¹⁵ After he left there, he came upon Jehonadab^(A) son of Rekab,^(B) who was on his way to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said, “Are you in accord with me, as I am with you?”

“I am,” Jehonadab answered.

“If so,” said Jehu, “give me your hand.”^(C) So he did, and Jehu helped him up into the chariot.

¹⁴ ‘Jehonadab son of Rekab ordered his descendants not to drink wine and this command has been kept. To this day they do not drink wine, because they obey their forefather’s command.^(A) But I have spoken to you again and again,^(B) yet you have not obeyed^(C) me. ¹⁵ Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets^(D) to you. They said, “Each of you must turn^(E) from your wicked ways and reform^(F) your actions; do not follow other gods^(G) to serve them. Then you will live in the land^(H) I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you have not paid attention or listened^(I) to me. ¹⁶ The descendants of Jehonadab son of Rekab have carried out the command their forefather^(J) gave them, but these people have not obeyed me.’

¹⁷ “Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Listen! I am going to bring on Judah and on everyone living in Jerusalem every disaster^(K) I pronounced against them. I spoke to them, but they did not listen;^(L) I called to them, but they did not answer.’”^(M)

¹⁸ Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Rekabites, “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have obeyed the command of your forefather^(N) Jehonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.’ ¹⁹ Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jehonadab son of Rekab will never fail^(O) to have a descendant to serve^(P) me.’”

¹⁸ He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Because he had given his hand in pledge^(A) and yet did all these things, he shall not escape.

¹⁷ David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you.”

¹⁸ Then the Spirit^(A) came on Amasai,^(B) chief of the Thirty, and he said:

So David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands.

¹² I plead with you, brothers and sisters,^(A) become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong.

⁹ James,^(A) Cephas^[a](B) and John, those esteemed as pillars,^(C) gave me and Barnabas^(D) the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me.^(E) They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles,^(F) and they to the circumcised.

³¹ “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.