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There Is No One Like God

46 Bel crouches; Nebo cowers.(A)
Idols depicting them are consigned to beasts and cattle.
The images you carry are loaded,
as a burden for the weary animal.
The gods cower; they crouch together;
they are not able to rescue the burden,
but they themselves go into captivity.(B)

‘Listen to me, house of Jacob,
all the remnant of the house of Israel,
who have been sustained from the womb,
carried along since birth.
I will be the same until your old age,(C)
and I will bear you up when you turn grey.
I have made you, and I will carry you;
I will bear and rescue you.

‘To whom will you compare me or make me equal?
Whom will you measure me with,
so that we should be like each other?(D)
Those who pour out their bags of gold
and weigh out silver on scales –
they hire a goldsmith and he makes it into a god.
Then they kneel and bow down to it.(E)
They lift it to their shoulder and bear it along;(F)
they set it in its place, and there it stands;
it does not budge from its place.(G)
They cry out to it but it doesn’t answer;
it saves no one from his trouble.

‘Remember this and be brave;[a]
take it to heart, you transgressors!
Remember what happened long ago,(H)
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and no one is like me.
10 I declare the end from the beginning,
and from long ago what is not yet done,
saying: my plan will take place,
and I will do all my will.(I)
11 I call a bird of prey[b] from the east,(J)
a man for my purpose from a far country.
Yes, I have spoken; so I will also bring it about.(K)
I have planned it; I will also do it.
12 Listen to me, you hard-hearted,
far removed from justice:
13 I am bringing my justice near;(L)
it is not far away,
and my salvation will not delay.
I will put salvation in Zion,
my splendour in Israel.

Footnotes

  1. 46:8 Hb obscure
  2. 46:11 = Cyrus

46 Bel is bowed down, Nebo bendeth; their idols are upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: the things ye carried are laid on, a burden to the weary [beast].

They bend, they are bowed down together; they could not deliver the burden, and themselves are gone into captivity.

Hearken unto me, house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, ye who have been borne from the belly, who have been carried from the womb:

Even to old age, I [am] HE, and unto hoary hairs I will carry [you]: It is I that have made, and I will bear, and I will carry, and will deliver.

To whom will ye liken me and make me equal, or compare me, that we may be like?

—They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance; they hire a goldsmith, and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.

They bear him on the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place; there he standeth, he doth not remove from his place: yea, one crieth unto him, and he answereth not; he saveth him not out of his trouble.

Remember this, and shew yourselves men; call it to mind, ye transgressors.

Remember the former things of old; for I [am] God, and there is none else; [I am] God, and there is none like me;

10 declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure;

11 calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. Yea, I have spoken, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.

12 Hearken unto me, ye stout-hearted, that are far from righteousness:

13 I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not delay; and I will give salvation in Zion, [and] unto Israel my glory.