Isaiah 46:1–7

Bel bows down; Nebo stoops;

their idols are on beasts and livestock;

these things you carry are borne

as burdens on weary beasts.

They stoop; they bow down together;

they cannot save the burden,

but themselves go into captivity.

“Listen to me, O house of Jacob,

all the remnant of the house of Israel,

who have been borne by me from before your birth,

carried from the womb;

even to your old age I am he,

and to gray hairs I will carry you.

I have made, and I will bear;

I will carry and will save.

“To whom will you liken me and make me equal,

and compare me, that we may be alike?

Those who lavish gold from the purse,

and weigh out silver in the scales,

hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;

then they fall down and worship!

They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it,

they set it in its place, and it stands there;

it cannot move from its place.

If one cries to it, it does not answer

or save him from his trouble.

Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low;

their idols are borne by beasts of burden.

The images that are carried about are burdensome,

a burden for the weary.

They stoop and bow down together;

unable to rescue the burden,

they themselves go off into captivity.

“Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob,

all the remnant of the people of Israel,

you whom I have upheld since your birth,

and have carried since you were born.

Even to your old age and gray hairs

I am he, I am he who will sustain you.

I have made you and I will carry you;

I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

“With whom will you compare me or count me equal?

To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?

Some pour out gold from their bags

and weigh out silver on the scales;

they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god,

and they bow down and worship it.

They lift it to their shoulders and carry it;

they set it up in its place, and there it stands.

From that spot it cannot move.

Even though someone cries out to it, it cannot answer;

it cannot save them from their troubles.

Bel crouches; Nebo cowers.

Idols depicting them are consigned to beasts and cattle.

The images you carry are loaded,

as a burden for the weary animal.

The gods cower; they crouch together;

they are not able to rescue the burden,

but they themselves go into captivity.

“Listen to me, house of Jacob,

all the remnant of the house of Israel,

who have been sustained from the womb,

carried along since birth.

I will be the same until your old age,

and I will bear you up when you turn gray.

I have made you, and I will carry you;

I will bear and rescue you.

“To whom will you compare me or make me equal?

Who will you measure me with,

so that we should be like each other?

Those who pour out their bags of gold

and weigh out silver on scales—

they hire a goldsmith and he makes it into a god.

Then they kneel and bow down to it.

They lift it to their shoulder and bear it along;

they set it in its place, and there it stands;

it does not budge from its place.

They cry out to it but it doesn’t answer;

it saves no one from his trouble.

Bel and Nebo, the gods of Babylon,

bow as they are lowered to the ground.

They are being hauled away on ox carts.

The poor beasts stagger under the weight.

Both the idols and their owners are bowed down.

The gods cannot protect the people,

and the people cannot protect the gods.

They go off into captivity together.

“Listen to me, descendants of Jacob,

all you who remain in Israel.

I have cared for you since you were born.

Yes, I carried you before you were born.

I will be your God throughout your lifetime—

until your hair is white with age.

I made you, and I will care for you.

I will carry you along and save you.

“To whom will you compare me?

Who is my equal?

Some people pour out their silver and gold

and hire a craftsman to make a god from it.

Then they bow down and worship it!

They carry it around on their shoulders,

and when they set it down, it stays there.

It can’t even move!

And when someone prays to it, there is no answer.

It can’t rescue anyone from trouble.

Bel bows down;

Nebo is stooping.

Their idols are on animals and on cattle;

your cargo is carried as a burden on weary animals.

They stoop;

they bow down together.

They are not able to save the burden,

but they themselves go in captivity.

“Listen to me, house of Jacob,

and all the remnant of the house of Israel

who have been carried from the belly,

who have been carried from the womb:

Even to your old age I am he;

even to your advanced age I myself will support you.

I myself have made you,

and I myself will carry you,

and I myself will support you,

and I will save you.

To whom will you liken me,

and count as equal,

and compare with me,

as though we were alike?

Those who lavish gold from the purse

and weigh out silver in the balance scales;

hire a goldsmith

and he makes him a god;

they bow down,

indeed they bow in worship.

They carry it on their shoulder;

they support it and they set it in its place,

and it stands in position.

It cannot be removed from its place;

even when he cries out to it, it does not answer.

It does not save him from his trouble.

Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth,

Their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle:

Your carriages were heavy loaden;

They are a burden to the weary beast.

They stoop, they bow down together;

They could not deliver the burden,

But themselves are gone into captivity.

Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob,

And all the remnant of the house of Israel,

Which are borne by me from the belly,

Which are carried from the womb:

And even to your old age I am he;

And even to hoar hairs will I carry you:

I have made, and I will bear;

Even I will carry, and will deliver you.

To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal,

And compare me, that we may be like?

They lavish gold out of the bag,

And weigh silver in the balance,

And hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god:

They fall down, yea, they worship.

They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him,

And set him in his place, and he standeth;

From his place shall he not remove:

Yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer,

Nor save him out of his trouble.