| New King James Version | New Living Translation |
| 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. | 1Bel and Nebo, the gods of Babylon, bow as they are lowered to the ground. They are being hauled away on ox carts. The poor beasts stagger under the weight. |
| 2They stoop, they bow down together; They could not deliver the burden, But have themselves gone into captivity. | 2Both the idols and their owners are bowed down. The gods cannot protect the people, and the people cannot protect the gods. They go off into captivity together. |
| 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: | 3“Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel. I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. |
| 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. | 4I will be your God throughout your lifetime— until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. |
| 5“To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal And compare Me, that we should be alike? | 5“To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal? |
| 6They 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. | 6Some people pour out their silver and gold and hire a craftsman to make a god from it. Then they bow down and worship it! |
| 7They 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. | 7They carry it around on their shoulders, and when they set it down, it stays there. It can’t even move! And when someone prays to it, there is no answer. It can’t rescue anyone from trouble. |
| 8“Remember this, and show yourselves men; Recall to mind, O you transgressors. | 8“Do not forget this! Keep it in mind! Remember this, you guilty ones. |
| 9Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, | 9Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. |
| 10Declaring 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,’ | 10Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. |
| 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. | 11I will call a swift bird of prey from the east— a leader from a distant land to come and do my bidding. I have said what I would do, and I will do it. |
| 12“Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted, Who are far from righteousness: | 12“Listen to me, you stubborn people who are so far from doing right. |
| 13I 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. | 13For I am ready to set things right, not in the distant future, but right now! I am ready to save Jerusalem and show my glory to Israel. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
|
