Babylon’s Idols and the True God
aBel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;
Their images are on the beasts and the cattle.
The things that you carry are burdensome,
A load for the weary beast.
2 They stooped over, they have bowed down together;
They could not rescue the load,
But have themselves agone into captivity.
3 “aHear Me, O house of Jacob,
And all bthe remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been cburdening Me from birth
And have been carried from the womb;
4 Even to your old age aI will be the same,
And even to your bgraying years I will bear you!
I have done it, and I will carry you;
And I will bear you, and I will rescue you.
5 “aTo whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal and compare Me,
That we would be alike?
6 Those who alavish gold from the purse
And weigh silver on the scale,
They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
They bfall down, indeed they worship it.
7 They acarry it upon the shoulder and bear it;
They set it in its place, and it stands there.
bIt does not move from its place.
Though one may cry to it, it ccannot answer;
It dcannot save him from his distress.
8 “aRemember this, and be assured;
bCause it to return to your heart, you ctransgressors.
9 Remember the aformer things long past,
For I am God, and there is bno other;
I am God, and there is cno one like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘aMy counsel will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’,
11 Calling a abird of prey from the beast,
The man of My counsel from a far country.
Truly I have cspoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have formed it, surely I will do it.
12 “aHear Me, you bstubborn of heart,
Who are cfar from righteousness.
13 I abring near My righteousness, it is not far off;
And My salvation will not delay.
And I will grant bsalvation in Zion,
And My cglory for Israel.