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The Recabite Family Obeys God
35 When Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah [C ruled 609–597 bc], the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah, saying: 2 “Go to the ·family [L house] of Recab. Invite them to come to one of the ·side rooms [chambers] of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, and offer them wine to drink.”
3 So I went to get Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah [C not the prophet, but a man with the same name], the son of Habazziniah. And I gathered all of Jaazaniah’s brothers and sons and the whole ·family [L house] of the Recabites together. 4 Then I brought them into the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. We went into the ·room [chamber] of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, who was a man of God. The ·room [chamber] was next to the one where the officers stay and above the ·room [chamber] of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the ·doorkeeper in the Temple [L guard/keeper of the threshold]. 5 Then I put some ·bowls [pitchers] full of wine and some cups before the men of the Recabite ·family [L house]. And I said to them, “Drink some wine.”
6 But the Recabite men answered, “We never drink wine. Our ·ancestor [father] Jonadab son of Recab [2 Kin. 10:15–17] gave us this command: ‘You and your descendants must never drink wine. 7 Also you must never build houses, ·plant [L sow] seeds, or plant vineyards, or do any of those things. You must live only in tents all your days. Then you will live ·a long time [L many days] in the land where you are ·wanderers [sojourners; resident aliens].’ 8 So we Recabites ·have obeyed everything [L listened to the voice of] Jonadab our ·ancestor [father] commanded us. Neither we nor our wives, sons, or daughters ever drink wine. 9 We never build houses in which to live, or own fields or vineyards, or ·plant crops [L seed]. 10 We have lived in tents and have obeyed everything our ancestor Jonadab commanded us. 11 But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon ·attacked Judah [L came up to the land], we said to each other, ‘Come, we must enter Jerusalem ·so we can escape [L from before] the ·Babylonian [L Chaldean] army and the Aramean army.’ So we have stayed [lived] in Jerusalem [C though they may not be living in houses, in conformity to their ancestor’s command].”
12 Then the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah: 13 “This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: Jeremiah, go and tell the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem: ‘·You should [L Can you not…?] learn a lesson and obey my message,’ says the Lord. 14 ‘Jonadab son of Recab ordered his descendants not to drink wine, and that command has been obeyed. Until today they have obeyed their ·ancestor’s [father’s] command; they do not drink wine. But I, the Lord, have given you messages again and again, but you did not ·obey [listen to] me. 15 I sent all my servants the prophets to you again and again, saying, “Each of you must ·stop doing evil [L turn from his evil way/path]. You must change and be good. Do not ·follow [L go after] other gods to serve them. If you obey me, you will live in the land I have given to you and your ·ancestors [fathers].” But you have not ·listened [L inclined your ear] to me or paid attention to my message. 16 The descendants of Jonadab son of Recab obeyed the commands their ancestor gave them, but the people of Judah have not obeyed me [C the Recabites carefully observe the law of a human while Israel rejects divine law].’
17 “So the Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: ‘I will soon bring every ·disaster [trouble; evil] I said would come to Judah and to everyone living in Jerusalem. I spoke to those people, but they refused to listen. I called out to them, but they did not answer me.’”
18 Then Jeremiah said to the [L house of the] Recabites, “This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: ‘You have ·obeyed [listened to] the commands of your ·ancestor [father] Jonadab and have ·followed all of his teachings [kept/guarded all his commands]; you have done everything he commanded.’ 19 So this is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], the God of Israel, says: ‘·There will always be a descendant of Jonadab son of Recab to serve me [L Jonadab son of Recab will not lack a descendant to stand before me for all days].’”
Jehoiakim Burns Jeremiah’s Scroll
36 The Lord spoke this word to Jeremiah during the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah [C 605 bc]: 2 “Get a scroll. Write on it all the words I have spoken to you about Israel and Judah and all the nations. Write everything from when I first spoke to you, when Josiah was king, until now [C his prophecies began in the thirteenth year of this king, 626 bc; 1:1–3]. 3 Maybe the ·family [L house] of Judah will hear what ·disasters [evil; troubles] I am planning to ·bring on [L do to] them and will ·stop doing wicked things [L turn back from his evil ways/paths]. Then I would forgive them for ·the sins and the evil things they have done [L their iniquities and their sins].”
