Isaiah 46
1 Bel has been broken. Nebo has been crushed. Their idols have been placed upon beasts and cattle, your grievous heavy burdens, even unto exhaustion.
Bel is bowed down, Nebo sinketh, their idols are [delivered] unto the beasts, and unto the cattle; those which were once carried by you are now laden up a burden to the weary beasts.
2 They have been melted down, or have been smashed together. They were not able to save the one who carried them, and their life will go into captivity.
They are sunk, they are bowed down together; they could not deliver the burden, but they themselves are gone into captivity.
3 Listen to me, house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who are carried in my bosom, who were born from my womb.
Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, who are borne [by me] from their birth, who are carried from the womb;
4 Even to your old age, I am the same. And even with your grey hairs, I will carry you. I have made you, and I will sustain you. I will carry you, and I will save you.
And even unto old age I am the same; and even unto the time of hoary hairs will I bear: l have done it, and I will carry [you]; even I will bear, and deliver you.
5 To whom would you liken me, or equate me, or compare me, or consider me to be similar?
To whom will ye liken and assimilate me, and compare me, that we may be like?
6 You take gold from a bag, and you weigh silver on a scale, so as to hire a goldsmith to make a god. And they fall prostrate and adore.
[There are those] that lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance; that hire a melter, that he may make of it a god; they [then] bend the knee, yea, they bow themselves down;
7 They carry him on their shoulders, supporting him, and they set him in his place. And he will stand still and will not move from his place. But even when they will cry out to him, he will not hear. He will not save them from tribulation.
They carry him, upon the shoulder they bear him, and set up him in his spot, and he remaineth standing, from his place he doth not move: yea, though one should cry unto him, he cannot answer, out of his trouble he cannot help him.
8 Remember this, and be confounded. Return, you transgressors, to the heart.
Remember this, and take courage: take it again to heart, O ye transgressors.
9 Remember the past ages. For I am God, and there is no other god. There is no one like me.
Remember the former things of olden times; for I am God, and there is no one else; I am God, and there is nothing like me.
10 From the beginning, I announce the last things, and from the start, the things that have not yet been done, saying: My plan will stand firm, and my entire will shall be done.
Declaring from the beginning the end, and from the earliest days the things that have not yet been done, saying, My counsel shall stand firm, and all my pleasure will I do:
11 I call a bird from the east, and from a far away land, the man of my will. And I have spoken it, and I will carry it out. I have created, and I will act.
Calling from the east the eagle, from a far-off country the man of my counsel; yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also execute it.
12 Hear me, you who are hard of heart, who are far from justice!
Hearken unto me, ye stout of heart, that are far from righteousness:
13 I have brought my justice near. It will not be far away, and my salvation will not be delayed. I will grant salvation in Zion, and my glory in Israel.
I have brought near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will grant unto Zion salvation, unto Israel my glory.
