What about Those Rechabites? (35:1-19) 569dwellings, and vineyard or field or seed not to have for ourselves.^10 So we
dwell in tents, and we have heeded and done according to everything that
Jonadab, our father, commanded us.^11 But it happened when Nebucha-
drezzar, king of Babylon, came up into the land, then we said, "Come, and
let us enter Jerusalem because of the army of the Chaldeans and because
of the army of the Aramaeans." So we are dwelling in Jerusalem.'- Oracles for the Obedient and Disobedient (35:12-19)
(^12) And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah: (^13) Thus said Yahweh of hosts,
God of Israel: Go, and you shall say to the men of Judah and to the inhabi-
tants of Jerusalem:
Will you nottake correction to listen to my words-oracle of Yahweh?
(^14) The words of Jonadab son of Rechab, which he commanded his
sons so as not to drink wine have been carried out, and they have not
drunk to this day because they have heeded the command of their
father. But I, I have spoken to you-constantly I have spoken-and
you have not listened to me.^15 And I have sent to you all my servants
the prophets-constantly I sent-saying: Return, would you, each
person from his evil way and make good your doings and do not go
after other gods to serve them and dwell on the soil that I gave to you
and your fathers. But you have not bent your ear, and you have not lis-
tened to me.^16 Indeed the sons of Jonadab son of Rechab have carried
oul ll1e command of their father which he commanded them, but this
people have not listened to me.
(^17) Therefore thus said Yahweh, God of hosts, God of Israel:
Look I am bringing to Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all
the evil that I spoke concerning them, because I have spoken to them
and they have not listened, and I have called to them and they have
not answered.
(^18) But to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah said, Thus said Yahweh of
hosts, God of Israel: Because you have listened to the command of
Jonadab, your father, and you have kept all his commands and you have
done according to all that he commanded you,
(^19) Therefore thus said Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel:
There shall not be cut off a man belonging to Jonadab son of Rechab
who stands before me all the days.
RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION
MT Chapter 35 = LXX Chapter 42. The present verses are a self-standing
narrative reporting a symbolic act carried out by Jeremiah with the Rechabites
(vv 1~11), after which come three divine oracles based on the encounter, two