4 So Jeremiah called for Baruch son of Neriah [32:12; 43:3, 6; 45:1–2]. ·Jeremiah spoke the messages the Lord had given him, and Baruch wrote those messages [L Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord which he spoke to him] on the scroll. 5 Then Jeremiah commanded Baruch, “I cannot go to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. I ·must stay here [L am confined/restricted/imprisoned]. 6 So I want you to go to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord on a day when the people are fasting. Read from the scroll ·to [L in the ears of] all the people of Judah who come into Jerusalem from their towns. Read the messages from the Lord, which are the words you wrote on the scroll ·as I spoke them to you [L from my mouth]. 7 Perhaps ·they will ask the Lord to help them [L their supplications will fall before the Lord]. Perhaps each one will ·stop doing wicked things [L turn from their evil ways], because the Lord has announced that he is very angry with them.” 8 So Baruch son of Neriah did everything Jeremiah the prophet ·told [L commanded] him to do. In the Lord’s ·Temple [L house] he read aloud the scroll that had the Lord’s messages written on it.
9 In the ninth month of the fifth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king [C 604 bc], a fast was announced. All the people of Jerusalem and everyone who had come into Jerusalem from the towns of Judah were supposed to ·give up eating to honor [L fast before] the Lord. 10 At that time Baruch read to all the people there the scroll containing Jeremiah’s words. He read the scroll in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord in the room of Gemariah son of Shaphan, a ·royal secretary [scribe]. That ·room [chamber] was in the upper courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate of the Temple.
11 Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the messages from the Lord that were on the scroll. 12 Micaiah went down to the ·royal secretary’s [scribe’s] room in the king’s ·palace [L house] where all of the officers were sitting: Elishama the ·royal secretary [scribe]; Delaiah son of Shemaiah; Elnathan son of Acbor [2 Kin. 22:8–10]; Gemariah son of Shaphan; Zedekiah son of Hananiah; and all the other officers. 13 Micaiah told those officers everything he had heard Baruch read to the people from the scroll.
14 Then the officers sent a man named Jehudi son of Nethaniah to Baruch. (Nethaniah was the son of Shelemiah, who was the son of Cushi.) Jehudi said to Baruch, “·Bring [L Take in your hand] the scroll that you read ·to [L in the ears of] the people and come with me.”
So Baruch son of Neriah took in his hand the scroll and went with Jehudi to the officers. 15 Then the officers said to Baruch, “Please sit down and read the scroll ·to us [L in our ears].”
So Baruch read the scroll ·to them [L in their ears] . 16 When the officers heard all the words, they became afraid and looked at each other. They said to Baruch, “We must certainly tell the king about these words.” 17 Then the officers asked Baruch, “Tell us, please, ·where did you get all these words you wrote on the scroll [L how did you write all these words]? ·Did you write down what Jeremiah said to you [At his dictation; L From his mouth]?”
18 “Yes,” Baruch answered. “Jeremiah spoke them ·all to me [L from his mouth], and I wrote them down with ink on this scroll.”
19 Then the officers said to Baruch, “You and Jeremiah must go and hide, and ·don’t tell anyone [L no one must know] where you are.”
20 The officers put the scroll in the room of Elishama the ·royal secretary [scribe]. Then they went to the king in the courtyard and told ·him all about the scroll [L all these words in the ear of the king]. 21 So King Jehoiakim sent Jehudi to get the scroll. Jehudi brought the scroll from the room of Elishama the ·royal secretary [scribe] and read it ·to [L in the ears of] the king and ·to [L in the ears of] all the officers who stood around the king. 22 It was the ninth month of the year [C late autumn], so King Jehoiakim was sitting in the winter apartment. There was a fire burning in a ·small firepot [brazier] in front of him. 23 After Jehudi had read three or four columns, ·the king [L he] cut those columns off of the scroll with a penknife and threw them into the ·firepot [brazier]. Finally, the whole scroll was burned in the fire. 24 King Jehoiakim and his servants heard ·everything that was said [L all these words], but they were not frightened! They did not tear their clothes [C to show their sorrow]. 25 Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah ·even tried to talk [beseeched] King Jehoiakim out of burning the scroll, but he would not listen to them. 26 Instead, the king ordered Jerahmeel son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch the ·secretary [scribe] and Jeremiah the prophet. But the Lord had hidden them.
