Isaiah 46
1 Bel crouches; Nebo cowers. Their idols weigh down beasts and cattle. The images you carry are burdensome, a load to the weary animal.
Bowed down hath Bel, stooping is Nebo, Their idols have been for the beast and for cattle, Your burdens are loaded, a burden to the weary.
2 The gods cower; they crouch together, unable to relieve the burden; but they themselves go into captivity.
They have stooped, they have bowed together, They have not been able to deliver the burden, And themselves into captivity have gone.
3 “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been sustained from the womb, carried along since birth.
Hearken unto Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of Israel, Who are borne from the belly, Who are carried from the womb,
4 Even to your old age, I will be the same, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will sustain you and deliver you.
Even to old age I [am] He, and to grey hairs I carry, I made, and I bear, yea, I carry and deliver.
5 To whom will you liken Me or count Me equal? To whom will you compare Me, that we should be alike?
To whom do ye liken Me, and make equal? And compare Me, that we may be like?
6 They pour out their bags of gold and weigh out silver on scales; they hire a goldsmith to fashion it into a god, so they can bow down and worship.
— They are pouring out gold from a bag, And silver on the beam they weigh, They hire a refiner, and he maketh it a god, They fall down, yea, they bow themselves.
7 They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not answer; it saves no one from his troubles.
They lift him up on the shoulder, They carry him, and cause him to rest in his place, And he standeth, from his place he moveth not, Yea, one crieth unto him, and he answereth not, From his adversity he saveth him not.
8 Remember this and be brave; take it to heart, you transgressors!
Remember this, and shew yourselves men, Turn [it] back, O transgressors, to the heart.
9 Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.
Remember former things of old, For I [am] Mighty, and there is none else, God — and there is none like Me.
10 I declare the end from the beginning, and ancient times from what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’
Declaring from the beginning the latter end, And from of old that which hath not been done, Saying, 'My counsel doth stand, And all My delight I do.'
11 I summon a bird of prey from the east, a man for My purpose from a far-off land. Truly I have spoken, and truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, and I will surely do it.
Calling from the east a ravenous bird, From a far land the man of My counsel, Yea, I have spoken, yea, I bring it in, I have formed [it], yea, I do it.
12 Listen to Me, you stubborn people, far removed from righteousness:
Hearken unto Me, ye mighty in heart, Who are far from righteousness.
13 I am bringing My righteousness near; it is not far away, and My salvation will not be delayed. I will grant salvation to Zion and adorn Israel with My splendor.
I have brought near My righteousness, It is not far off, And My salvation — it doth not tarry, And I have given in Zion salvation, To Israel My glory!
