| New Living Translation | King James Bible |
| 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. | 1Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast. |
| 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. | 2They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity. |
| 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. | 3Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb: |
| 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. | 4And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. |
| 5“To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal? | 5To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? |
| 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! | 6They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. |
| 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. | 7They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble. |
| 8“Do not forget this! Keep it in mind! Remember this, you guilty ones. | 8Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. |
| 9Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. | 9Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, |
| 10Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. | 10Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: |
| 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. | 11Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, 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 people who are so far from doing right. | 12Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: |
| 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. | 13I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory. |
| 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. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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