27 So King Jehoiakim burned the scroll where Baruch had written ·all the words Jeremiah had spoken to him [L from the mouth of Jeremiah]. Then the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah: 28 “Get another scroll. Write all the words on it that were on the first scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah burned up. 29 Also say this to Jehoiakim king of Judah: ‘This is what the Lord says: You burned up that scroll and said, “Why, Jeremiah, did you write on it ‘the king of Babylon will surely come and destroy this land and the people and animals in it’?” 30 So this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: Jehoiakim’s descendants will not sit on David’s throne. When Jehoiakim dies, his body will be thrown out on the ground. It will be left out in the heat of the day and in the frost of the night. 31 I will punish Jehoiakim and his ·children [L seed] and his servants, because ·they have done evil things [of their guilt/iniquity]. I will bring ·disasters [evil; trouble] upon them and upon all the people in Jerusalem and Judah—everything I promised but which they refused to hear.’”
32 So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch son of Neriah, his ·secretary [scribe]. ·As Jeremiah spoke [L From the mouth of Jeremiah], Baruch wrote on the scroll the same words that were on the scroll Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to the second scroll.
Rules for Living with Others
5 Do not ·speak angrily to [rebuke; speak harshly to] an older man, but ·plead with [exhort; encourage] him as if he were your father. Treat younger men like brothers, 2 older women like mothers, and younger women like sisters. ·Always treat them in a pure way [L …with complete purity].
3 ·Take care of [Provide support for; or Honor; Show respect to; C both honor and financial help are likely in mind] widows who are truly widows. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to ·do their duty to [or practice their piety/godliness toward] their own ·family [household] and to repay their parents or grandparents. [L For] That pleases God. 5 The true widow, who is all alone, puts her hope in God and continues ·to pray night and day for God’s help [L in petitions and prayers night and day]. 6 But the widow who ·uses her life to please herself [lives in luxury; is self-indulgent] is really dead while she is alive. 7 ·Tell [Command; Instruct] the believers to do these things so that ·no one can criticize them [they may be blameless/above reproach]. 8 Whoever does not care for his ·own relatives [L own], especially his own family members, has ·turned against [denied; rejected] the faith and is worse than ·someone who does not believe in God [L an unbeliever].
9 To be on the list of widows [C probably a list of those widows who received regular support from the church], a woman must be at least sixty years old. She must have been ·faithful to her husband [or married only once; or the wife of one husband]. 10 She must be known for her good works—works such as raising her children, ·welcoming strangers [practicing hospitality], washing the feet of ·God’s people [T the saints], helping those in ·trouble [distress; hardship], and ·giving [devoting] her life to do all kinds of good deeds.
11 But do not put younger widows on that list. After they give themselves to Christ, they are pulled away from him by their physical desires, and then they want to marry again. 12 They will be judged for ·not doing what they first promised to do [breaking/despising their first pledge]. 13 Besides that, they learn to ·waste their time [be idle], going from house to house. And they not only ·waste their time [are idlers] but also begin to gossip and ·busy themselves with other people’s lives [become busybodies/meddlers], saying things they should not say. 14 So I want the younger widows to marry, have children, and manage their homes. Then ·no enemy will [or the adversary will not; C Satan] have any ·reason [or opportunity] ·to criticize them [or for maligning/slandering (us/them)]. 15 But some have already ·turned [wandered; strayed] away to follow Satan.
16 If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should ·care for [provide support for] them herself. The church should not ·have to care for them [L carry this burden]. Then it will be able to ·take care of [support] those who are truly widows.
17 The elders who lead the church well should receive ·double honor [or both honor and remuneration; C probably includes both respect and financial support; see v. 3], especially those who work hard by ·speaking [preaching] and teaching, 18 because the Scripture says: “When an ox is ·working in the grain [threshing], do not ·cover its mouth to keep it from eating [muzzle it; Deut. 25:4],” and “A worker ·should be given his pay [deserves his wages; T is worthy of his hire; Luke 10:7].”
19 Do not listen to someone who accuses an elder, without two or three witnesses [Deut. 19:15]. 20 ·Reprimand [Rebuke] those who continue sinning. Do this in front of the whole church so that the others will ·have a warning [L fear; or show reverence].
