Dead Idols and the Living God

46 Bel 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.² They 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:⁴ Even 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 equalAnd 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 itAnd set it in its place, and it stands;From its place it shall not move.Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answerNor 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,’¹¹ Calling 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.