Isaiah 46
English Standard Version
The Idols of Babylon and the One True God
46 (A)Bel bows down; Nebo stoops;
their idols are on beasts and livestock;
these things you carry are borne
as burdens on weary beasts.
2 They stoop; they bow down together;
they cannot save the burden,
but (B)themselves go into captivity.
3 “Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all the remnant of the house of Israel,
(C)who have been borne by me from before your birth,
carried from the womb;
4 (D)even to your old age I am he,
and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
I will carry and will save.
5 (E)“To whom will you liken me and make me equal,
and compare me, that we may be alike?
6 (F)Those who lavish gold from the purse,
and weigh out silver in the scales,
hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
(G)then they fall down and worship!
7 (H)They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it,
they set it in its place, and it stands there;
(I)it cannot move from its place.
If one cries to it, it does not answer
or save him from his trouble.
8 “Remember this and stand firm,
recall it to mind, (J)you transgressors,
9 remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
10 (K)declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, (L)‘My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
11 (M)calling a bird of prey from the east,
the man of my counsel from a far country.
(N)I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;
I have purposed, and I will do it.
Isaiah 46
International Standard Version
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
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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