1 O Senhor deu esta mensagem a Jeremias quando Jeoaquim, filho de Josias, era rei de Judá: 2 "Vá ao local onde moram os recabitas e convide-os para vir ao templo do Senhor. Leve-os para uma das salas internas e ofereça-lhes vinho".

3 Então fui buscar Jazanias, filho de Jeremias e neto de Habazinias, e todos os seus irmãos e filhos, que representavam todas as famílias dos recabitas. 4 Levei-os ao templo do Senhor e fomos à sala dos filhos de Hanã, filho de Jigdalias, homem de Deus. Ficava ao lado da sala usada pelos oficiais do templo, logo acima da sala de Maaseias, filho de Salum, porteiro do templo.

5 Coloquei diante deles taças e jarras cheias de vinho e os convidei a beber, 6 mas eles recusaram, dizendo: "Não bebemos vinho, pois nosso antepassado, Jonadabe, filho de Recabe, nos deu esta ordem: ‘Nunca bebam vinho, nem vocês nem seus descendentes. 7 Não construam casas, não plantem lavouras nem possuam vinhedos; vivam sempre em tendas. Com isso, terão vida longa e feliz nesta terra’. 8 Assim, temos obedecido a tudo que ele nos ordenou. Nunca bebemos vinho, nem nós, nem nossas esposas, nem nossos filhos e filhas. 9 Não construímos casas, nem possuímos vinhedos e campos, nem plantamos lavouras. 10 Temos vivido em tendas e obedecido fielmente a todas as ordens de nosso antepassado Jonadabe. 11 Mas, quando Nabucodonosor, rei da Babilônia, atacou esta terra, tivemos medo dos exércitos babilônios e sírios e resolvemos nos mudar para Jerusalém. Por isso estamos aqui".

12 Então o Senhor deu esta mensagem a Jeremias: 13 "Assim diz o Senhor dos Exércitos, o Deus de Israel: Vá e diga aos habitantes de Judá e de Jerusalém: ‘Venham e aprendam uma lição sobre como obedecer às minhas palavras, diz o Senhor. 14 Os recabitas não bebem vinho até hoje em obediência à ordem de seu antepassado Jonadabe, filho de Recabe. Mas eu tenho falado a vocês repetidamente e se recusam a obedecer. 15 Tenho enviado meus profetas vez após vez para lhes dizer: ‘Abandonem seus maus caminhos e façam o que é certo. Deixem de adorar outros deuses. Assim, viverão em paz nesta terra que dei a vocês e a seus antepassados’. Mas vocês não quiseram ouvir nem obedecer. 16 Os descendentes de Jonadabe, filho de Recabe, têm obedecido fielmente a seu antepassado, mas este povo se recusa a me ouvir’.

17 "Portanto, assim diz o Senhor Deus dos Exércitos, o Deus de Israel: ‘Porque não querem me ouvir nem responder quando os chamo, enviarei sobre Judá e sobre Jerusalém todas as calamidades que prometi’".

18 Então Jeremias se voltou para os recabitas e disse: "Assim diz o Senhor dos Exércitos, o Deus de Israel: ‘Vocês obedeceram a todas as ordens de seu antepassado Jonadabe e seguiram todas as suas instruções’. 19 Por isso, assim diz o Senhor dos Exércitos, o Deus de Israel: ‘Sempre haverá descendentes de Jonadabe, filho de Recabe, para me servir’".

1 The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, 2 "Go to the house of the Rechabites, and speak to them, and bring them into Yahweh’s house, into one of the rooms, and give them wine to drink."

3 Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, with his brothers, all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites; 4 and I brought them into Yahweh’s house, into the room of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was by the room of the princes, which was above the room of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the threshold. 5 I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine, and cups; and I said to them, "Drink wine!"

6 But they said, "We will drink no wine; for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, ‘You shall drink no wine, neither you nor your children, forever. 7 You shall not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, or have any; but all your days you shall dwell in tents, that you may live many days in the land in which you live as nomads.’ 8 We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters; 9 and not to build houses for ourselves to dwell in. We have no vineyard, field, or seed; 10 but we have lived in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us. 11 But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, we said, ‘Come! Let’s go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans, and for fear of the army of the Syrians; so we will dwell at Jerusalem.’"

12 Then Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah, saying, 13 "Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, "Will you not receive instruction to listen to my words?" says Yahweh. 14 "The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab that he commanded his sons, not to drink wine, are performed; and to this day they drink none, for they obey their father’s commandment; but I have spoken to you, rising up early and speaking, and you have not listened to me. 15 I have sent also to you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, ‘Every one of you must return now from his evil way, amend your doings, and don’t go after other gods to serve them. Then you will dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers;’ but you have not inclined your ear, nor listened to me. 16 The sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father which he commanded them, but this people has not listened to me."’

17 "Therefore Yahweh, the God of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them, but they have not heard; and I have called to them, but they have not answered.’"

18 Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, "Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according to all that he commanded you,’ 19 therefore Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jonadab the son of Rechab will not lack a man to stand before me forever.’"