Jeremiah 35 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

This is the message that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh during the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah:

"Go to the Rechabite family, talk with them, and bring them into Yahweh's temple — into one of the side rooms — and offer them wine to drink."

So I brought Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah, along with his brothers, all his sons, and the entire Rechabite family.

I brought them into Yahweh's temple, into the room belonging to the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. It was next to the room of the officials, which was above the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the doorkeeper.

Then I set bowls full of wine and cups in front of the Rechabite family and said to them, "Have some wine."

But they said, "We don't drink wine, because our ancestor Jonadab son of Rechab gave us this command: 'You must never drink wine — not you, and not your descendants, ever.'

"He also told us: 'Never build houses, never plant seeds, never plant vineyards or own them. Instead, live in tents your whole lives, so that you'll live a long time in the land where you're outsiders.'

"We have obeyed everything our ancestor Jonadab son of Rechab commanded us. We've never drunk wine our whole lives — not us, not our wives, not our sons, not our daughters.

"We've never built houses to live in, and we don't own any vineyards, fields, or crops.

"We've lived in tents and have done everything our ancestor Jonadab commanded us.

"But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded this land, we said, 'Let's go — we need to get to Jerusalem to escape the Babylonian and Aramean armies.' That's why we're living in Jerusalem now."

Then Yahweh's message came to Jeremiah:

"This is what Yahweh, the Commander of angel armies, the God of Israel, says: Go tell the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem, 'Will you never learn to listen to what I say?' — this is Yahweh's declaration.

"'Jonadab son of Rechab commanded his descendants never to drink wine, and they've kept that command. To this day they don't drink any, because they obey their ancestor's instructions. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you haven't listened to me.

"'I sent all my servants the prophets to you, again and again, telling you: Each of you needs to turn away from your destructive path. Fix your behavior. Stop chasing after other gods and serving them. Then you'll live in the land I gave to you and your ancestors. But you didn't pay attention or listen to me.

"'The descendants of Jonadab son of Rechab have carried out the command their ancestor gave them, but this people has not listened to me.'

"So this is what Yahweh, God the Commander of angel armies, the God of Israel, says: 'Watch — I am going to bring down on Judah and on everyone living in Jerusalem every disaster I warned them about. I spoke to them, but they didn't listen. I called out to them, but they didn't answer.'"

Then Jeremiah said to the Rechabite family, "This is what Yahweh, the Commander of angel armies, the God of Israel, says: 'Because you obeyed your ancestor Jonadab's commands, kept all his instructions, and did everything he told you to do,

this is what Yahweh, the Commander of angel armies, the God of Israel, says: Jonadab son of Rechab will never lack a descendant who stands in my presence and serves me.'"