Jeremiah 35
35
The Faithful Recabites
1This is the message the Lord gave Jeremiah when Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah: 2“Go to the settlement where the families of the Recabites live, and invite them to the Lord’s Temple. Take them into one of the inner rooms, and offer them some wine.”
3So I went to see Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah and grandson of Habazziniah and all his brothers and sons—representing all the Recabite families. 4I took them to the Temple, and we went into the room assigned to the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. This room was located next to the one used by the Temple officials, directly above the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the Temple gatekeeper.
5I set cups and jugs of wine before them and invited them to have a drink, 6but they refused. “No,” they said, “we don’t drink wine, because our ancestor Jehonadab#35:6 Hebrew Jonadab, a variant spelling of Jehonadab; also in 35:10, 19. See 2 Kgs 10:15. son of Recab gave us this command: ‘You and your descendants must never drink wine. 7And do not build houses or plant crops or vineyards, but always live in tents. If you follow these commands, you will live long, good lives in the land.’ 8So we have obeyed him in all these things. We have never had a drink of wine to this day, nor have our wives, our sons, or our daughters. 9We haven’t built houses or owned vineyards or farms or planted crops. 10We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed all the commands of Jehonadab, our ancestor. 11But when King Nebuchadnezzar#35:11a Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, a variant spelling of Nebuchadnezzar. of Babylon attacked this country, we were afraid of the Babylonian and Syrian#35:11b Or Chaldean and Aramean. armies. So we decided to move to Jerusalem. That is why we are here.”
12Then the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah: 13“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Go and say to the people in Judah and Jerusalem, ‘Come and learn a lesson about how to obey me. 14The Recabites do not drink wine to this day because their ancestor Jehonadab told them not to. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you refuse to obey me. 15Time after time I sent you prophets, who told you, “Turn from your wicked ways, and start doing things right. Stop worshiping other gods so that you might live in peace here in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you would not listen to me or obey me. 16The descendants of Jehonadab son of Recab have obeyed their ancestor completely, but you have refused to listen to me.’
17“Therefore, this is what the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you refuse to listen or answer when I call, I will send upon Judah and Jerusalem all the disasters I have threatened.’”
18Then Jeremiah turned to the Recabites and said, “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have obeyed your ancestor Jehonadab in every respect, following all his instructions.’ 19Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jehonadab son of Recab will always have descendants who serve me.’”
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Jeremiah 35: NLT
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Jeremiah 35
35
Learn a Lesson from the Rechabites
1 #
2 K 23.36—24.6; 2 Ch 36.5-7. When Jehoiakim#35.1 Jehoiakim: See the note at 1.3. was king of Judah, the Lord told me, 2“Go to the Rechabite clan and invite them to meet you in one of the side rooms#35.2 side rooms: Probably a room with walls on three sides, and open to the courtyard on the fourth side. of the temple. When they arrive, offer them a drink of wine.”
3So I went to Jaazaniah,#35.3 Jaazaniah: The Hebrew text has “Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah son of Habazziniah”; this is a different Jeremiah than the author of the book. the leader of the clan, and I invited him and all the men of his clan. 4I brought them into the temple courtyard and took them upstairs to a room belonging to the prophets who were followers of Hanan son of Igdaliah. It was next to a room belonging to some of the officials, and that room was over the one belonging to Maaseiah, a priest who was one of the high officials in the temple.#35.4 Maaseiah … temple: Hebrew “Maaseiah son of Shallum, the keeper of the temple door.”
5I set out some large bowls full of wine together with some cups, and then I said to the Rechabites, “Have some wine!”
6But they answered:
No! The ancestor of our clan, Jonadab son of Rechab,#35.6 Jonadab son of Rechab: See 2 Kings 10.15-23. In the Hebrew of this chapter, “Jonadab” is sometimes spelled “Jehonadab.” made a rule that we must obey. He said, “Don't ever drink wine 7or build houses or plant crops and vineyards. Instead, you must always live in tents and move from place to place. If you obey this command, you will live a long time.”
8-10Our clan has always obeyed Jonadab's command. To this very day, we and our wives and sons and daughters don't drink wine or build houses or plant vineyards or crops. And we have lived in tents, 11except now we have to live inside Jerusalem because Nebuchadnezzar#35.11 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2. has taken over the countryside with his army from Babylonia and Syria.
12-13Then the Lord told me to say to the people of Judah and Jerusalem:
I, the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, want you to learn a lesson 14from the Rechabite clan. Their ancestor Jonadab told his descendants never to drink wine, and to this very day they have obeyed him. But I have spoken to you over and over, and you haven't obeyed me! 15You refused to listen to my prophets, who kept telling you, “Stop doing evil and worshiping other gods! Start obeying the Lord, and he will let you live in this land he gave your ancestors.”
16The Rechabites have obeyed the command of their ancestor Jonadab, but you have not obeyed me, 17your God. I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I warned you about the terrible things that would happen to you if you did not listen to me. But you have ignored me, so now disaster will strike you. I, the Lord, have spoken.
The Lord Makes a Promise to the Rechabites
18Then the Lord told me to say to the Rechabite clan:
“I am the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel. You have obeyed your ancestor Jonadab, 19so I promise that your clan will be my servants and will never die out.”
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