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Isaiah 46-48
Contemporary English Version
Isaiah 46-48
Contemporary English Version
Babylonia's Gods Are Helpless
The Lord said:
46 The gods Bel and Nebo[a]
are down on their knees,
as wooden images of them
are carried away
on weary animals.[b]
2 They are down on their knees
to rescue the heavy load,
but the images are still taken
to a foreign country.
3 You survivors in Israel,
listen to me, the Lord.
Since the day you were born,
I have carried you along.
4 I will still be the same
when you are old and gray,
and I will take care of you.
I created you. I will carry you
and always keep you safe.
5 Can anyone compare with me?
Is anyone my equal?
6 Some people hire a goldsmith
and give silver and gold
to be formed into an idol
for them to worship.
7 They carry the idol
on their shoulders,
then put it on a stand,
but it cannot move.
They call out to the idol
when they are in trouble,
but it doesn't answer,
and it cannot help.
8 Now keep this in mind,[c]
you sinful people.
And don't ever forget it.
The Lord Alone Is God
9 I alone am God!
There are no other gods;
no one is like me.
Think about what happened
many years ago.
10 From the very beginning,
I told what would happen
long before it took place.
I kept my word 11 and brought
someone from a distant land
to do what I wanted.
He attacked from the east,
like a hawk swooping down.
Now I will keep my promise
and do what I planned.
12 You people are stubborn
and far from being safe,
so listen to me.
13 I will soon come to save you.
I am not far away
and will waste no time;
I take pride in Israel
and will save Jerusalem.
Babylon Will Fall
The Lord said:
47 (A) City of Babylon,
You are delicate
and untouched,
but that will change.
Surrender your royal power
and sit in the dirt.
2 Start grinding grain!
Take off your veil.
Strip off your fancy clothes
and wade across rivers.[d]
3 You will suffer the shame
of going naked,
because I will take revenge,
and no one can escape.[e]
4 I am the Lord All-Powerful,
the holy God of Israel.
I am their Savior.
5 Babylon, be silent!
Sit in the dark.
No longer will nations
accept you as their queen.
6 I was angry with my people.
So I let you take their land
and bring disgrace on them.
You showed them no mercy,
but were especially cruel
to those who were old.
7 You thought that you
would be queen forever.
You didn't care what you did;
it never entered your mind
that you might get caught.
8 (B) You think that you alone
are all-powerful,
that you won't be a widow
or lose your children.
All you care about is pleasure,
but listen to what I say.
9 Your magic powers and charms
will suddenly fail,
then you will be a widow
and lose your children.
10 You hid behind evil
like a shield and said,
“No one can see me!”
You were fooled by your wisdom
and your knowledge;
you felt sure that you alone
were in full control.
11 But without warning,
disaster will strike—
and your magic charms
won't help at all.
12 Keep using your magic powers
and your charms
as you have always done.
Maybe—just maybe—
you will frighten somebody!
13 You have worn yourself out,
asking for advice
from those who study the stars
and tell the future
month after month.
Go ask them how to be saved
from what will happen.
14 People who trust the stars
are as helpless as straw
in a flaming fire.
No one can even keep warm,[f]
sitting by a fire
that feeds only on straw.
15 These are the fortunetellers
you have done business with
all of your life.
But they don't know
where they are going,
and they can't save you.
The Lord Corrects His People
48 People of Israel,
you come from Jacob's family
and the tribe[g] of Judah.
You claim to worship me,
the Lord God of Israel,
but you are lying.
2 You call Jerusalem your home
and say you depend on me,
the Lord All-Powerful,
the God of Israel.
3 Long ago I announced
what was going to be,
then without warning,
I made it happen.
4 I knew you were stubborn
and hardheaded.
5 And I told you these things,
so that when they happened
you would not say,
“The idols we worship did this.”
6 You heard what I said,
and you have seen it happen.
Now admit it's true!
I will show you secrets
you have never known.
7 Today I am doing something new,
something you cannot say
you have heard before.
8 You have never been willing
to listen to what I say;
from the moment of your birth,
I knew you would rebel.
The Lord Warns Israel
9 I, the Lord, am true to myself;
I will be praised for not punishing
and destroying you.
10 I tested you in hard times
just as silver is refined
in a heated furnace.[h]
11 I did this because of who I am.
I refuse to be dishonored[i]
or share my praise
with any other god.
12 (C) Israel, my chosen people,
listen to me.
I alone am the Lord,
the first and the last.
13 With my own hand
I created the earth
and stretched out the sky.
They obey my every command.
The Lord Speaks to the Nations
14 Gather around me, all of you!
Listen to what I say.
Did any of your idols
predict this would happen?
