Jeremiah 35

2Go to the family of Archabin and thou shalt bring them to the house of the Lord, into one of the court, and give them wine to drink.

3Accordingly I brought Jechonias, the son of Jeremias, son of Chabasin, with his brethren and his sons, even all the family of Archabin,

4and took them into the house of the Lord, to the chamber of the sons of Jonan son of Ananias son of Godolias, a man of God, which is near the house of the chiefs who are above the house of Maasias son of Selom, the keeper of the court.

5And having set before them a pot of wine and drinking cups, I said, Drink wine. Thereupon they said, We must not drink wine. For Jonadab son of Rechab, our father, gave us a charge, saying, You shall not drink wine;

6neither you nor your sons forever;

7neither shall you build houses, nor sow seed, nor have a vineyard; for you shall dwell in tents all your days, that you may live many days in the land where you sojourn.

8Accordingly, we have hearkened to the voice of Jonadab, our father, so as not to drink wine all our days, neither we nor our wives, nor our sons nor our daughters.

9And we have not built houses here to live in, nor have we vineyard, or field or seed;

10but have dwelt in tents and have hearkened and done according to all that our father Jonadab commanded us.

11So when Nabuchodonosar came up against the land, we determined upon coming and came to Jerusalem out of the way of the army of the Chaldeans and out of the way of the army of the Assyrians, and here we have made our abode.

12Upon this a word of the Lord came to me, saying:

13Thus saith the Lord, Go and say to the men of Juda and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you never receive instruction to hearken to My words?

14The children of Jonadab son of Rechab have steadfastly observed the command which he gave them not to drink wine: and they have not drunk any. But I have spoken to you, rising early; and you have not hearkened.

15Though I have sent to you My servants the prophets, saying, Turn ye, every one from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after strange gods to serve them, and you shall dwell in the land which I gave to you and your fathers; yet you have not inclined your ears nor hearkened.

16The sons of Jonadab son of Rechab have steadfastly observed the command of their father; but this people have not hearkened to Me.

17Therefore thus saith the Lord: Behold I will bring upon Juda and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evils which I have denounced against them.

18Therefore thus saith the Lord: Seeing the sons of Jonadab son of Rechab have obeyed the command of their father and have done as he ordered them;

19there shall never be wanting a man of the sons of Jonadab son of Rechab to stand before Me all the days of this land.