Dead Idols and the Living God
Bel abows down, Nebo stoops;
Their idols were on the beasts and on the cattle.
Your carriages were heavily loaded,
bA burden to the weary beast.
2 They stoop, they bow down together;
They could not deliver the burden,
aBut have themselves gone into captivity.
3 “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
And all the remnant of the house of Israel,
aWho have been upheld by Me from birth,
Who have been carried from the womb:
4 Even to your old age, aI am He,
And even to gray hairs bI will carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry, and will deliver you.
5 “Toa whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal
And compare Me, that we should be alike?
6 aThey lavish gold out of the bag,
And weigh silver on the scales;
They hire a bgoldsmith, and he makes it a god;
They prostrate themselves, yes, they worship.
7 aThey 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 bone cries out to it, yet it cannot answer
Nor save him out of his trouble.
8 “Remember this, and show yourselves men;
aRecall to mind, O you transgressors.
9 aRemember the former things of old,
For I am God, and bthere is no other;
I am God, and there is none like Me,
10 aDeclaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, b‘My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,’
11 Calling a bird of prey afrom the east,
The man bwho executes My counsel, from a far country.
Indeed cI have spoken it;
I will also bring it to pass.
I have purposed it;
I will also do it.
12 “Listen to Me, you astubborn‑hearted,
bWho are far from righteousness:
13 aI bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off;
My salvation bshall not linger.
And I will place csalvation in Zion,
For Israel My glory.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson.
All rights reserved.