Isaiah 46

Modern

Literal

Babylon’s Idols

¹Bel crouches; Nebo cowers.

Their idols weigh down beasts and cattle.

The images you carry are burdensome,

a load to the weary animal.

¹Bel bows down, Nebo is stooping low; their idols are on the beasts and on the cattle, these carried by you were heavy laden a burden to the weary.

²The gods cower; they crouch together,

unable to relieve the burden;

but they themselves go into captivity.

²They stoop low, they bend down together; they could not deliver the burden, and their souls have gone into captivity.

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.

³“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, those having been upheld from birth, having been carried from the womb:

⁴Even 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.

⁴Even to your old age, I am He; and until gray hair, I will will bear you up; I have done it—and I will lift, and I will bear and will deliver you.

⁵To whom will you liken Me or count Me equal?

To whom will you compare Me, that we should be alike?

⁵To whom will you liken Me and make Me equal and compare Me, that we should be alike?

⁶They 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.

⁶Those lavishing gold from the bag and weighing silver on the scales, they hire a goldsmith, that he might make it a god. They bow low, even bow down;

⁷They 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.

⁷they bear it on a shoulder, they carry it and set it in its place, and it stands—from its place it will not move; though one may cry out to it, and it will not answer; from his distress it will not save him.

⁸Remember this and be brave;

take it to heart, you transgressors!

⁸Remember this and be men; take it back, O transgressors, to heart!

⁹Remember what happened long ago,

for I am God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is none like Me.

⁹Remember the former things of old: For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and none is like Me—

¹⁰I declare the end from the beginning,

and from ancient times what is still to come.

I say, ‘My purpose will stand,

and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’

¹⁰declaring from the beginning the end, and from of old that which has not been done, saying, ‘My counsel will stand, and I will do all My delight;’

¹¹I 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.

¹¹the One calling from the east a bird of prey, the man of My counsel from a country far away—indeed, I have spoken it and so I will bring it to pass; I have fashioned it, I will also do it.

¹²Listen to Me, you stubborn people,

far removed from righteousness:

¹²Listen to Me, O obstinate of heart, far from righteousness!

¹³I 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.

¹³I have brought near My righteousness; it is not far off; and My salvation—it will not be delayed; and I have given to Zion salvation, to Israel My splendor.