Isaiah 46
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 46
The Idols of Babylon[a]
1 Bel[b] bows down, Nebo stoops low;
their idols are borne by beasts and cattle.
The images you used to carry on your shoulders
are now a burden for weary animals.
2 They stoop and bow down together
but are unable to transport their burden safely,
and they too move forth into captivity.
3 Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all who remain of the house of Israel,
you who have been carried by me since your birth
and borne by me from the womb.
4 Even when you reach old age
I will still be the same.
Even when your hair is gray,
I will still carry you.
I have made you and I will uphold you;
I will carry you and save you.
5 Whom can you regard as my equal?
To whom can you compare me as identical?
6 Some pour out gold from a purse
and weigh out silver on the scales.
Then they hire a goldsmith
who fashions it into a god
before which they prostrate themselves in adoration.
7 They lift it to their shoulders and carry it;
when they return it to its place, it stands there,
unable to budge from the spot.
If you cry out to it, it cannot reply,
nor can it save anyone from trouble.
8 Remember this and stand firm in your resolve;
keep it foremost in your mind, you rebels.
9 Remember the things that happened long ago;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like me.
10 From the beginning I reveal the end;
in advance I foretell what has not yet occurred.
I proclaim that my plan will be fulfilled
and that I will accomplish my intention.
11 I summon a bird of prey from the east,
a man from a distant country to fulfill my purpose.
I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;
what I have planned, I will accomplish.
12 Listen to me, you whose hearts are stubborn
and who are far removed from deliverance.
13 I will bring near my justice;
it is not far distant,
and my salvation will not be delayed.
I will grant my salvation to Zion
and my glory to Israel.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 46:1 The Chaldeans fleeing before Cyrus carry away their idols, marking the end of an empire and a religion. Israel, on the contrary, is always led by its God. The legions of Cyrus with their eagle banner (the bird of prey in v. 11) cause chaos among the peoples; Israel is to see in the event an action of God for their salvation.
- Isaiah 46:1 Bel: the title of the principal Babylonian divinity; Nebo, his son, was the god of wisdom.
Isaiah 46
New English Translation
The Lord Carries His People
46 Bel[a] kneels down,
Nebo[b] bends low.
Their images weigh down animals and beasts.[c]
Your heavy images are burdensome to tired animals.[d]
2 Together they bend low and kneel down;
they are unable to rescue the images;[e]
they themselves[f] head off into captivity.[g]
3 “Listen to me, O family of Jacob,[h]
all you who are left from the family of Israel,[i]
you who have been carried from birth,[j]
you who have been supported from the time you left the womb.[k]
4 Even when you are old, I will take care of you,[l]
even when you have gray hair, I will carry you.
I made you and I will support you;
I will carry you and rescue you.[m]
5 To whom can you compare and liken me?
Tell me whom you think I resemble, so we can be compared!
6 Those who empty out gold from a purse
and weigh out silver on the scale[n]
hire a metalsmith, who makes it into a god.
They then bow down and worship it.
7 They put it on their shoulder and carry it;
they put it in its place and it just stands there;
it does not[o] move from its place.
Even when someone cries out to it, it does not reply;
it does not deliver him from his distress.
8 Remember this, so you can be brave.[p]
Think about it, you rebels![q]
9 Remember what I accomplished in antiquity.[r]
Truly I am God, I have no peer;[s]
I am God, and there is none like me,
10 who announces the end from the beginning
and reveals beforehand[t] what has not yet occurred;
who says, ‘My plan will be realized,
I will accomplish what I desire;’
11 who summons an eagle[u] from the east,
from a distant land, one who carries out my plan.
Yes, I have decreed,[v]
yes, I will bring it to pass;
I have formulated a plan,
yes, I will carry it out.
12 Listen to me, you stubborn people,[w]
you who distance yourselves from doing what is right.[x]
13 I am bringing my deliverance near, it is not far away;
I am bringing my salvation near,[y] it does not wait.
I will save Zion;[z]
I will adorn Israel with my splendor.[aa]
Footnotes
- Isaiah 46:1 sn Bel was the name of a Babylonian god. The name was originally associated with Enlil, but later was applied to Marduk. See HALOT 132 s.v. בֵּל.
- Isaiah 46:1 sn Nebo is a variation of the name of the Babylonian god Nabu.
- Isaiah 46:1 tn Heb “their images belong to animals and beasts”; NIV “their idols are borne by beasts of burden”; NLT “are being hauled away.”
- Isaiah 46:1 tn Heb “your loads are carried [as] a burden by a weary [animal].”
- Isaiah 46:2 tn Heb “[the] burden,” i.e., their images, the heavy burden carried by the animals.
- Isaiah 46:2 tn Heb “Their soul/life has gone into captivity.
- Isaiah 46:2 sn The downfall of Babylon is depicted here. The idols are carried off by the victorious enemy; the gods are likened to defeated captives who cower before the enemy and are taken into exile.
- Isaiah 46:3 tn Heb “house of Jacob”; TEV “descendants of Jacob.”
- Isaiah 46:3 tn Heb “and all the remnant of the house of Israel.”
- Isaiah 46:3 tn Heb “from the womb” (so NRSV); KJV “from the belly”; NAB “from your infancy.”
- Isaiah 46:3 tn Heb “who have been lifted up from the womb.”
- Isaiah 46:4 tn Heb “until old age, I am he” (NRSV similar); NLT “I will be your God throughout your lifetime.”
- Isaiah 46:4 sn Unlike the weary idol gods, whose images must be carried by animals, the Lord carries his weary people.
- Isaiah 46:6 tn Heb “the reed,” probably referring to the beam of a scales. See BDB 889 s.v. קָנֶה 4.c.
- Isaiah 46:7 tn Or perhaps, “cannot,” here and in the following two lines. The imperfect forms can indicate capability.
- Isaiah 46:8 tn The meaning of the verb אָשַׁשׁ (ʾashash, which appears here in the Hitpolel stem) is uncertain. BDB 84 s.v. אשׁשׁ relates it to a root meaning “found, establish” in Arabic; HALOT 100 s.v. II אשׁשׁ gives the meaning “pluck up courage.” The imperative with vav (ו) may indicate purpose following the preceding imperative.
- Isaiah 46:8 tn Heb “return [it], rebels, to heart”; NRSV “recall it to mind, you transgressors.”
- Isaiah 46:9 tn Heb “remember the former things, from antiquity”; KJV, ASV “the former things of old.”
- Isaiah 46:9 tn Heb “and there is no other” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 46:10 tn Or “from long ago”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “from ancient times.”
- Isaiah 46:11 tn Or, more generally, “a bird of prey” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV; see 18:6).
- Isaiah 46:11 tn Heb “spoken”; KJV “I have spoken it.”
- Isaiah 46:12 tn Heb “strong of heart [or, mind]”; KJV “stouthearted”; NAB “fainthearted”; NIV “stubborn-hearted.”
- Isaiah 46:12 tn Heb “who are far from righteousness [or perhaps, “deliverance”].”
- Isaiah 46:13 tn Heb “my salvation.” The verb “I am bringing near” is understood by ellipsis (note the previous line).
- Isaiah 46:13 tn Heb “I will place in Zion salvation”; NASB “I will grant salvation in Zion.”
- Isaiah 46:13 tn Heb “to Israel my splendor”; KJV, ASV “for Israel my glory.”
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