Isaiah 46
1 Bel is bowed down, Nebo sinketh, their idols are [delivered] unto the beasts, and unto the cattle; those which were once carried by you are now laden up a burden to the weary beasts.
[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 are sunk, they are bowed down together; they could not deliver the burden, but they 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, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, who are borne [by me] from their birth, who are 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 And even unto old age I am the same; and even unto the time of hoary hairs will I bear: l have done it, and I will carry [you]; even I will bear, and deliver you.
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 and assimilate me, and 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 [There are those] that lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance; that hire a melter, that he may make of it a god; they [then] bend the knee, yea, they bow themselves down;
[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 carry him, upon the shoulder they bear him, and set up him in his spot, and he remaineth standing, from his place he doth not move: yea, though one should cry unto him, he cannot answer, out of his trouble he cannot help him.
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 take courage: take it again to heart, O ye transgressors.
[You people of Judah], do not forget this; keep thinking about it, you sinful people!
9 Remember the former things of olden times; for I am God, and there is no one else; I am God, and there is nothing 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 from the beginning the end, and from the earliest days the things that have not yet been done, saying, My counsel shall stand firm, and all my pleasure will I do:
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 from the east the eagle, from a far-off country the man of my counsel; yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also execute 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 of heart, 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 have brought near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will grant unto Zion salvation, 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.”
