Jeremiah 35 — Septuagint (LXX)

The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah:

Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak with them. Bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the side chambers, and offer them wine to drink.

So I took Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah son of Habazziniah, along with his brothers, all his sons, and the entire house of the Rechabites.

I brought them into the house of the LORD, to the chamber of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was beside the chamber of the officials and above the chamber of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the keeper of the threshold.

I set before the members of the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine and cups, and said to them, "Drink wine."

They said, "We will not drink wine, because Jonadab son of Rechab, our ancestor, commanded us: 'You and your descendants must never drink wine —

You must not build a house, you must not sow seed, and you must not plant a vineyard or own one. Instead, you must live in tents all your days, so that you may live a long time on the land where you are sojourners.'

We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab son of Rechab, our ancestor, in everything he commanded us — to drink no wine all our days, we ourselves, our wives, our sons, and our daughters;

and not to build houses to live in. We have no vineyard, no field, and no seed.

We have lived in tents and have obeyed and done everything that Jonadab our ancestor commanded us.

But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, we said, 'Come, let us go into Jerusalem to escape the Chaldean army and the Aramean army.' So we have been living in Jerusalem.

Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:

This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Go and say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem — Will you not accept correction and obey my words? declares the LORD.

The words of Jonadab son of Rechab have been upheld — he commanded his sons not to drink wine, and to this day they have not drunk any, because they obeyed their ancestor's command. But I have spoken to you persistently, and you have not obeyed me.

I sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying: 'Turn back, each of you, from your evil way! Make your deeds right and do not go after other gods to serve them, and you will live on the land that I gave to you and your ancestors.' But you did not incline your ear or obey me.

The sons of Jonadab son of Rechab have upheld the command their ancestor gave them, but this people has not obeyed me.

Therefore, this is what the LORD, the God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I am about to bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem every disaster that I have spoken against them, because I spoke to them and they did not listen, and I called to them and they did not answer.

To the house of the Rechabites, Jeremiah said: This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says — Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your ancestor, kept all his instructions, and done everything he commanded you,

Therefore, this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Jonadab son of Rechab will never lack a man to stand before me for all time.