⁶ But they replied, “We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jehonadab^[a](A) son of Rekab gave us this command: ‘Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine.^{(B) 7} Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents.^(C) Then you will live a long time in the land^(D) where you are nomads.’ ⁸ We have obeyed everything our forefather^(E) Jehonadab son of Rekab commanded us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine ⁹ or built houses to live in or had vineyards, fields or crops.^{(F) 10} We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jehonadab commanded us.

¹⁴ ‘Jehonadab son of Rekab ordered his descendants not to drink wine and this command has been kept. To this day they do not drink wine, because they obey their forefather’s command.^(A) But I have spoken to you again and again,^(B) yet you have not obeyed^(C) me.

¹⁶ The descendants of Jehonadab son of Rekab have carried out the command their forefather^(A) gave them, but these people have not obeyed me.’

¹⁸ Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Rekabites, “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have obeyed the command of your forefather^(A) Jehonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.’