Learn a Lesson from the Rechabites
1 When Jehoiakim was king of Judah, the Lord told me, 2 “Go to the Rechabite clan and invite them to meet you in one of the side rooms of the temple. When they arrive, offer them a drink of wine.”
3 So I went to Jaazaniah, the leader of the clan, and I invited him and all the men of his clan. 4 I brought them into the temple courtyard and took them upstairs to a room belonging to the prophets who were followers of Hanan son of Igdaliah. It was next to a room belonging to some of the officials, and that room was over the one belonging to Maaseiah, a priest who was one of the high officials in the temple.
5 I set out some large bowls full of wine together with some cups, and then I said to the Rechabites, “Have some wine!”
6 But they answered:
No! The ancestor of our clan, Jonadab son of Rechab, made a rule that we must obey. He said, “Don't ever drink wine 7 or build houses or plant crops and vineyards. Instead, you must always live in tents and move from place to place. If you obey this command, you will live a long time.”
8-10 Our clan has always obeyed Jonadab's command. To this very day, we and our wives and sons and daughters don't drink wine or build houses or plant vineyards or crops. And we have lived in tents, 11 except now we have to live inside Jerusalem because Nebuchadnezzar has taken over the countryside with his army from Babylonia and Syria.
12-13 Then the Lord told me to say to the people of Judah and Jerusalem:
I, the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, want you to learn a lesson 14 from the Rechabite clan. Their ancestor Jonadab told his descendants never to drink wine, and to this very day they have obeyed him. But I have spoken to you over and over, and you haven't obeyed me! 15 You refused to listen to my prophets, who kept telling you, “Stop doing evil and worshiping other gods! Start obeying the Lord, and he will let you live in this land he gave your ancestors.”
16 The Rechabites have obeyed the command of their ancestor Jonadab, but you have not obeyed me, 17 your God. I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I warned you about the terrible things that would happen to you if you did not listen to me. But you have ignored me, so now disaster will strike you. I, the Lord, have spoken.
The Lord Makes a Promise to the Rechabites
18 Then the Lord told me to say to the Rechabite clan:
“I am the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel. You have obeyed your ancestor Jonadab, 19 so I promise that your clan will be my servants and will never die out.”
Jeremia nOvarekabi
1 Jojakim, omuzandu wa Josija, tja ri ombara ya Juda, Muhona wa tja nai ku ami: 2 “Twende kouṋepo wonganda yOvarekabi u kahungire kuna wo. Tjazumba u ve hitise metuwo rimwe rondjuwo ya Muhona, nu u ve pe omavinu okunwa.” 3 Ami otji mba toora onganda aihe yOvarekabi, okutja oJaasanja, omuzandu wa Jeremia, omuzandu wa Habasinja, novangu nomarumbi va Jaasanja, novazandu ve avehe. 4 Mbe ve eta kondjuwo ya Muhona ne ve hitisa metuwo rovahongewa vomuprofete Hanan, omuzandu wa Jigdalja. Etuwo ndi ra ri kombanda yetuwo ra Maaseja, omuzandu wa Salum, ngwa ri omunane omunene mondjuwo ya Muhona, nu wina ra ri popezu nomatuwo wovahongore varwe. 5 Tjazumba otji mba twa ovikuve mbye ura nomavinu novinwino momurungu wOvarekabi ne tja nai ku wo: “Nweye omavinu!”
6 Nungwari owo va zira ave tja: “Eṱe katu nu ko omavinu. Tate mukururume Jonadab, omuzandu wa Rekab, we tu raera kutja eṱe nozondekurona zetu katu sokunwa omavinu oparukaze. 7 Eye wina we tu raera kutja atu ha tungu ozondjuwo nokutaura ehi romakunino, nokutja atu ha kunu ovikunino vyomivite nokuviranda. Eye we tu rakiza kutja aruhe tu ture mozondanda, kokutja tu sore okukara orure mehi ndi mu twa tura otja ovozonganda. 8 Eṱe twa kara nonḓuviro komarakiza aehe Jonadab nge tu pa. Eṱe oveni katu na pu twa nwine omavinu, nangarire ovakazendu vetu, nangarire ovanatje vetu ovazandu novakazona. 9 Eṱe katu tungu ozondjuwo okurira ozonganda, nu katu novikunino vyomivite nomahi womakunino. 10 Eṱe tu tura mozondanda. Twa kara nonḓuviro okuyenena koviṋa avihe tate mukururume Jonadab mbye tu rakiza. 11 Nungwari Nebukadnesar tja rwisa ehi, eṱe twa tya okuya kOjerusalem kutja tu ze po potjimbumba tjOvababilon tjovita, na ihi tjOvaasirie. Opu twa za okutura mOjerusalem.”
12-13 Muhona Omunamasaaehe, Ndjambi wa Israel, we ndji raera kutja mbi tje nai kotjiwaṋa tja Juda novature va Jerusalem: “Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, me mu pura kutja okutjavi tji mu panḓa okupuratena ku ami, nu tji mu ha kara nonḓuviro komarakiza wandje. 14 Ozondekurona za Jonadab za kara nonḓuviro komarakiza we wokutja ave ha nu omavinu; nu nga ku ndinondi kape na umwe wawo ngu nwa omavinu. Nungwari ami mba kara pokuhungira ku eṋe, neṋe kamu karere ko nonḓuviro ku ami. 15 Ami mba kara pokumuhindira ovakarere vandje avehe, imba ovaprofete; nowo ve mu raera kutja mu ise ozondjira zeṋu ozombi, nu mu tjite imbi mbi ri ovisemba. Ve mu ronga kutja amu he rikotamene koomukuru varwe nokuvekarera. Otji mamu sora okutura mehi, ndi mba yandja ku eṋe na kooiho mukururume. Nungwari eṋe kamu vangere okupuratena ku ami nokuninga ko na tja na ami. 16 Ozondekurona za Jonadab za ri nonḓuviro komarakiza wooihe mukururume ngu ve ze pa, nungwari eṋe kamu karere ko nonḓuviro ku ami. 17 Nambano ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Omunamasaaehe, Ndjambi wa Israel, me eta oviwonga avihe, mbi mbe mu tanda na vyo, tjiwaṋa tja Juda novature va Jerusalem. Me tjiti nao, orondu eṋe kamu vangere okupuratena, indu tji mba hungira ku eṋe, nu wina kamu itaverere, tji mbe mu isana.”
18 Tjazumba otji mba raera onganda ya Rekab kutja Muhona Omunamasaaehe, Ndjambi wa Israel, wa tjere nai: “Eṋe mwa kara nonḓuviro komarakiza ngu mwa pewa i iho mukururume Jonadab, mwa kongorera omaraerero we aehe, nu mwa tjita oviṋa avihe eye mbye mu rakiza. 19 Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Omunamasaaehe, Ndjambi wa Israel, otji me kwizike kutja Jonadab, omuzandu wa Rekab, aruhe ma kare nondekurona yomuzandu ndji mai ndji karere.”