Did they say that my friend[j]
would do what I want done
to Babylonia?[k]
15 I was the one who chose him.
I have brought him this far,
and he will be successful.
16 Come closer and listen!
I have never kept secret
the things I have said,
and I was here
before time began.
It Is Best To Obey the Lord
By the power of his Spirit
the Lord God has sent me
17 with this message:
People of Israel,
I am the holy Lord God,
the one who rescues you.
For your own good,
I teach you, and I lead you
along the right path.
18 How I wish that you
had obeyed my commands!
Your success and good fortune
would then have overflowed
like a flooding river.
19 Your nation would be blessed
with more people
than there are grains of sand
along the seashore.
And I would never have let
your country be destroyed.
20 (D) Now leave Babylon!
Celebrate as you go.
Be happy and shout
for everyone to hear,
“The Lord has rescued
his servant Israel!
21 He led us through the desert
and made water flow from a rock
to satisfy our thirst.
22 (E) But the Lord has promised
that none who are evil
will live in peace.”
Footnotes
- 46.1 Bel and Nebo: Bel was another name for Marduk, the chief god of the Babylonians. Nebo was the son of Marduk and also an important god.
- 46.1 as … animals: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 46.8 Now … mind: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 47.2 Strip … rivers: This may be a command to get ready for work that requires wading in the river, or it may be a warning that they are going to be taken away as slaves.
- 47.3 escape: Or “oppose me.”
- 47.14 keep warm: Or “cook food.”
- 48.1 tribe: Hebrew “waters.”
- 48.10 furnace: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 10.
- 48.11 I refuse to be dishonored: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 48.14 my friend: Probably Cyrus (see 44.28; 45.1).
- 48.14 Babylonia: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 14.
Isaiah 46-48
New International Version
Isaiah 46-48
New International Version
Gods of Babylon
46 Bel(A) bows down, Nebo stoops low;
their idols(B) are borne by beasts of burden.[a]
The images that are carried(C) about are burdensome,
a burden for the weary.
2 They stoop and bow down together;
unable to rescue the burden,
they themselves go off into captivity.(D)
3 “Listen(E) to me, you descendants of Jacob,
all the remnant(F) of the people of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since your birth,(G)
and have carried(H) since you were born.(I)
4 Even to your old age and gray hairs(J)
I am he,(K) I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain(L) you and I will rescue you.
5 “With whom will you compare me or count me equal?
To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?(M)
6 Some pour out gold from their bags
and weigh out silver on the scales;
they hire a goldsmith(N) to make it into a god,
and they bow down and worship it.(O)
7 They lift it to their shoulders and carry(P) it;
they set it up in its place, and there it stands.
From that spot it cannot move.(Q)
Even though someone cries out to it, it cannot answer;(R)
it cannot save(S) them from their troubles.
8 “Remember(T) this, keep it in mind,
take it to heart, you rebels.(U)
9 Remember the former things,(V) those of long ago;(W)
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.(X)
10 I make known the end from the beginning,(Y)
from ancient times,(Z) what is still to come.(AA)
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,(AB)
and I will do all that I please.’
11 From the east I summon(AC) a bird of prey;(AD)
from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about;
what I have planned,(AE) that I will do.(AF)
12 Listen(AG) to me, you stubborn-hearted,(AH)
you who are now far from my righteousness.(AI)
13 I am bringing my righteousness(AJ) near,
it is not far away;
and my salvation(AK) will not be delayed.
I will grant salvation to Zion,(AL)
my splendor(AM) to Israel.
The Fall of Babylon
47 “Go down, sit in the dust,(AN)
Virgin Daughter(AO) Babylon;
sit on the ground without a throne,
queen city of the Babylonians.[b](AP)
No more will you be called
tender or delicate.(AQ)
2 Take millstones(AR) and grind(AS) flour;
take off your veil.(AT)
Lift up your skirts,(AU) bare your legs,
and wade through the streams.
3 Your nakedness(AV) will be exposed
and your shame(AW) uncovered.
I will take vengeance;(AX)
I will spare no one.(AY)”
5 “Sit in silence,(BD) go into darkness,(BE)
queen city of the Babylonians;(BF)
no more will you be called
queen(BG) of kingdoms.(BH)
6 I was angry(BI) with my people
and desecrated my inheritance;(BJ)
I gave them into your hand,(BK)
and you showed them no mercy.(BL)
Even on the aged
you laid a very heavy yoke.
7 You said, ‘I am forever(BM)—
the eternal queen!’(BN)
But you did not consider these things
or reflect(BO) on what might happen.(BP)
8 “Now then, listen, you lover of pleasure,
lounging in your security(BQ)
and saying to yourself,
‘I am, and there is none besides me.(BR)
I will never be a widow(BS)
or suffer the loss of children.’
