Jeremiah 35 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

The Faithful Recabites

Jer 35:1This is the message the LORD gave Jeremiah when Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah:

Jer 35:2“Go to the settlement where the families of the Recabites live, and invite them to the LORD’s Temple. Take them into one of the inner rooms, and offer them some wine.”

Jer 35:3

Jer 35:3So I went to see Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah and grandson of Habazziniah and all his brothers and sons—representing all the Recabite families.

Jer 35:4

Jer 35:4I took them to the Temple, and we went into the room assigned to the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. This room was located next to the one used by the Temple officials, directly above the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the Temple gatekeeper.

Jer 35:5

Jer 35:5I set cups and jugs of wine before them and invited them to have a drink,

Jer 35:6

Jer 35:6but they refused. “No,” they said, “we don’t drink wine, because our ancestor Jehonadab[fn] son of Recab gave us this command: ‘You and your descendants must never drink wine.

Jer 35:7

Jer 35:7And do not build houses or plant crops or vineyards, but always live in tents. If you follow these commands, you will live long, good lives in the land.’

Jer 35:8

Jer 35:8So we have obeyed him in all these things. We have never had a drink of wine to this day, nor have our wives, our sons, or our daughters.

Jer 35:9

Jer 35:9We haven’t built houses or owned vineyards or farms or planted crops.

Jer 35:10

Jer 35:10We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed all the commands of Jehonadab, our ancestor.

Jer 35:11

Jer 35:11But when King Nebuchadnezzar[fn] of Babylon attacked this country, we were afraid of the Babylonian and Syrian[fn] armies. So we decided to move to Jerusalem. That is why we are here.”

Jer 35:12

Jer 35:12Then the LORD gave this message to Jeremiah:

Jer 35:13

Jer 35:13“This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Go and say to the people in Judah and Jerusalem, ‘Come and learn a lesson about how to obey me.

Jer 35:14

Jer 35:14The Recabites do not drink wine to this day because their ancestor Jehonadab told them not to. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you refuse to obey me.

Jer 35:15

Jer 35:15Time after time I sent you prophets, who told you, “Turn from your wicked ways, and start doing things right. Stop worshiping other gods so that you might live in peace here in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you would not listen to me or obey me.

Jer 35:16

Jer 35:16The descendants of Jehonadab son of Recab have obeyed their ancestor completely, but you have refused to listen to me.’

Jer 35:17

Jer 35:17“Therefore, this is what the LORD God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you refuse to listen or answer when I call, I will send upon Judah and Jerusalem all the disasters I have threatened.’”

Jer 35:18

Jer 35:18Then Jeremiah turned to the Recabites and said, “This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have obeyed your ancestor Jehonadab in every respect, following all his instructions.’

Jer 35:19

Jer 35:19Therefore, this is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jehonadab son of Recab will always have descendants who serve me.’”

See the NLT Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

NLT Footnotes

(35:6)

Hebrew Jonadab, a variant spelling of Jehonadab; also in 35:10, 14, 16, 18, 19. See 2 Kgs 10:15.

(35:11)

Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, a variant spelling of Nebuchadnezzar.

(35:11)

Or Chaldean and Aramean.

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For more information on this translation, see the NLT Preface.