Isaiah 46:1-13
46 Bel+ has bent down,+ Neʹbo is stooping over; their idols+ have come to be for the wild beasts and for the domestic animals, their loads, pieces of luggage, a burden for the tired animals.
2 They must stoop over; they must each alike bend down; they are simply unable to furnish escape+ for the burden, but into captivity their own soul must go.+
3 “Listen to me, O house of Jacob, and all YOU remaining ones* of the house of Israel,+ YOU the ones conveyed [by me] from the belly, the ones carried from the womb.+
4 Even to [one’s] old age I am the same One;+ and to [one’s] gray-headedness I myself shall keep bearing up.+ I myself shall certainly act,+ that I myself may carry and that I myself may bear up and furnish escape.+
5 “To whom will YOU people liken me+ or make [me] equal or compare me that we may resemble each other?+
6 There are those who are lavishing out the gold from the purse, and with the scale beam they weigh out the silver. They hire a metalworker, and he makes it into a god.*+ They prostrate themselves, yes, they bow down.+
7 They carry it upon the shoulder,+ they bear it and deposit it in its place that it may stand still. From its standing place it does not move away.+ One even cries out to it, but it does not answer; out of one’s distress it does not save one.+
8 “Remember this, that YOU people may muster up courage.* Lay it to heart,+ YOU transgressors.+
9 Remember the first things of a long time ago,+ that I am the Divine One*+ and there is no other God,*+ nor anyone like me;+
10 the One telling from the beginning the finale,+ and from long ago the things that have not been done;+ the One saying, ‘My own counsel will stand,+ and everything that is my delight I shall do’;+
11 the One calling from the sunrising a bird of prey,+ from a distant land the man* to execute my* counsel.+ I have even spoken [it]; I shall also bring it in.+ I have formed [it], I shall also do it.+
12 “Listen to me, YOU the ones powerful at heart,+ YOU the ones far away from righteousness.+
13 I have brought near my righteousness.+ It is not far away,+ and my own salvation will not be late.+ And I will give in Zion salvation, to Israel my beauty.”+
Footnotes
^ Or, “you entire remnant.”
^ Lit., “and he makes it a god.” Heb., weya·ʽaseʹhu ʼel.
^ Or, “take courage,” KB3, p. 96.
^ Or, “God.” Heb., ʼEl; Gr., ho The·osʹ.
^ “God.” Heb., ʼElo·himʹ.
^ “My,” Mmargin in agreement with LXX; 1QIsaM, “his.”
^ Lit., “man of.” Heb., ʼish.
