The Family That Kept Their Word.

הַדָּבָ֛ר אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֥ה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה בִּימֵ֨י יְהוֹיָקִ֧ים בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּ֛הוּ מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:

הָלוֹךְ֮ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הָרֵכָבִים֒ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֣ אוֹתָ֔ם וַהֲבִֽאוֹתָם֙ בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־אַחַ֖ת הַלְּשָׁכ֑וֹת וְהִשְׁקִיתָ֥ אוֹתָ֖ם יָֽיִן׃

[2] “Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak with them and bring them to the house of the Lord , into one of the chambers; then offer them wine to drink.”

וָאֶקַּ֞ח אֶת־יַאֲזַנְיָ֤ה בֶֽן־יִרְמְיָ֙הוּ֙ בֶּן־חֲבַצִּנְיָ֔ה וְאֶת־אֶחָ֖יו וְאֶת־כָּל־בָּנָ֑יו וְאֵ֖ת כָּל־בֵּ֥ית הָרֵכָבִֽים׃

[3] So I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah and his brothers and all his sons and the whole house of the Rechabites.

וָאָבִ֤א אֹתָם֙ בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־לִשְׁכַּ֗ת בְּנֵ֛י חָנָ֥ן בֶּן־יִגְדַּלְיָ֖הוּ אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים אֲשֶׁר־אֵ֙צֶל֙ לִשְׁכַּ֣ת הַשָּׂרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר מִמַּ֗עַל לְלִשְׁכַּ֛ת מַעֲשֵׂיָ֥הוּ בֶן־שַׁלֻּ֖ם שֹׁמֵ֥ר הַסַּֽף׃

[4] I brought them to the house of the Lord into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was near the chamber of the officials, above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, keeper of the threshold.

וָאֶתֵּ֞ן לִפְנֵ֣י׀ בְּנֵ֣י בֵית־הָרֵכָבִ֗ים גְּבִעִ֛ים מְלֵאִ֥ים יַ֖יִן וְכֹס֑וֹת וָאֹמַ֥ר אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם שְׁתוּ־יָֽיִן׃

[5] Then I set before the Rechabites pitchers full of wine, and cups, and I said to them, “Drink wine.”

וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ לֹ֣א נִשְׁתֶּה־יָּ֑יִן כִּי֩ יוֹנָדָ֨ב בֶּן־רֵכָ֜ב אָבִ֗ינוּ צִוָּ֤ה עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹ֧א תִשְׁתּוּ־יַ֛יִן אַתֶּ֥ם וּבְנֵיכֶ֖ם עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃

[6] But they answered, “We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, ‘You shall not drink wine, neither you nor your sons forever.

וּבַ֣יִת לֹֽא־תִבְנ֗וּ וְזֶ֤רַע לֹֽא־תִזְרָ֙עוּ֙ וְכֶ֣רֶם לֹֽא־תִטָּ֔עוּ וְלֹ֥א יִֽהְיֶ֖ה לָכֶ֑ם כִּ֠י בָּאֳהָלִ֤ים תֵּֽשְׁבוּ֙ כָּל־יְמֵיכֶ֔ם לְמַ֨עַן תִּֽחְי֜וּ יָמִ֤ים רַבִּים֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הָאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתֶּ֖ם גָּרִ֥ים שָֽׁם׃

[7] You shall not build a house; you shall not sow seed; you shall not plant or have a vineyard; but you shall live in tents all your days, that you may live many days in the land where you sojourn.’

וַנִּשְׁמַ֗ע בְּק֨וֹל יְהוֹנָדָ֤ב בֶּן־רֵכָב֙ אָבִ֔ינוּ לְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוָּ֑נוּ לְבִלְתִּ֤י שְׁתֽוֹת־יַ֙יִן֙ כָּל־יָמֵ֔ינוּ אֲנַ֣חְנוּ נָשֵׁ֔ינוּ בָּנֵ֖ינוּ וּבְנֹתֵֽינוּ׃

[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, ourselves, our wives, our sons, or our daughters,

וּלְבִלְתִּ֛י בְּנ֥וֹת בָּתִּ֖ים לְשִׁבְתֵּ֑נוּ וְכֶ֧רֶם וְשָׂדֶ֛ה וָזֶ֖רַע לֹ֥א יִֽהְיֶה־לָּֽנוּ׃

[9] and not to build houses to dwell in. We have no vineyard or field or seed,

וַנֵּ֖שֶׁב בָּֽאֳהָלִ֑ים וַנִּשְׁמַ֣ע וַנַּ֔עַשׂ כְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֖נוּ יוֹנָדָ֥ב אָבִֽינוּ׃

[10] but we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done all that Jonadab our father commanded us.

