actions. Don't follow other gods and serve them. If you do, you will live in the land I gave to you and your ancestors.’ But you haven't paid attention or listened to me.
16The descendants of Jonadab, Rechab’s son, have followed their father’s command, but these people have not listened to me.”’
17“Therefore, Yahweh, the God of armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will certainly bring on Judah and all the people of Jerusalem all the disaster I announced against them. This is because I spoke to them, but they didn’t listen, and I called to them, but they didn’t answer.’”
18Jeremiah told the people of Rechab, “Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you have obeyed your father Jonadab’s command and followed all his instructions and done everything he told you to do;’
19therefore Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jonadab, Rechab’s son, will always have descendants to serve me.’”