Chapter 46

Babylon’s Idols and the True God

1 aBel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;

Their images are consigned to the beasts and the cattle.

The things 1that you carry are burdensome,

A load for the weary beast.

2 They stooped over, they have bowed down together;

They could not rescue the burden,

But 1have themselves agone into captivity.

3 “aListen to Me, O house of Jacob,

And all bthe remnant of the house of Israel,

You who have been cborne by Me from 1birth

And have been carried from the womb;

4 Even to your old age aI 1will be the same,

And even to your 2bgraying years I will bear you!

I have 3done it, and I will carry you;

And I will bear you and I will deliver you.

5 “aTo whom would you liken Me

And make Me equal and compare Me,

That we would be alike?

6 “Those who alavish gold from the purse

And weigh silver on the scale

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

They bbow down, indeed they worship it.

7 “They alift it upon the shoulder and carry it;

They set it in its place and it stands there.

bIt does not move from its place.

Though one may cry to it, it ccannot answer;

It dcannot deliver him from his distress.

8 “aRemember this, and be 1assured;

bRecall it to 2mind, you ctransgressors.

9 “Remember the aformer things long past,

For I am God, and there is bno other;

I am God, and there is cno one like Me,

10 Declaring the end from the beginning,

And from ancient times things which have not been done,

Saying, ‘aMy purpose will be established,

And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;

11 Calling a abird of prey from the beast,

The man of 1My purpose from a far country.

Truly I have cspoken; truly I will bring it to pass.

I have planned it, surely I will do it.

12 “aListen to Me, you bstubborn-minded,

Who are cfar from righteousness.

13 “I abring near My righteousness, it is not far off;

And My salvation will not delay.

And I will grant bsalvation in Zion,

And My cglory for Israel.