21 Before God and Christ Jesus and the ·chosen [elect] angels, I ·command [solemnly charge] you to ·do [keep; guard] these things without ·taking sides [prejudice] or showing favoritism of any kind.
22 ·Think carefully before you [L Do not quickly/hastily] ·appoint someone to leadership [L lay your hands on anyone; 4:14; C a way of dedicating someone to Christian service], and don’t share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
23 Stop drinking only water, but drink a little wine to help your stomach and your frequent sicknesses.
24 The sins of some people are ·easy to see [obvious; evident] ·even before they are judged [or arriving at the judgment before they do; or preceding them into court; L going before them to judgment], but the sins of others ·are seen only later [arrive later; L follow after]. 25 So also good deeds are ·easy to see [obvious; evident], but even those that are not easily seen cannot stay hidden [C since they will be revealed on judgment day].
14 Your ·kingdom [L throne] is ·built [established] on ·what is right and fair [righteousness and judgment/justice].
·Love [Loyalty] and ·truth [faithfulness] are ·in all you do [L before your face].
15 ·Happy [Blessed] are the people who know how to ·praise [shout to] you.
Lord, let them ·live [L walk] in the light of your ·presence [L face].
16 In your name they rejoice
and continually ·praise [exalt] your ·goodness [righteousness].
17 You are their ·glorious [beautiful] strength,
and in your ·kindness [favor] you ·honor our king [L lift up our horn; C symbol of power and here of the king].
18 Our shield [C the king] belongs to the Lord,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.
19 ·Once [Then], in a vision [2 Sam. 7:4], you spoke
to ·those who worship you [your faithful ones/saints].
You said, “I have ·given strength to [L set help on] a warrior;
I have raised up a ·young man [chosen one] from my people [1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22].
20 I have found my servant David;
I ·appointed him by pouring [L have anointed him with] holy oil on him [1 Sam. 16:1–13].
21 I will steady him with my hand
and strengthen him with my arm.
22 No enemy will ·make him give forced payments [make him pay tribute; or prevail over/or outwit him],
and wicked people will not ·defeat [afflict; humble] him.
23 I will ·crush [pound] his enemies in front of him;
I will ·defeat [strike down] those who hate him.
24 My ·loyalty [faithfulness] and ·love [loyalty] will be with him.
Through ·me [L my name] ·he will be strong [L his horn will be raised up; v. 17].
25 I will ·give him power [L set his hand] over the sea
·and control [L his right hand] over the rivers [C the waters represent chaos].
26 He will ·say [proclaim] to me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my ·Savior [Victor].’
27 I will make him my firstborn son,
the ·greatest [highest] king on earth [2:7; 2 Sam. 7:14].
28 My ·love [loyalty] will ·watch over [keep; guard] him forever,
and my ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with him will ·never end [be faithful].
29 I will ·make his family continue [L set his seed forever],
and his ·kingdom [L throne] ·will last as long as the skies [L like the days of the skies/heavens].
30 “If his descendants ·reject [leave; abandon] my ·teachings [instructions; laws]
and do not ·follow [L walk in] my ·laws [judgments],
31 if they ·ignore [profane] my ·demands [statutes; ordinances; requirements]
and ·disobey [L do not keep/guard] my commands,
32 then I will punish their ·sins [transgressions] with a rod
and their ·wrongs [guilt] with ·a whip [lashes].
33 But I will not ·hold back [break; invalidate] my ·love [loyalty] from ·David [L him],
nor will I ·stop being loyal [L deal falsely with my faithfulness].
34 I will not ·break [profane; violate] my ·agreement [covenant; treaty]
nor ·change [alter] what ·I have said [L came out of my lips].
35 Once and for all I have ·promised [sworn] by my holiness,
I will not lie to David.
36 His ·family [L seed] will go on forever.
His ·kingdom [L throne] will last before me like the sun.
37 It will ·continue [be established] forever, like the moon,
like a ·dependable [reliable; faithful] witness in the sky.” ·
25 Good news from a faraway place
is like a cool drink when you are tired.
26 A good person who ·gives in to [staggers before] evil
is like a ·muddy [foul] spring or a ·dirty [ruined] well.
27 It is not good to eat too much honey,
nor does it bring you honor to ·brag about yourself [seek honor].
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