| New Living Translation | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 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 has bowed down, Nebo stoops over; Their images are consigned to the beasts and the cattle. The things that you carry are burdensome, A load for 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 stooped over, they have bowed down together; They could not rescue the burden, But have themselves 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. | 3"Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, You who have been borne by Me from birth And have been 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. | 4Even to your old age I will be the same, And even to your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry you; And I will bear you and I will deliver you. |
| 5“To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal? | 5"To whom would you liken Me And make Me equal and compare Me, That we would be alike? |
| 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! | 6"Those who lavish gold from the purse And weigh silver on the scale Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; They bow down, indeed they worship it. |
| 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. | 7"They lift it upon the shoulder and carry it; They set it in its place and it stands there. It does not move from its place. Though one may cry to it, it cannot answer; It cannot deliver him from his distress. |
| 8“Do not forget this! Keep it in mind! Remember this, you guilty ones. | 8"Remember this, and be assured; Recall it to mind, you transgressors. |
| 9Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. | 9"Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one 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 things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good 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 bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it. |
| 12“Listen to me, you stubborn people who are so far from doing right. | 12"Listen to Me, you stubborn-minded, Who 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. | 13"I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off; And My salvation will not delay. And I will grant salvation in Zion, And My glory for Israel. |
| 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. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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