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46 Bel is broken, Nebo is all-broken; their simulacra like to wild beasts and work beasts be broken; your burdens with heavy charge till to weariness were rotten, (Bel is broken, Nebo is all-broken; their idols that were worshipped/that were carried in your processions, now be loaded upon work beasts and cattle; now be heavy burdens upon your weary beasts,)

and be all-broken together; those might not save the bearer, and the soul of them shall go into captivity. (and be altogether broken; they could not save their bearers-about, and now they themselves shall go into captivity.)

The house of Jacob, and all the residue of the house of Israel, hear ye me, which be borne of my womb, which be borne of my womb. (The house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, listen to me, ye who be carried by me from the womb, yea, who be carried by me from the womb, or from thy birth.)

Till to eld I myself, and till to hoar hairs, I shall bear; I made, and I shall bear, and I shall save. (Until your old age, yea, until your hoar hairs, I myself shall carry you; for I made you, and I shall carry you, and I shall save you.)

To whom have ye likened me, and made even (and made me even to), and have comparisoned me, and have made (me) like?

Which bear together gold from the bag (Ye who take out all the gold from thy bag), and weigh (out) silver with a balance, and hire a goldsmith to make a god, and (then) they (all) fall down, and worship (it);

they bearing bear (him) in shoulders, and setting in his place (they carry him upon their shoulders, and put him in his place); and he shall stand, and shall not be moved from his place; but also when they cry to him, he shall not hear, and he shall not save them from (any trials or) tribulation.

Have ye mind of this, and be ye ashamed; ye trespassers, go again to the heart. (Remember this, and be ye ashamed; ye trespassers, bring this again to mind/remember this.)

Bethink ye on the former world, for I am God, no God is over me, neither is like me. (Remember the former times, for I am God, and there is no god over me, nor is there anyone who is even like me.)

10 And I tell from the beginning the last thing, and from the beginning those things that be not made yet; and I say, My counsel shall stand, and all my will shall be done. (And I told out from the beginning what the last things would be, and from the beginning those things that were not yet even made; and I said, My purpose, or my plans, shall stand, and all my will shall be done.)

11 And I call a bird from the east, and the man of my will from a far land; and I spake, and I shall bring that thing (to pass); I have made (all) of nought (I have made everything out of nothing), and I shall make that thing (too).

12 Ye of hard heart, hear me, that be far from rightfulness. (Ye with a hard heart, who be far away from righteousness/who think that victory, or triumph, be far off.)

13 I made nigh mine rightfulness, it shall not be drawn afar, and mine health shall not tarry; I shall give health in Zion, and my glory in Israel. (I have brought my righteousness near/I have brought my victory close, it is not far off, and my deliverance shall not be delayed; I shall give deliverance to Zion, and my glory to Israel.)

Babylon's false gods have no power

46 Bel bends down to the ground.
    Nebo lies down low.[a]
Their images are heavy loads on the backs of animals.
    The animals become tired and weak as they carry them away.
Those gods fall down and they lie together on the ground!
    They have no power to rescue their images.
The gods themselves go as prisoners to a foreign land,
    together with their images.

The Lord says,

‘Listen to me, you family of Jacob.
    Yes, listen to me, all you Israelites who are still alive.
I have taken care of you since you first became a nation.
    I have carried you since you were born.
I will continue to take care of you until you are old,
    until your hair becomes grey.
I made you who you are,
    and I will supply everything that you need.
I will carry you,
    and I will save you.
You know that there is no God like me!
You cannot say about any god,
    that he is the same as me.
Some people make idols for themselves.
They pour out gold coins from their purse.
    They weigh silver on their scales.
They pay a worker with special skill to use the silver and the gold
    to make a god.
Then they bend down low in front of it,
    and they worship it!
They lift the idol onto their shoulders
    and they carry it home.
They put it in its place and it stands there.
    It cannot move anywhere else.
If someone calls out to it for help,
    it does not answer.
It cannot save anyone from their trouble.
Remember this, you people who do not obey me.
    Think about it carefully.
Remember all the things that I did a long time ago.
I am God. There is nobody else like me.
    There is no other God, except me.
10 From the beginning, I say what will happen at the end.
    Long ago, I spoke about future things that have not yet happened.
I say this: “My purpose will not change.
    I will do everything that I want to do.”
11 Now I will call somebody to come from the east.
He will come down quickly,
    like an eagle that catches small birds to eat.
He will come from a country that is far away.
    He will do for me what I want to do.
Yes, I will surely do what I have decided to do.
I have given the command,
    and I will cause it to happen.
12 Listen to me, you people who refuse to obey me.
    You choose not to do anything that is right.
13 But now I am ready to rescue you,
    and I will show you what is right.
This will soon happen!
I will save the people in Zion.
    I will make Israel great and beautiful.’

Footnotes

  1. 46:1 Bel and Nebo were gods of Babylon.

46 Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast.

They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.

Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb:

And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.

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

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

They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.

Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O 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 ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.

12 Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness:

13 I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.

巴比伦之像不能自救

46 彼勒屈身,尼波弯腰;巴比伦的偶像驮在兽和牲畜上,他们所抬的如今成了重驮,使牲畜疲乏。 都一同弯腰屈身,不能保全重驮,自己倒被掳去。

神始终拯救其民

雅各家,以色列家一切余剩的,要听我言!你们自从生下,就蒙我保抱;自从出胎,便蒙我怀揣。 直到你们年老,我仍这样;直到你们发白,我仍怀揣。我已造做,也必保抱;我必怀抱,也必拯救。

神至圣无可比拟

“你们将谁与我相比,与我同等,可以与我比较,使我们相同呢? 那从囊中抓金子,用天平平银子的人,雇银匠制造神像,他们又俯伏,又叩拜。 他们将神像抬起,扛在肩上,安置在定处,它就站立,不离本位。人呼求它,它不能答应,也不能救人脱离患难。

耶和华所言必成

“你们当想念这事,自己做大丈夫!悖逆的人哪,要心里思想! 你们要追念上古的事,因为我是神,并无别神。我是神,再没有能比我的。 10 我从起初指明末后的事,从古时言明未成的事,说:‘我的筹算必立定,凡我所喜悦的,我必成就。’ 11 我召鸷鸟从东方来,召那成就我筹算的人从远方来。我已说出,也必成就;我已谋定,也必做成。

12 “你们这些心中顽梗,远离公义的,当听我言! 13 我使我的公义临近,必不远离,我的救恩必不迟延。我要为以色列我的荣耀,在锡安施行救恩。