46
Dead Idols and the Living God
1Bel ⚓bows down, Nebo stoops;
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,
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
And compare Me, that we should be alike?
6⚓They lavish gold out of the bag,
And weigh silver on the scales;
They hire a ⚓goldsmith, and he makes it a god;
They prostrate themselves, yes, they worship.
7⚓They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it
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.
9⚓Remember the former things of old,
For I am God, and ⚓there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like Me,
10⚓Declaring the end from the beginning,
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,
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,
⚓Who are far from righteousness:
13⚓I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off;
My salvation ⚓shall not linger.
And I will place ⚓salvation in Zion,
For Israel My glory.