Isaiah 46
New American Standard Bible
Babylon’s Idols and the True God
46 (A)Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;
Their idols have become loads for the animals and the cattle.
The things [a]that you carry are burdensome,
A load for the weary animal.
2 They stooped over, they have bowed down together;
They could not rescue the burden,
But [b]have themselves (B)gone into captivity.
3 “(C)Listen to Me, house of Jacob,
And all (D)the remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been (E)carried by Me from [c]birth
And have been carried from the womb;
4 Even to your old age (F)I [d]will be the same,
And even to your [e](G)graying years I will [f]carry you!
I have [g]done it, and I will bear you;
And I will [h]carry you and I will save you.
5 “(H)To whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal, and compare Me,
That we would be alike?
6 Those who (I)lavish gold from the bag
And weigh silver on the scale,
Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
They (J)bow down, indeed they worship it.
7 They (K)lift it on the shoulder, carry it,
And set it in its place, and it stands there.
(L)It does not move from its place.
Though one may shout to it, it (M)cannot answer;
It (N)cannot save him from his distress.
8 “(O)Remember this, and be [i]assured;
(P)Recall it to [j]mind, you (Q)wrongdoers.
9 Remember the (R)former things long past,
For I am God, and there is (S)no other;
I am God, and there is (T)no one like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘(U)My plan will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
11 Calling a (V)bird of prey from the (W)east,
The man of [k]My purpose from a distant country.
Truly I have (X)spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, I will certainly do it.
12 “(Y)Listen to Me, you (Z)stubborn-minded,
Who are (AA)far from righteousness.
13 I (AB)bring near My righteousness, it is not far off;
And My salvation will not delay.
And I will grant (AC)salvation in Zion,
And My (AD)glory for Israel.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 46:1 Lit carried by you
- Isaiah 46:2 Or their soul has
- Isaiah 46:3 Lit the belly
- Isaiah 46:4 Lit will be He
- Isaiah 46:4 Lit gray hairs
- Isaiah 46:4 Or support
- Isaiah 46:4 Or made you
- Isaiah 46:4 Or support
- Isaiah 46:8 Lit firm
- Isaiah 46:8 Lit heart
- Isaiah 46:11 Lit His
Isaiah 46
New Living Translation
Babylon’s False Gods
46 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.
2 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.
3 “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.
4 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.
5 “To whom will you compare me?
Who is my equal?
6 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!
7 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.
8 “Do not forget this! Keep it in mind!
Remember this, you guilty ones.
9 Remember the things I have done in the past.
For I alone am God!
I am God, and there is none like me.
10 Only I can tell you the future
before it even happens.
Everything I plan will come to pass,
for I do whatever I wish.
11 I will call a swift bird of prey from the east—
a leader from a distant land to come and do my bidding.
I have said what I would do,
and I will do it.
12 “Listen to me, you stubborn people
who are so far from doing right.
13 For I am ready to set things right,
not in the distant future, but right now!
I am ready to save Jerusalem[a]
and show my glory to Israel.
Footnotes
- 46:13 Hebrew Zion.
Isaiah 46
The Voice
46 Bel and Nebo wobble and duck, as their images
sway on the backs of oxen and donkeys—such a heavy burden
For the weary animals—as they are carried about.
2 These “gods” bow and sink together, unable to escape the coming invasion;
they march off into captivity.
The gods of the nations must have looked rather odd riding on the backs of animals. Even gods of the once-feared Babylonians, Bel and Nebo, are nothing but dead weight.
3 Eternal One: Listen, you who count yourselves among Jacob’s descendants,
all the remnant of Israel.
It is you, not I, who have been carried from before you were born.
Indeed, when you were still in the womb, I was taking care of you.
4 And when you are old, I will still be there, carrying you.
When your limbs grow tired, your eyes are weak,
And your hair a silvery gray, I will carry you as I always have.
I will carry you and save you.
5 Does anyone compare to Me? Can you find any likeness?
Who or what might be My equal or even close to Me?
