Isaiah 46
1 Bel is broken, Nebo is destroyed: their idols are put upon beasts and cattle, your burdens of heavy weight even unto weariness.
Bel has bowed down, Nebo is stooping, Their idols have been for the beast and for livestock, Your burdens are loaded, a burden to the weary.
2 They are consumed, and are broken together: they could not save him that carried them, and they themselves shall go into captivity.
They have stooped, they have bowed together, They have not been able to deliver the burden, And have gone into captivity themselves.
3 Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who are carried by my bowels, are borne up by my womb.
“Listen to 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 am the same, and to your grey hairs I will carry you: I have made you, and I will bear: I will carry and will save.
Even to old age, I [am] He, and to grey hairs I carry, I made, and I bear, indeed, I carry and deliver.
5 To whom have you likened me, and made me equal, and compared me, and made me like?
To whom do you liken Me, and make equal? And compare Me, that we may be like?
6 You that contribute gold out of the bag, and weigh out silver in the scales: and hire a goldsmith to make a god: and they fall down and worship.
They are pouring out gold from a bag, And they weigh silver on the beam, They hire a refiner, and he makes it a god, They fall down, indeed, they bow themselves.
7 They bear him on their shoulders and carry him, and set him in his piece, and he shall stand, and shall not stir out of his place. Yea, when they shall cry also unto him, he shall not hear: he shall not save them from tribulation.
They lift him up on the shoulder, They carry him, and cause him to rest in his place, And he stands, he does not move from his place, Indeed, one cries to him, and he does not answer, He does not save him from his adversity.
8 Remember this, and be ashamed: return, ye transgressors, to the heart.
Remember this, and show yourselves men, Turn [it] back, O transgressors, to the heart.
9 Remember the former age, for I am God, and there is no God beside, neither is there the like to me:
Remember former things of old, For I [am] Mighty, and there is none else, God—and there is none like Me.
10 Who shew from the beginning the things that shall be at last, and from ancient times the things that as yet are not done, saying: My counsel shall stand, and all my will shall be done:
Declaring the latter end from the beginning, And from of old that which has not been done, Saying, My counsel stands, And all My delight I do.
11 Who call a bird from the east, and from a far country the man of my own will, and I have spoken, and will bring it to pass: I have created, and I will do it.
Calling a ravenous bird from the east, The man of My counsel from a far land, Indeed, I have spoken, indeed, I bring it in, I have formed [it], indeed, I do it.
12 Hear me, O ye hardhearted, who are far from justice.
Listen to Me, you mighty in heart, Who are far from righteousness.
13 I have brought my justice near, it shall not be afar off: and my salvation shall not tarry. I will give salvation in Sion, and my glory in Israel.
I have brought My righteousness near, It is not far off, And My salvation—it does not linger, And I have given salvation in Zion, For Israel My glory!”
