Isaiah 46
1 Bel is bowed down, Nebo bendeth; their idols are upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: the things ye carried are laid on, a burden to the weary [beast].
[It is as though] Bel and Nebo, the statues of the gods [of Babylonia], are bowing down as those statues are put on animals and carried away! The statues are heavy burdens and will cause the animals to become tired [SAR]!
2 They bend, they are bowed down together; they could not deliver the burden, and themselves are gone into captivity.
[It seems like] both gods are bowing down; not only can they not save themselves, but they themselves are being (exiled/taken to another country)!
3 Hearken unto me, house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, ye who have been borne from the belly, who have been carried from the womb:
[Yahweh says], “You descendants of Jacob who were exiled, [I am not like the gods of Babylonia that must be carried]; [instead, it is as though] I have carried you since you first became a nation [MET]. I carried you [even] before you became a nation.
4 Even to old age, I [am] HE, and unto hoary hairs I will carry [you]: It is I that have made, and I will bear, and I will carry, and will deliver.
I will be your God, and I will carry you for many years, until [it is as though] [MET] your nation is an old man with gray hair. I caused [you to become a nation], and I will sustain you and rescue you.
5 To whom will ye liken me and make me equal, or compare me, that we may be like?
There is certainly [RHQ] no one to whom I can be compared. There is [RHQ] no one who is equal to me [DOU].
6 — They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance; they hire a goldsmith, and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.
[So it is stupid/ridiculous that] some people pour out gold and silver from their bags and weigh it on a scale. [Then] they hire a man who makes things from gold to make an idol from it. [After he makes an idol], they bow down and worship it!
7 They bear him on the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place; there he standeth, he doth not remove from his place: yea, one crieth unto him, and he answereth not; he saveth him not out of his trouble.
They lift it up and carry it on their shoulders. They put it in a [special] place, and it stays there. It cannot move! And when someone prays to it, it does not answer. So [obviously] it cannot rescue anyone from his troubles!
8 Remember this, and shew yourselves men; call it to mind, ye transgressors.
[You people of Judah], do not forget this; keep thinking about it, you sinful people!
9 Remember the former things of old; for I [am] God, and there is none else; [I am] God, and there is none like me;
Think about the things [that I did] long ago. Only I am God; I am God, and there is no one like me.
10 declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure;
Only I can tell what will happen in the future before it occurs; I tell it long before it happens. I will accomplish everything that I plan to accomplish, and I will do everything that I want to do.
11 calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. Yea, I have spoken, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
So I will summon [someone to come] from the east [like a swift and powerful] eagle; he will come from a distant country. He will accomplish what I want him to. [He is the one who] will do what I have said that I want him to do, what I have planned.
12 Hearken unto me, ye stout-hearted, that are far from righteousness:
You stubborn people [of Israel], [you think that] it will be a long time before you are allowed to return to your own country.
13 I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not delay; and I will give salvation in Zion, [and] unto Israel my glory.
But I will rescue you, and it will not be a long time [before that happens]. I will do it soon. I will rescue Jerusalem and show to you Israeli [people] that I am glorious.”