וַיְהִ֗י בַּעֲל֨וֹת נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּ֥ר מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶל֮ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ֒ וַנֹּ֗אמֶר בֹּ֚אוּ וְנָב֣וֹא יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם מִפְּנֵי֙ חֵ֣יל הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים וּמִפְּנֵ֖י חֵ֣יל אֲרָ֑ם וַנֵּ֖שֶׁב בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ פ

[11] But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, we said, ‘Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans and the army of the Syrians.’ So we are living in Jerusalem.”

וַֽיְהִי֙ דְּבַר־יְהוָ֔ה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ לֵאמֹֽר׃

[12] Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:

כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הָלֹ֤ךְ וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֙ לְאִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדָ֔ה וּלְיֽוֹשְׁבֵ֖י יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם הֲל֨וֹא תִקְח֥וּ מוּסָ֛ר לִשְׁמֹ֥עַ אֶל־דְּבָרַ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃

[13] “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Go and say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you not receive instruction and listen to my words? declares the Lord .

הוּקַ֡ם אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהוֹנָדָ֣ב בֶּן־רֵ֠כָב אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֨ה אֶת־בָּנָ֜יו לְבִלְתִּ֣י שְׁתֽוֹת־יַ֗יִן וְלֹ֤א שָׁתוּ֙ עַד־הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה כִּ֣י שָֽׁמְע֔וּ אֵ֖ת מִצְוַ֣ת אֲבִיהֶ֑ם וְאָ֨נֹכִ֜י דִּבַּ֤רְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם֙ הַשְׁכֵּ֣ם וְדַבֵּ֔ר וְלֹ֥א שְׁמַעְתֶּ֖ם אֵלָֽי׃

[14] The command that Jonadab the son of Rechab gave to his sons, to drink no wine, has been kept, and they drink none to this day, for they have obeyed their father's command. I have spoken to you persistently, but you have not listened to me.

וָאֶשְׁלַ֣ח אֲלֵיכֶ֣ם אֶת־כָּל־עֲבָדַ֣י הַנְּבִאִ֣ים׀ הַשְׁכֵּ֣ים וְשָׁלֹ֣חַ׀ לֵאמֹ֡ר שֻׁבוּ־נָ֡א אִישׁ֩ מִדַּרְכּ֨וֹ הָרָעָ֜ה וְהֵיטִ֣יבוּ מַֽעַלְלֵיכֶ֗ם וְאַל־תֵּ֨לְכ֜וּ אַחֲרֵ֨י אֱלֹהִ֤ים אֲחֵרִים֙ לְעָבְדָ֔ם וּשְׁבוּ֙ אֶל־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תִּי לָכֶ֖ם וְלַאֲבֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם וְלֹ֤א הִטִּיתֶם֙ אֶֽת־אָזְנְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א שְׁמַעְתֶּ֖ם אֵלָֽי׃

[15] I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, ‘Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to you and your fathers.’ But you did not incline your ear or listen to me.

כִּ֣י הֵקִ֗ימוּ בְּנֵי֙ יְהוֹנָדָ֣ב בֶּן־רֵכָ֔ב אֶת־מִצְוַ֥ת אֲבִיהֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוָּ֑ם וְהָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה לֹ֥א שָׁמְע֖וּ אֵלָֽי׃ ס

[16] The sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have kept the command that their father gave them, but this people has not obeyed me.

לָ֠כֵן כֹּֽה־אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֜ה אֱלֹהֵ֤י צְבָאוֹת֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הִנְנִ֧י מֵבִ֣יא אֶל־יְהוּדָ֗ה וְאֶ֤ל כָּל־יֽוֹשְׁבֵי֙ יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם אֵ֚ת כָּל־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם יַ֣עַן דִּבַּ֤רְתִּי אֲלֵיהֶם֙ וְלֹ֣א שָׁמֵ֔עוּ וָאֶקְרָ֥א לָהֶ֖ם וְלֹ֥א עָנֽוּ׃

[17] Therefore, thus says the Lord , the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them and they have not listened, I have called to them and they have not answered.”

וּלְבֵ֨ית הָרֵכָבִ֜ים אָמַ֣ר יִרְמְיָ֗הוּ כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל יַ֚עַן אֲשֶׁ֣ר שְׁמַעְתֶּ֔ם עַל־מִצְוַ֖ת יְהוֹנָדָ֣ב אֲבִיכֶ֑ם וַֽתִּשְׁמְרוּ֙ אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֺתָ֔יו וַֽתַּעֲשׂ֔וּ כְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֖ה אֶתְכֶֽם׃ ס

[18] But to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah said, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father and kept all his precepts and done all that he commanded you,

לָכֵ֗ן כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֛ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לֹֽא־יִכָּרֵ֨ת אִ֜ישׁ לְיוֹנָדָ֧ב בֶּן־רֵכָ֛ב עֹמֵ֥ד לְפָנַ֖י כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃ פ

[19] therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab the son of Rechab shall never lack a man to stand before me.”