The Lord Carries His People

¹Bel kneels down,[#sn Bel was the name of a Babylonian god. The name was originally associated with Enlil, but later was applied to Marduk. See HALOT 132 s.v. בֵּל.]

Nebo bends low.

Their images weigh down animals and beasts.

Your heavy images are burdensome to tired animals.

²Together they bend low and kneel down;

they are unable to rescue the images;

they themselves head off into captivity.

³“Listen to me, O family of Jacob,[#tn Heb “house of Jacob”; TEV “descendants of Jacob.”]

all you who are left from the family of Israel,

you who have been carried from birth,

you who have been supported from the time you left the womb.

⁴Even when you are old, I will take care of you,[#tn Heb “until old age, I am he” (NRSV similar); NLT “I will be your God throughout your lifetime.”]

even when you have gray hair, I will carry you.

I made you and I will support you;

I will carry you and rescue you.

⁵To whom can you compare and liken me?

Tell me whom you think I resemble, so we can be compared!

⁶Those who empty out gold from a purse

and weigh out silver on the scale

hire a metalsmith, who makes it into a god.

They then bow down and worship it.

⁷They put it on their shoulder and carry it;

they put it in its place and it just stands there;

it does not move from its place.

Even when someone cries out to it, it does not reply;

it does not deliver him from his distress.

⁸Remember this, so you can be brave![#tn The meaning of the verb אָשַׁשׁ (’ashash, which appears here in the Hitpolel stem) is uncertain. BDB 84 s.v. אשׁשׁ relates it to a root meaning “found, establish” in Arabic; HALOT 100 s.v. II אשׁשׁ gives the meaning “pluck up courage.” The imperative with vav (ו) may indicate purpose following the preceding imperative.]

Think about it, you rebels!

⁹Remember what I accomplished in antiquity![#tn Heb “remember the former things, from antiquity”; KJV, ASV “the former things of old.”]

Truly I am God, I have no peer;

I am God, and there is none like me,

¹⁰who announces the end from the beginning

and reveals beforehand what has not yet occurred,

who says, ‘My plan will be realized,

I will accomplish what I desire,’

¹¹who summons an eagle from the east,[#tn Or, more generally, “a bird of prey” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV; see 18:6).]

from a distant land, one who carries out my plan.

Yes, I have decreed,

yes, I will bring it to pass;

I have formulated a plan,

yes, I will carry it out.

¹²Listen to me, you stubborn people,[#tn Heb “strong of heart [or, mind]”; KJV “stouthearted”; NAB “fainthearted”; NIV “stubborn-hearted.”]

you who distance yourself from doing what is right.

¹³I am bringing my deliverance near, it is not far away;

I am bringing my salvation near, it does not wait.

I will save Zion;

I will adorn Israel with my splendor.”