Isaiah 46

Isaiah 46

Dead Idols and the Living God

1Bel bows down, Nebo stoops;[#Is. 21:9; Jer. 50:2]

Their idols were on the beasts and on the cattle.

Your carriages were heavily loaded,

A burden to the weary beast.

2They stoop, they bow down together;

They could not deliver the burden,

But have themselves gone into captivity.

3“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,

And all the remnant of the house of Israel,

Who have been upheld by Me from birth,

Who have been carried from the womb:

4Even to your old age, I am He,[#Mal. 3:6]

And even to gray hairs I will carry you!

I have made, and I will bear;

Even I will carry, and will deliver you.

5“To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal[#Is. 40:18, 25]

And compare Me, that we should be alike?

6They lavish gold out of the bag,[#Is. 40:19; 41:6; Jer. 10:4]

And weigh silver on the scales;

They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god;

They prostrate themselves, yes, they worship.

7They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it[#Is. 45:20; 46:1; Jer. 10:5]

And set it in its place, and it stands;

From its place it shall not move.

Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer

Nor save him out of his trouble.

8“Remember this, and show yourselves men;

Recall to mind, O you transgressors.

9Remember the former things of old,[#Deut. 32:7; Is. 42:9; 65:17]

For I am God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is none like Me,

10Declaring the end from the beginning,[#Is. 45:21; 48:3]

And from ancient times things that are not yet done,

Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,

And I will do all My pleasure,’

11Calling a bird of prey from the east,[#Is. 41:2, 25]

The man who executes My counsel, from a far country.

Indeed I have spoken it;

I will also bring it to pass.

I have purposed it;

I will also do it.

12“Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted,[#Ps. 76:5; Is. 48:4; Zech. 7:11, 12; Mal. 3:13]

Who are far from righteousness:

13I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off;[#(Rom. 1:17)]

My salvation shall not linger.

And I will place salvation in Zion,

For Israel My glory.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Published by: Thomas Nelson, Inc.