Isa 46 | NASB2020 | STEP | Bel has bowed down , Nebo stoops over ; Their idols have become loads for the animals and the cattle . The things that you carry are burdensome , A load for the weary animal.

Isaiah 46

Babylon’s Idols and the True God

1 ^aBel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;
Their idols have become loads for the animals and the cattle.
The things ^{▼▼Lit carried by you}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 ^{▼▼Or their soul has}have themselves ^dgone into captivity.

3 “ ^eListen to Me, house of Jacob,
And all ^fthe remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been ^gcarried by Me from ^{▼▼Lit the belly}birth
And have been carried from the womb;
4 Even to your old age ⁱI ^{▼▼Lit will be He}will be the same,
And even to your ^{▼▼Lit gray hairs
,} ^lgraying years I will ^{▼▼Or support}carry you!
I have ^{▼▼Or made you}done it, and I will bear you;
And I will ^{▼▼Or support}carry you and I will save you.

5 “ ^pTo whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal, and compare Me,
That we would be alike?
6 “Those who ^qlavish gold from the bag
And weigh silver on the scale,
Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
They ^rbow down, indeed they worship it.
7 “They ^slift it on the shoulder, carry it,
And set it in its place, and it stands there.
^tIt does not move from its place.
Though one may shout to it, it ^ucannot answer;
It ^vcannot save him from his distress.

8 “ ^wRemember this, and be ^{▼▼Lit firm}assured;
^yRecall it to ^{▼▼Lit heart}mind, you ^aawrongdoers.
9 “Remember the ^abformer things long past,
For I am God, and there is ^acno other;
I am God, and there is ^adno one like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘ ^aeMy plan will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
11 Calling a ^afbird of prey from the ^ageast,
The man of ^{▼▼Lit His}My purpose from a distant country.
Truly I have ^aispoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, I will certainly do it.

12 “ ^ajListen to Me, you ^akstubborn-minded,
Who are ^alfar from righteousness.
13 “I ^ambring near My righteousness, it is not far off;
And My salvation will not delay.
And I will grant ^ansalvation in Zion,
And My ^aoglory for Israel.