1
oJer. 50:2; 51:44; [ch. 21:9] Bel bows down; Nebo stoops;
their idols are on beasts and livestock;
these things you carry are borne
as burdens on weary beasts.
2 They stoop; they bow down together;
they cannot save the burden,
butp[Jer. 48:7; Hos. 10:5, 6] themselves go into captivity.
3 “Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all the remnant of the house of Israel,
q[Deut. 1:31; 32:11] who have been borne by me from before your birth,
carried from the womb;
4 r[Ps. 71:18] even to your old age I am he,
and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
I will carry and will save.
5 sSee ch. 40:18 To whom will you liken me and make me equal,
and compare me, that we may be alike?
6 tSee ch. 44:10 Those who lavish gold from the purse,
and weigh out silver in the scales,
hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
uch. 44:15 then they fall down and worship!
7 vSee ch. 45:20 They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it,
they set it in its place, and it stands there;
wPs. 115:7 it cannot move from its place.
If one cries to it, it does not answer
or save him from his trouble.
8 Remember this and stand firm,
recall it to mind,x[ch. 43:25] you transgressors,
9 remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
10 ych. 41:26 declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying,zch. 44:26, 28; Ps. 33:11; Prov. 19:21; [Heb. 6:17] ‘My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose, ’
11 aSee ch. 41:2 calling a bird of prey from the east,
the man of my counsel from a far country.
bNum. 23:19 I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;
I have purposed, and I will do it.
12 Listen to me, you stubborn of heart,
you who are far from righteousness:
13 cch. 51:5; [ch. 56:1; