Isaiah 46:1-7
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.
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 46:1-7
New Living Translation
Babylon’s False Gods
46 Bel and Nebo, the gods of Babylon,
bow as they are lowered to the ground.
They are being hauled away on ox carts.
The poor beasts stagger under the weight.
2 Both the idols and their owners are bowed down.
The gods cannot protect the people,
and the people cannot protect the gods.
They go off into captivity together.
3 “Listen to me, descendants of Jacob,
all you who remain in Israel.
I have cared for you since you were born.
Yes, I carried you before you were born.
4 I will be your God throughout your lifetime—
until your hair is white with age.
I made you, and I will care for you.
I will carry you along and save you.
5 “To whom will you compare me?
Who is my equal?
6 Some people pour out their silver and gold
and hire a craftsman to make a god from it.
Then they bow down and worship it!
7 They carry it around on their shoulders,
and when they set it down, it stays there.
It can’t even move!
And when someone prays to it, there is no answer.
It can’t rescue anyone from trouble.
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