9 Both of these will overtake you
in a moment,(BT) on a single day:
loss of children(BU) and widowhood.(BV)
They will come upon you in full measure,
in spite of your many sorceries(BW)
and all your potent spells.(BX)
10 You have trusted(BY) in your wickedness
and have said, ‘No one sees me.’(BZ)
Your wisdom(CA) and knowledge mislead(CB) you
when you say to yourself,
‘I am, and there is none besides me.’
11 Disaster(CC) will come upon you,
and you will not know how to conjure it away.
A calamity will fall upon you
that you cannot ward off with a ransom;
a catastrophe you cannot foresee
will suddenly(CD) come upon you.
12 “Keep on, then, with your magic spells
and with your many sorceries,(CE)
which you have labored at since childhood.
Perhaps you will succeed,
perhaps you will cause terror.
13 All the counsel you have received has only worn you out!(CF)
Let your astrologers(CG) come forward,
those stargazers who make predictions month by month,
let them save(CH) you from what is coming upon you.
14 Surely they are like stubble;(CI)
the fire(CJ) will burn them up.
They cannot even save themselves
from the power of the flame.(CK)
These are not coals for warmth;
this is not a fire to sit by.
15 That is all they are to you—
these you have dealt with
and labored(CL) with since childhood.
All of them go on in their error;
there is not one that can save(CM) you.
Stubborn Israel
48 “Listen to this, you descendants of Jacob,
you who are called by the name of Israel(CN)
and come from the line of Judah,(CO)
you who take oaths(CP) in the name of the Lord(CQ)
and invoke(CR) the God of Israel—
but not in truth(CS) or righteousness—
2 you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city(CT)
and claim to rely(CU) on the God of Israel—
the Lord Almighty is his name:(CV)
3 I foretold the former things(CW) long ago,
my mouth announced(CX) them and I made them known;
then suddenly(CY) I acted, and they came to pass.
4 For I knew how stubborn(CZ) you were;
your neck muscles(DA) were iron,
your forehead(DB) was bronze.
5 Therefore I told you these things long ago;
before they happened I announced(DC) them to you
so that you could not say,
‘My images brought them about;(DD)
my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’
6 You have heard these things; look at them all.
Will you not admit them?
“From now on I will tell you of new things,(DE)
of hidden things unknown to you.
7 They are created(DF) now, and not long ago;(DG)
you have not heard of them before today.
So you cannot say,
‘Yes, I knew(DH) of them.’
8 You have neither heard nor understood;(DI)
from of old your ears(DJ) have not been open.
Well do I know how treacherous(DK) you are;
you were called a rebel(DL) from birth.
9 For my own name’s sake(DM) I delay my wrath;(DN)
for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you,
so as not to destroy you completely.(DO)
10 See, I have refined(DP) you, though not as silver;
I have tested(DQ) you in the furnace(DR) of affliction.
11 For my own sake,(DS) for my own sake, I do this.
How can I let myself be defamed?(DT)
I will not yield my glory to another.(DU)
Israel Freed
12 “Listen(DV) to me, Jacob,
Israel, whom I have called:(DW)
I am he;(DX)
I am the first and I am the last.(DY)
13 My own hand laid the foundations of the earth,(DZ)
and my right hand spread out the heavens;(EA)
when I summon them,
they all stand up together.(EB)
14 “Come together,(EC) all of you, and listen:
Which of the idols has foretold(ED) these things?
The Lord’s chosen ally(EE)
will carry out his purpose(EF) against Babylon;(EG)
his arm will be against the Babylonians.[c]
15 I, even I, have spoken;
yes, I have called(EH) him.
I will bring him,
and he will succeed(EI) in his mission.
16 “Come near(EJ) me and listen(EK) to this:
“From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret;(EL)
at the time it happens, I am there.”
17 This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer,(EP) the Holy One(EQ) of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches(ER) you what is best for you,
who directs(ES) you in the way(ET) you should go.
18 If only you had paid attention(EU) to my commands,
your peace(EV) would have been like a river,(EW)
your well-being(EX) like the waves of the sea.
19 Your descendants(EY) would have been like the sand,(EZ)
your children like its numberless grains;(FA)
their name would never be blotted out(FB)
nor destroyed from before me.”
20 Leave Babylon,
flee(FC) from the Babylonians!
Announce this with shouts of joy(FD)
and proclaim it.
Send it out to the ends of the earth;(FE)
say, “The Lord has redeemed(FF) his servant Jacob.”
21 They did not thirst(FG) when he led them through the deserts;
he made water flow(FH) for them from the rock;
he split the rock
and water gushed out.(FI)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 46:1 Or are but beasts and cattle
- Isaiah 47:1 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 5
- Isaiah 48:14 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 20
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