Jeremiah 44:25 
Context| NET © | The Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, ‘You women 1 have confirmed by your actions what you vowed with your lips! You said, “We will certainly carry out our vows to sacrifice and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.” Well, then fulfill your vows! Carry them out!’ 2 |
| NIV © | This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives have shown by your actions what you promised when you said, ‘We will certainly carry out the vows we made to burn incense and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.’ "Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows! |
| NASB © | thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, as follows: ‘As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled it with your hands, saying, "We will certainly perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her." Go ahead and confirm your vows, and certainly perform your vows!’ |
| NLT © | The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives have said that you will never give up your devotion and sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven, and you have proved it by your actions. Then go ahead and carry out your promises and vows to her! |
| MSG © | GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says: 'You women! You said it and then you did it. You said, "We're going to keep the vows we made to sacrifice to the Queen of Heaven and pour out offerings to her, and nobody's going to stop us!"' "Well, go ahead. Keep your vows. Do it up big. |
| BBE © | This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, has said: You women have said with your mouths, and with your hands you have done what you said, We will certainly give effect to the oaths we have made, to have perfumes burned to the queen of heaven and drink offerings drained out to her: then give effect to your oaths and do them. |
| NRSV © | Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: You and your wives have accomplished in deeds what you declared in words, saying, ‘We are determined to perform the vows that we have made, to make offerings to the queen of heaven and to pour out libations to her.’ By all means, keep your vows and make your libations! |
| NKJV © | "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘You and your wives have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands, saying, "We will surely keep our vows that we have made, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her." You will surely keep your vows and perform your vows!’ |
| KJV | |
| NASB © | thus <03541> says <0559> the LORD <03068> of hosts <06635> , the God <0430> of Israel <03478> , as follows <0559> : 'As for you and your wives <0802> , you have spoken <01696> with your mouths <06310> and fulfilled <04390> it with your hands <03027> , saying <0559> , "We will certainly <06213> perform <06213> our vows <05088> that we have vowed <05087> , to burn <06999> sacrifices <06999> to the queen <04446> of heaven <08064> and pour <05258> out drink <05262> offerings <05262> to her." Go <06965> ahead <06965> and confirm <06965> your vows <05088> , and certainly <06213> perform <06213> your vows !'<05088> |
| HEBREW | P |
| LXXM | |
| NET © [draft] ITL | The <03541> Lord <03068> God <0430> of Israel <03478> who rules over all <06635> says <0559> , ‘You <0859> women <0802> have confirmed <04390> <01696> by your actions what <0834> you vowed <05088> with <04390> your <03027> lips! You said <0559> , “We will certainly carry <06213> <06213> out our vows <05088> <05087> to sacrifice <06999> and pour <05258> out drink offerings <05262> to the Queen <04446> of Heaven <08064> .” Well, then <06213> fulfill <06965> <06965> your vows <05088> ! Carry <06213> <06213> |
| NET © | The Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, ‘You women 1 have confirmed by your actions what you vowed with your lips! You said, “We will certainly carry out our vows to sacrifice and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.” Well, then fulfill your vows! Carry them out!’ 2 |
| NET © Notes |
1 tn Or “You and your wives.” The text and referent here is uncertain because of the confusing picture that the alternation of pronouns presents in this verse. Three of the main verbs are second feminine plurals and one of them is second masculine plural. All the pronominal suffixes on the nouns are second masculine plurals. The Hebrew text reads: “You [masc. pl.] and your [masc. pl.] wives have spoken [2nd fem. pl.; תְּדַבֵּרְנָה, tÿdabberÿnah] with your [masc. pl.] mouth and you have fulfilled [masc. pl.; מִלֵּאתֶם, mille’tem] with your [masc. pl.] hands, saying, ‘We [common gender] will certainly carry out….’ Indeed fulfill [2nd fem. pl.; תָּקִימְנָה, taqimnah] your [masc. pl.] vows and indeed carry out [2nd fem. pl.; תַעֲשֶׂינָה, ta’asenah] your [masc. pl.] vows.” Older commentaries, such as K&D 22:165, explain the feminine verbs as a matter of the women being the principle subject. Most all modern commentaries (e.g., J. A. Thompson, J. Bright, W. L. Holladay, and G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers) follow the reading of the Greek version which reads “you women” (= אַתֵּנָה הַנָּשִּׁים, [’attenah hannashim]) in place of “you and your wives” (אַתֶּם וּנְשֵׁיכֶם, ’attem unÿshekhem) in the Hebrew. None of them, however, explain the use of the 2nd masc. plurals here. This is possibly a case where the masculine forms are used in the place of the feminine due to the dislike of Hebrew to use the feminine plural forms (cf. GKC 459 §144.a and 466 §145.t). This seems all the more probable when 2nd fem. pl. verbs are qualified by nouns with 2nd masc. pl. suffixes. The translation here follows this interpretation of the masc. pl. forms and reads “you women” with the Greek version in place of “you and your wives” and sees the referents throughout as the women. 2 tn Heb “Carry out your vows!” sn The commands here are, of course, sarcastic and not meant to be taken literally. |