6 What about those who use precious materials for gods—
hiring artisans to carefully craft gold, silver, jewels,
And exotic wood into a god—
then they bow down and worship it!
7 Their god is a mere object. They have to lug it around on their shoulders
before they can stand it up in its proper place.
It just sits there, unmoving until they pick it up again.
It never speaks, never answers.
It cannot help them, no matter how desperate they are.
8 Remember that—and don’t be tempted to conform!
Think about it, you rebels.
9 Remember the old days. For I am God; there is no other.
I am God; there are no other gods like Me.
10 From the beginning I declare how things will end;
from times long past, I tell what is yet to be, saying:
“My intentions will come to pass.
I will make things happen as I determine they should.”
11 I am the one who called Cyrus, the bird of prey from the east;
from a land far away I summoned him to do what I intend.
My word went out, and I will see it done.
My plan has been made, and I will see it through.
12 Listen closely, you strong-willed people
who have veered far from the right path.
13 It won’t be long until I make things right;
My salvation is getting closer and closer; it won’t be delayed.
I am ready to rescue Zion, My chosen place,
and display My beauty and splendor to Israel, My chosen people.
Isaías 46
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
46 Se ha postrado Bel(A), se derrumba Nebo;
Sus imágenes son puestas sobre bestias, sobre animales de carga.
Sus bultos son pesados,
Una carga agobiadora para la bestia fatigada.
2 Se derrumbaron, a una se han postrado.
No pudieron salvar la carga,
Sino que ellos mismos han ido[a] en cautividad(B).
3 «Escúchenme(C), casa de Jacob,
Y todo el remanente(D) de la casa de Israel,
Los que han sido llevados por Mí desde el vientre(E),
Cargados desde la matriz.
4 Aun hasta su vejez, Yo seré el mismo[b](F),
Y hasta sus años avanzados[c](G), Yo los sostendré.
Yo lo he hecho[d], y Yo los cargaré;
Yo los sostendré, y Yo los libraré.
5 »¿A quién me asemejarán,
Me igualarán o me compararán
Para que seamos semejantes(H)?
6 Los que derrochan el oro de la bolsa
Y pesan la plata en la balanza(I)
Pagan a un orfebre para que haga un dios de ello,
Se postran y[e] lo adoran(J).
7 Lo levantan(K) en hombros y lo llevan;
Lo colocan en su lugar y allí se está.
No se mueve(L) de su lugar.
Aunque alguien clame a él, no responde(M),
De su angustia no lo libra(N).
8 »Acuérdense de esto, y estén confiados[f](O);
Pónganlo[g] en su corazón, transgresores(P).
9 Acuérdense de las cosas anteriores ya pasadas(Q),
Porque Yo soy Dios, y no hay otro(R);
Yo soy Dios, y no hay ninguno(S) como Yo,
10 Que declaro el fin desde el principio,
Y desde la antigüedad lo que no ha sido hecho.
Yo digo: “Mi propósito será establecido,
Y todo lo que quiero realizaré(T)”.
11 Yo llamo del oriente(U) un ave de rapiña(V),
Y de tierra lejana al hombre de Mi[h] propósito.
En verdad he hablado, y ciertamente haré que suceda;
Lo he planeado, así lo haré(W).
12 »Escúchenme(X) ustedes, duros de corazón(Y),
Que están lejos de la justicia(Z).
13 Yo acerco Mi justicia, no está lejos(AA);
Y Mi salvación no tardará.
Pondré salvación en Sión(AB),
Y para Israel será Mi gloria(AC).
Footnotes
- Isaías 46:2 Lit. y su alma ha ido.
- Isaías 46:4 Lit. yo soy Él.
- Isaías 46:4 Lit. sus canas.
- Isaías 46:4 O Yo los he hecho.
- Isaías 46:6 Lit. ciertamente.
- Isaías 46:8 Lit. firmes.
- Isaías 46:8 Lit. vuélvanlo a.
- Isaías 46:11 Lit. su.
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