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
Isaiah 46
Lexham English Bible
Babylon’s Idols
46 Bel bows down;
Nebo is stooping.
Their idols are on[a] animals[b] and on[c] cattle;
your cargo[d] is carried as a burden on[e] weary animals.
2 They stoop;
they bow down together.
They are not able to save the burden,
but[f] they themselves go[g] in captivity.
3 “Listen to me, house of Jacob,
and all the remnant of the house of Israel
who have been carried from the belly,
who have been carried from the womb:
4 Even[h] to your old age I am he;
even[i] to your advanced age I myself will support you.
I myself have made you,
and I myself will carry you,
and I myself will support you,
and I will save you.
5 To whom will you liken me,
and count as equal,
and compare with me,
as though[j] we were alike?
6 Those who lavish gold from the purse
and weigh out silver in the balance scales;
hire a goldsmith[k]
and he makes him a god;
they bow down,
indeed they bow in worship.
7 They carry it on their shoulder;
they support it and they set it in its place,
and it stands in position.
It cannot be removed from its place;
even when he cries out to it, it does not answer.
It does not save him from his trouble.
8 Remember this and pluck up courage!
Call to mind,[l] you transgressors!
9 Remember the former things from a long time ago,[m]
for I am God and there is none besides me,
God and there is none like me,
10 who from the beginning declares the end,
and from before, things that have not been done,
who says, ‘My plan shall stand,’
and, ‘I will accomplish[n] all my wishes,’[o]
11 who calls a bird of prey from the east,
the man of his[p] plan from a country from afar.
Indeed I have spoken; indeed I will bring it to being.
I have formed it; indeed I will do it.
12 Listen to me, strong of heart,
far from righteousness!
13 I bring my righteousness near; it is not far.
And my salvation will not delay;
and I will put[q] salvation in Zion,
for Israel my glory.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 46:1 Literally “to”
- Isaiah 46:1 Hebrew “animal”
- Isaiah 46:1 Literally “to”
- Isaiah 46:1 Literally “things that are carried”
- Isaiah 46:1 Literally “to”
- Isaiah 46:2 Or “and”
- Isaiah 46:2 Literally “their inner self goes”
- Isaiah 46:4 Or “And”
- Isaiah 46:4 Or “And”
- Isaiah 46:5 Or “and”
- Isaiah 46:6 Literally “one who smelts”
- Isaiah 46:8 Literally “heart”
- Isaiah 46:9 Literally “forever”
- Isaiah 46:10 Or “do”
- Isaiah 46:10 Hebrew “wish”
- Isaiah 46:11 The reading tradition (Qere) has “my”
- Isaiah 46:13 Or “give”
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