巴比伦的假神

46 彼勒屈膝跪下,

尼波弯腰降服。
这些巴比伦的偶像成为野兽和牲畜背上的重负,
使其疲惫不堪。
它们一同屈膝降服,
不但救不了被掳的巴比伦人,
自己也被掳去。

耶和华说:“雅各家啊,以色列家的余民啊,要听我说。
你们一出生,我就照顾你们;
一出母胎,我就呵护你们。
即使你们年老发白的时候,
我仍然一如既往地扶持你们。
我造了你们,必照顾你们,
扶持你们,拯救你们。

“你们拿谁与我相比,
使之与我同等呢?
你们把谁比作我,
使之与我相同呢?
有些人从囊中取金子,
又用天平称银子,
雇银匠制造神像,
然后向它俯伏叩拜。
他们把神像抬起来扛在肩上,
找个地方把它安置好,
它就在那里呆立不动。
人向它呼求,它不能回应,
也不能救人脱离困境。

“你们这些悖逆的人啊,
要将这些事铭记在心。
你们要记住古时发生的事,
因为我是独一无二的上帝,
再没有谁能与我相比。
10 我从太初就预言末后的事,
从亘古就宣布将来的事。
我的旨意必成就,
我的计划必实现。
11 我从东方召来鸷鸟,
从遥远的地方召人来成就我的计划。
我言出必行,
必成就自己的计划。
12 你们这些冥顽不灵、
远离公义的人啊,听我说。
13 我要亲自施行公义,
那一天已经不远,
我的救恩很快就会来临。
我要在锡安赐下救恩,
把我的荣耀赐给以色列。

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]
Together they bend low and kneel down;
they are unable to rescue the images;[e]
they themselves[f] head off into captivity.[g]
“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]
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]
To whom can you compare and liken me?
Tell me whom you think I resemble, so we can be compared!
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.
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.
Remember this, so you can be brave.[p]
Think about it, you rebels![q]
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

  1. 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.
  2. Isaiah 46:1 sn Nebo is a variation of the name of the Babylonian god Nabu.
  3. 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.”
  4. Isaiah 46:1 tn Heb “your loads are carried [as] a burden by a weary [animal].”
  5. Isaiah 46:2 tn Heb “[the] burden,” i.e., their images, the heavy burden carried by the animals.
  6. Isaiah 46:2 tn Heb “Their soul/life has gone into captivity.
  7. 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.
  8. Isaiah 46:3 tn Heb “house of Jacob”; TEV “descendants of Jacob.”
  9. Isaiah 46:3 tn Heb “and all the remnant of the house of Israel.”
  10. Isaiah 46:3 tn Heb “from the womb” (so NRSV); KJV “from the belly”; NAB “from your infancy.”
  11. Isaiah 46:3 tn Heb “who have been lifted up from the womb.”
  12. Isaiah 46:4 tn Heb “until old age, I am he” (NRSV similar); NLT “I will be your God throughout your lifetime.”
  13. Isaiah 46:4 sn Unlike the weary idol gods, whose images must be carried by animals, the Lord carries his weary people.
  14. Isaiah 46:6 tn Heb “the reed,” probably referring to the beam of a scales. See BDB 889 s.v. קָנֶה 4.c.
  15. Isaiah 46:7 tn Or perhaps, “cannot,” here and in the following two lines. The imperfect forms can indicate capability.
  16. 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.
  17. Isaiah 46:8 tn Heb “return [it], rebels, to heart”; NRSV “recall it to mind, you transgressors.”
  18. Isaiah 46:9 tn Heb “remember the former things, from antiquity”; KJV, ASV “the former things of old.”
  19. Isaiah 46:9 tn Heb “and there is no other” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  20. Isaiah 46:10 tn Or “from long ago”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “from ancient times.”
  21. Isaiah 46:11 tn Or, more generally, “a bird of prey” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV; see 18:6).
  22. Isaiah 46:11 tn Heb “spoken”; KJV “I have spoken it.”
  23. Isaiah 46:12 tn Heb “strong of heart [or, mind]”; KJV “stouthearted”; NAB “fainthearted”; NIV “stubborn-hearted.”
  24. Isaiah 46:12 tn Heb “who are far from righteousness [or perhaps, “deliverance”].”
  25. Isaiah 46:13 tn Heb “my salvation.” The verb “I am bringing near” is understood by ellipsis (note the previous line).
  26. Isaiah 46:13 tn Heb “I will place in Zion salvation”; NASB “I will grant salvation in Zion.”
  27. Isaiah 46:13 tn Heb “to Israel my splendor”; KJV, ASV “for Israel my glory.”