1 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 household of the Rechabites, speak with them, bring them to the house of the LORD, into one of the rooms, and give them wine to drink."
3 So I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, with his brothers and all his sons and the whole household of the Rechabites,
4 and brought them into the house of the LORD, to the room of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was next to the room of the officials, above the room of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, keeper of the threshold.
5 I set before the men of the Rechabite household bowls full of wine, and cups, and said to them, "Drink wine."
6 But they said, "We do not drink wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, gave us a command: 'You are not to drink wine, you or your sons, ever.
7 No house are you to build, no seed are you to sow, no vineyard are you to plant or own; rather you are to live in tents all your days, so that you may live many days on the face of the land where you are sojourners.'
8 And we have listened to the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all he commanded us, so that we drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons and our daughters,
9 and we build no houses to live in; vineyard, field and seed we do not have.
10 We have lived in tents, and have listened and done all that Jonadab our father commanded us.
11 But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, we said, 'Come, let us go to Jerusalem, away from the army of the Chaldeans and the army of Syria.' And so we have been living in Jerusalem."
12 Then the word of the LORD came 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 accept instruction by listening to my words? declares the LORD.
14 The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab are kept, which he commanded his sons, to drink no wine; and they have not drunk to this day, for they have listened to their father's command. But I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, and you have not listened to me.
15 I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, to say, 'Turn back, each from his evil way, improve your deeds, and do not go after other gods to serve them; then you will live on the land I gave to you and to your fathers.' But you did not turn your ear or listen to me.
16 Yes, the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have carried out the command their father gave them, but this people has not listened to me.
17 So thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: See, I am bringing on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil I have spoken against them, because I spoke to them and they did not listen, I called to them and they did not answer."
18 To the household of the Rechabites Jeremiah said, "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Since you have listened to the command of Jonadab your father, kept all his commands, and done all that he commanded you,
19 therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: There will not be cut off from Jonadab the son of Rechab a man standing before me for all days."