Isaiah 46:1-7
New American Standard Bible
Babylon’s Idols and the True God
46 (A)Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;
Their idols have become loads for the animals and the cattle.
The things [a]that you carry are burdensome,
A load for the weary animal.
2 They stooped over, they have bowed down together;
They could not rescue the burden,
But [b]have themselves (B)gone into captivity.
3 “(C)Listen to Me, house of Jacob,
And all (D)the remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been (E)carried by Me from [c]birth
And have been carried from the womb;
4 Even to your old age (F)I [d]will be the same,
And even to your [e](G)graying years I will [f]carry you!
I have [g]done it, and I will bear you;
And I will [h]carry you and I will save you.
5 “(H)To whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal, and compare Me,
That we would be alike?
6 Those who (I)lavish gold from the bag
And weigh silver on the scale,
Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
They (J)bow down, indeed they worship it.
7 They (K)lift it on the shoulder, carry it,
And set it in its place, and it stands there.
(L)It does not move from its place.
Though one may shout to it, it (M)cannot answer;
It (N)cannot save him from his distress.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 46:1 Lit carried by you
- Isaiah 46:2 Or their soul has
- Isaiah 46:3 Lit the belly
- Isaiah 46:4 Lit will be He
- Isaiah 46:4 Lit gray hairs
- Isaiah 46:4 Or support
- Isaiah 46:4 Or made you
- Isaiah 46:4 Or support
Isaiah 46:1-7
Holman Christian Standard Bible
There is No One Like God
46 Bel crouches; Nebo cowers.(A)
Their idols are consigned to beasts and cattle.
The images you carry are loaded,
as a burden for the weary animal.
2 The gods cower; they crouch together;
they are not able to rescue the burden,
but they themselves go into captivity.(B)
3 “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.
4 I will be the same until your old age,(C)
and I will bear you up when you turn gray.
I have made you, and I will carry you;
I will bear and save you.
5 “Who will you compare Me or make Me equal to?
Who will you measure Me with,
so that we should be like each other?(D)
6 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)
7 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.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.