Isaiah 46

Babylonia's Gods Are Helpless

¹The gods Bel and Nebo[#46.1 Bel was another name for Marduk, the chief god of the Babylonians. Nebo was the son of Marduk and also an important god.]

are down on their knees,

as wooden images of them

are carried away

on weary animals.

²They are down on their knees

to rescue the heavy load,

but the images are still taken

to a foreign country.

³You survivors in Israel,

listen to me, the Lord .

Since the day you were born,

I have carried you along.

⁴I will still be the same

when you are old and gray,

and I will take care of you.

I created you. I will carry you

and always keep you safe.

⁵Can anyone compare with me?

Is anyone my equal?

⁶Some people hire a goldsmith

and give silver and gold

to be formed into an idol

for them to worship.

⁷They carry the idol

on their shoulders,

then put it on a stand,

but it cannot move.

They call out to the idol

when they are in trouble,

but it doesn't answer,

and it cannot help.

⁸Now keep this in mind,[#46.8 One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.]

you sinful people.

And don't ever forget it.

The Lord Alone Is God

⁹I alone am God!

There are no other gods;

no one is like me.

Think about what happened

many years ago.

¹⁰From the very beginning,

I told what would happen

long before it took place.

I kept my word

¹¹and brought

someone from a distant land

to do what I wanted.

He attacked from the east,

like a hawk swooping down.

Now I will keep my promise

and do what I planned.

¹²You people are stubborn

and far from being safe,

so listen to me.

¹³I will soon come to save you.

I am not far away

and will waste no time;

I take pride in Israel

and will save Jerusalem.