Dead Idols and the Living God
46 Bel (A)bows down, Nebo stoops;
Their idols were on the beasts and on the cattle.
Your carriages were heavily loaded,
(B)A burden to the weary beast.
2 They stoop, they bow down together;
They could not deliver the burden,
(C)But have themselves gone into captivity.
3 “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
And all the remnant of the house of Israel,
(D)Who have been upheld by Me from [a]birth,
Who have been carried from the womb:
4 Even to your old age, (E)I am He,
And even to gray hairs (F)I will carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry, and will deliver you.
5 “To(G) whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal
And compare Me, that we should be alike?
6 (H)They lavish gold out of the bag,
And weigh silver on the scales;
They hire a (I)goldsmith, and he makes it a god;
They prostrate themselves, yes, they worship.
7 (J)They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it
And set it in its place, and it stands;
From its place it shall not move.
Though (K)one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer
Nor save him out of his trouble.
8 “Remember this, and [b]show yourselves men;
(L)Recall to mind, O you transgressors.
9 (M)Remember the former things of old,
For I am God, and (N)there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like Me,
10 (O)Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, (P)‘My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,’
11 Calling a bird of prey (Q)from the east,
The man (R)who executes My counsel, from a far country.
Indeed (S)I have spoken it;
I will also bring it to pass.
I have purposed it;
I will also do it.
12 “Listen to Me, you (T)stubborn-hearted,
(U)Who are far from righteousness:
13 (V)I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off;
My salvation (W)shall not [c]linger.
And I will place (X)salvation in Zion,
For Israel My glory.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 46:3 Lit. the belly
- Isaiah 46:8 be men, take courage
- Isaiah 46:13 delay
Cross references
- Isaiah 46:1 : Is. 21:9; Jer. 50:2
- Isaiah 46:1 : Jer. 10:5
- Isaiah 46:2 : Judg. 18:17, 18, 24; 2 Sam. 5:21; Jer. 48:7; Hos. 10:5, 6
- Isaiah 46:3 : Deut. 32:11; Ps. 71:6; Is. 63:9
- Isaiah 46:4 : Mal. 3:6
- Isaiah 46:4 : Ps. 48:14
- Isaiah 46:5 : Is. 40:18, 25
- Isaiah 46:6 : Is. 40:19; 41:6; Jer. 10:4
- Isaiah 46:6 : Is. 44:12
- Isaiah 46:7 : Is. 45:20; 46:1; Jer. 10:5
- Isaiah 46:7 : Is. 45:20
- Isaiah 46:8 : Is. 44:19
- Isaiah 46:9 : Deut. 32:7; Is. 42:9; 65:17
- Isaiah 46:9 : Is. 45:5, 21
- Isaiah 46:10 : Is. 45:21; 48:3
- Isaiah 46:10 : Ps. 33:11; Prov. 19:21; 21:30; Is. 14:24; 25:1; Acts 5:39; Heb. 6:17
- Isaiah 46:11 : Is. 41:2, 25
- Isaiah 46:11 : Is. 44:28
- Isaiah 46:11 : Num. 23:19
- Isaiah 46:12 : Ps. 76:5; Is. 48:4; Zech. 7:11, 12; Mal. 3:13
- Isaiah 46:12 : [Rom. 10:3]
- Isaiah 46:13 : [Rom. 1:17]
- Isaiah 46:13 : Hab. 2:3
- Isaiah 46:13 : Is. 62:11; Joel 3:17; [1 Pet. 2:6]