18 For this is what the Lord says—

he who created the heavens,

he is God;

he who fashioned and made the earth,a

he founded it;

he did not create it to be empty,b

but formed it to be inhabitedc—

he says:

“I am the Lord,

and there is no other.d

19 I have not spoken in secret,e

from somewhere in a land of darkness;f

I have not said to Jacob’s descendants,g

‘Seekh me in vain.’

I, the Lord, speak the truth;

I declare what is right.i

20 “Gather togetherj and come;

assemble, you fugitives from the nations.

Ignorantk are those who carryl about idols of wood,

who pray to gods that cannot save.m

21 Declare what is to be, present it—

let them take counsel together.

Who foretoldn this long ago,

who declared it from the distant past?o

Was it not I, the Lord?

And there is no God apart from me,p

a righteous Godq and a Savior;r

there is none but me.

22 “Turns to me and be saved,t

all you ends of the earth;u

for I am God, and there is no other.v

23 By myself I have sworn,w

my mouth has uttered in all integrityx

a word that will not be revoked:y

Before me every knee will bow;z

by me every tongue will swear.a

24 They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone

are deliveranceb and strength.c’ ”

All who have raged against him

will come to him and be put to shame.d

25 But all the descendantse of Israel

will find deliverancef in the Lord

and will make their boast in him.g

Gods of Babylon

46 Belh bows down, Nebo stoops low;

their idolsi are borne by beasts of burden.a

The images that are carriedj about are burdensome,

a burden for the weary.

2 They stoop and bow down together;

unable to rescue the burden,

they themselves go off into captivity.k

3 “Listenl to me, you descendants of Jacob,

all the remnantm of the people of Israel,

you whom I have upheld since your birth,n

and have carriedo since you were born.p

4 Even to your old age and gray hairsq

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

I have made you and I will carry you;

I will sustains you and I will rescue you.

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

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

6 Some pour out gold from their bags

and weigh out silver on the scales;

they hire a goldsmithu to make it into a god,

and they bow down and worship it.v

7 They lift it to their shoulders and carryw it;

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

From that spot it cannot move.x

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

it cannot savez them from their troubles.

8 “Remembera this, keep it in mind,

take it to heart, you rebels.b

9 Remember the former things,c those of long ago;d

I am God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is none like me.e

10 I make known the end from the beginning,f

from ancient times,g what is still to come.h

I say, ‘My purpose will stand,i

and I will do all that I please.’

11 From the east I summonj a bird of prey;k

from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.

What I have said, that I will bring about;

what I have planned,l that I will do.m

12 Listenn to me, you stubborn-hearted,o

you who are now far from my righteousness.p

13 I am bringing my righteousnessq near,

it is not far away;

and my salvationr will not be delayed.

I will grant salvation to Zion,s

my splendort to Israel.