The Rekabites

35 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord during the reign of Jehoiakim^(A) son of Josiah king of Judah: ² “Go to the Rekabite^(B) family and invite them to come to one of the side rooms^(C) of the house of the Lord and give them wine to drink.”

³ So I went to get Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons—the whole family of the Rekabites. ⁴ I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah the man of God.^(D) It was next to the room of the officials, which was over that of Maaseiah son of Shallum^(E) the doorkeeper.^{(F) 5} Then I set bowls full of wine and some cups before the Rekabites and said to them, “Drink some wine.”

⁶ But they replied, “We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jehonadab^[a](G) son of Rekab gave us this command: ‘Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine.^{(H) 7} Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents.^(I) Then you will live a long time in the land^(J) where you are nomads.’ ⁸ We have obeyed everything our forefather^(K) Jehonadab son of Rekab commanded us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine ⁹ or built houses to live in or had vineyards, fields or crops.^{(L) 10} We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jehonadab commanded us. ¹¹ But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded^(M) this land, we said, ‘Come, we must go to Jerusalem^(N) to escape the Babylonian^[b] and Aramean armies.’ So we have remained in Jerusalem.”

¹⁷ From Miletus,^(A) Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders^(B) of the church. ¹⁸ When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you,^(C) from the first day I came into the province of Asia.^{(D) 19} I served the Lord with great humility and with tears^(E) and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.^{(F) 20} You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything^(G) that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. ²¹ I have declared to both Jews^(H) and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance^(I) and have faith in our Lord Jesus.^(J)

²² “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem,^(K) not knowing what will happen to me there. ²³ I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me^(L) that prison and hardships are facing me.^{(M) 24} However, I consider my life worth nothing to me;^(N) my only aim is to finish the race^(O) and complete the task^(P) the Lord Jesus has given me^(Q)—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.^(R)

²⁵ “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom^(S) will ever see me again.^{(T) 26} Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.^{(U) 27} For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.^{(V) 28} Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock^(W) of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.^(X) Be shepherds of the church of God,^[a](Y) which he bought^(Z) with his own blood.^{[b](AA) 29} I know that after I leave, savage wolves^(AB) will come in among you and will not spare the flock.^{(AC) 30} Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples^(AD) after them. ³¹ So be on your guard! Remember that for three years^(AE) I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.^(AF)

³² “Now I commit you to God^(AG) and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance^(AH) among all those who are sanctified.^{(AI) 33} I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.^{(AJ) 34} You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.^{(AK) 35} In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

³⁶ When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.^{(AL) 37} They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him.^{(AM) 38} What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again.^(AN) Then they accompanied him to the ship.^(AO)

¹² Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying: ¹³ “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell^(A) the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘Will you not learn a lesson^(B) and obey my words?’ declares the Lord. 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.^(C) But I have spoken to you again and again,^(D) yet you have not obeyed^(E) me. ¹⁵ Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets^(F) to you. They said, “Each of you must turn^(G) from your wicked ways and reform^(H) your actions; do not follow other gods^(I) to serve them. Then you will live in the land^(J) I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you have not paid attention or listened^(K) to me. ¹⁶ The descendants of Jehonadab son of Rekab have carried out the command their forefather^(L) 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^(M) I pronounced against them. I spoke to them, but they did not listen;^(N) I called to them, but they did not answer.’”^(O)

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^(P) 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^(Q) to have a descendant to serve^(R) me.’”

On to Jerusalem

21 After we^(A) had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. ² We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia,^(B) went on board and set sail. ³ After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria.^(C) We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. ⁴ We sought out the disciples^(D) there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit^(E) they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. ⁵ When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray.^{(F) 6} After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.

⁷ We continued our voyage from Tyre^(G) and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters^(H) and stayed with them for a day. ⁸ Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea^(I) and stayed at the house of Philip^(J) the evangelist,^(K) one of the Seven. ⁹ He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.^(L)

¹⁰ After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus^(M) came down from Judea. ¹¹ Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says,^(N) ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind^(O) the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”^(P)

¹² When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die^(Q) in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”^{(R) 14} When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up^(S) and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”^(T)

¹⁵ After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem.^{(U) 16} Some of the disciples from Caesarea^(V) accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus^(W) and one of the early disciples.