Jeremiah 35
Expanded Bible
The Recabite Family Obeys God
35 When Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah [C ruled 609–597 bc], the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah, saying: 2 “Go to the ·family [L house] of Recab. Invite them to come to one of the ·side rooms [chambers] of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, and offer them wine to drink.”
3 So I went to get Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah [C not the prophet, but a man with the same name], the son of Habazziniah. And I gathered all of Jaazaniah’s brothers and sons and the whole ·family [L house] of the Recabites together. 4 Then I brought them into the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. We went into the ·room [chamber] of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, who was a man of God. The ·room [chamber] was next to the one where the officers stay and above the ·room [chamber] of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the ·doorkeeper in the Temple [L guard/keeper of the threshold]. 5 Then I put some ·bowls [pitchers] full of wine and some cups before the men of the Recabite ·family [L house]. And I said to them, “Drink some wine.”
6 But the Recabite men answered, “We never drink wine. Our ·ancestor [father] Jonadab son of Recab [2 Kin. 10:15–17] gave us this command: ‘You and your descendants must never drink wine. 7 Also you must never build houses, ·plant [L sow] seeds, or plant vineyards, or do any of those things. You must live only in tents all your days. Then you will live ·a long time [L many days] in the land where you are ·wanderers [sojourners; resident aliens].’ 8 So we Recabites ·have obeyed everything [L listened to the voice of] Jonadab our ·ancestor [father] commanded us. Neither we nor our wives, sons, or daughters ever drink wine. 9 We never build houses in which to live, or own fields or vineyards, or ·plant crops [L seed]. 10 We have lived in tents and have obeyed everything our ancestor Jonadab commanded us. 11 But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon ·attacked Judah [L came up to the land], we said to each other, ‘Come, we must enter Jerusalem ·so we can escape [L from before] the ·Babylonian [L Chaldean] army and the Aramean army.’ So we have stayed [lived] in Jerusalem [C though they may not be living in houses, in conformity to their ancestor’s command].”
12 Then the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah: 13 “This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: Jeremiah, go and tell the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem: ‘·You should [L Can you not…?] learn a lesson and obey my message,’ says the Lord. 14 ‘Jonadab son of Recab ordered his descendants not to drink wine, and that command has been obeyed. Until today they have obeyed their ·ancestor’s [father’s] command; they do not drink wine. But I, the Lord, have given you messages again and again, but you did not ·obey [listen to] me. 15 I sent all my servants the prophets to you again and again, saying, “Each of you must ·stop doing evil [L turn from his evil way/path]. You must change and be good. Do not ·follow [L go after] other gods to serve them. If you obey me, you will live in the land I have given to you and your ·ancestors [fathers].” But you have not ·listened [L inclined your ear] to me or paid attention to my message. 16 The descendants of Jonadab son of Recab obeyed the commands their ancestor gave them, but the people of Judah have not obeyed me [C the Recabites carefully observe the law of a human while Israel rejects divine law].’
17 “So the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: ‘I will soon bring every ·disaster [trouble; evil] I said would come to Judah and to everyone living in Jerusalem. I spoke to those people, but they refused to listen. I called out to them, but they did not answer me.’”
18 Then Jeremiah said to the [L house of the] Recabites, “This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: ‘You have ·obeyed [listened to] the commands of your ·ancestor [father] Jonadab and have ·followed all of his teachings [kept/guarded all his commands]; you have done everything he commanded.’ 19 So this is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: ‘·There will always be a descendant of Jonadab son of Recab to serve me [L Jonadab son of Recab will not lack a descendant to stand before me for all days].’”
Jeremiah 35
Amplified Bible
The Rechabites’ Obedience
35 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: 2 “Go to the house of the [a]Rechabites and speak to them, and bring them into the house of the Lord, into one of the [side] chambers; then give them [who are pledged not to drink wine] some wine to drink.” 3 So I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons and the whole house of the Rechabites, 4 and I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was near the chamber of the princes, above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum the doorkeeper. 5 Then I set before the men of the house of the Rechabites pitchers full of wine, and cups, and I said to them, “Drink wine.” 6 But they said, “We will not drink wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us: ‘You shall not drink wine, neither you nor your sons, forever. 7 Nor shall you build a house or sow seed or plant a vineyard or own one; but you shall live in tents all your days, that you may live many days in the land where you are sojourners (temporary residents).’ 8 We have obeyed the words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, in all our days we have never drunk wine, nor have our wives, our sons, or our daughters, 9 nor have we built ourselves houses to live in; nor do we have vineyards or fields or seed. 10 We have lived only in tents, and have obeyed and done [everything] according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us. 11 But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, we said, ‘Come and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans [who rule Babylon] and for fear of the army of the Arameans.’ So we have lived in Jerusalem.”
Judah Rebuked
12 Then came the word of the Lord to Jeremiah, saying, 13 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Go and say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Will you not receive instruction by listening to My words and honoring them?” says the Lord. 14 “The command which Jonadab the son of Rechab gave to his sons not to drink wine has been observed [as a custom for more than two hundred years]. To this day they do not drink wine, for they have obeyed their father’s command. But I have repeatedly spoken to you, yet you have not listened to Me. 15 I have also sent to you all My servants the prophets, sending them repeatedly, saying, ‘Let every one of you turn now from his evil way and alter your behavior, and do not follow other gods to worship and serve them; and then you will live in the land which I have given to you and to your forefathers. But you have not submitted or listened to Me. 16 Indeed, the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have observed the command of their father which he gave them, but this people has not listened to Me.’”’ 17 Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold (hear this), I am bringing on Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them, but they have not listened, and I have called to them, but they have not answered.’”
18 Then Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father and have kept all his commands and have done according to all that he commanded you, 19 therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall never fail to have a man (descendant) to stand before Me always.”’”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 35:2 A nomadic tribe that maintained an austere lifestyle. During Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion they were forced to settle in or near Jerusalem. They had an amicable relationship with the children of Israel.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
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