God is Unique and Eternal
46 “Bel[a] bows down, Nebo[b] stoops low.
Their idols are on beasts, on[c] livestock.
Your loads are more burdensome than their reports.[d]
2 They stoop, they bow down together,
and[e] they are not able to rescue the burden,
but they themselves go off[f] into captivity.
3 “Listen[g] to me, house of Jacob,
and all you remnant of the house of Israel,
who have been upheld from before your birth,
and who have been carried from the womb.
4 Even[h] until your[i] old age, I am the one,
and I’ll carry you even until your gray hairs come.[j]
It is I who have created,[k] and I who will carry,
and it is I who will bear and save.
5 “To whom will you compare me,
count me equal,[l] or liken me,
so that I[m] may be compared?
6 Those who pour out gold in[n] a purse,
weigh silver in a balance,
hire a goldsmith in order to make[o] a god,
and then[p] they bow down and even worship it.
7 And[q] they lift it on their shoulders, carry it,
set it up in its place, and there it stands.
It cannot move[r] from that spot.
One may even call to[s] it, but it cannot answer
nor save him from his distress.
8 “Remember this, and stand firm;
take it again to heart, you rebels.
9 Remember the former things from long ago,
Because I am God, and there is no one else;
I am God, and there is none like me.
10 I declare from the beginning things to follow,[t]
and from ancient times things that have not yet been done;
saying, ‘My purpose will stand,
and he[u] will accomplish everything that I please.’
11 I am calling a bird of prey from the east,
and from a far country a man with his[v] purpose.
Indeed, I’ve spoken;
I will certainly make it happen;
I’ve planned it;[w]
and I will certainly carry it out.
12 “Listen to me, you hard-hearted,
you who are far removed from righteousness:
13 My righteousness is brought near[x] and[y] it’s not far off,
and my salvation won’t delay.
I’ll[z] grant salvation in Zion,
and[aa] to Israel, my glory.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 46:1 I.e. the Babylonian sun god Marduk
- Isaiah 46:1 I.e. Nabu, the Babylonian god of astronomy and learning, son of Marduk
- Isaiah 46:1 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read and on
- Isaiah 46:1 So 1QIsaa; 4QIsab MT LXX read burdensome, a load for the weary
- Isaiah 46:2 So 1QIsaa; MT lacks and
- Isaiah 46:2 So 1QIsaa LXX (pl.); 4QIsab MT (sing.)
- Isaiah 46:3 So 1QIsaa (sing.); MT LXX (pl.)
- Isaiah 46:4 So 1QIsaa; MT reads and even
- Isaiah 46:4 1QIsaa MT LXX lack your
- Isaiah 46:4 1QIsaa MT LXX lack come
- Isaiah 46:4 Or made
- Isaiah 46:5 So 1QIsaa (sing.); 1QIsab MT read consider equal (pl.); LXX reads see
- Isaiah 46:5 So 1QIsaa; MT reads we
- Isaiah 46:6 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read from
- Isaiah 46:6 So 1QIsaa LXX; 4QIsab MT read make it
- Isaiah 46:6 Lit. and; so 1QIsaa 1QIsab LXX; MT lacks then
- Isaiah 46:7 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab MT LXX lack And
- Isaiah 46:7 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads one cannot remove it
- Isaiah 46:7 So 1QIsaa; MT reads may cry out
- Isaiah 46:10 So 1QIsaa LXX 4QIsac; MT reads the future
- Isaiah 46:10 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab 4QIsac MT LXX read I
- Isaiah 46:11 So 1QIsaa 4QIsad MT; 1QIsab MT (vocalization) LXX read of my
- Isaiah 46:11 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab 4QIsac MT LXX lack it
- Isaiah 46:13 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX 4QIsac read I have brought near;
- Isaiah 46:13 So 1QIsaa; MT lacks and
- Isaiah 46:13 So 1QIsaa LXX; 1QIsab 4QIsac MT read And I
- Isaiah 46:13 So 1QIsaa 4QIsac; 1QIsab 4QIsad MT LXX lack and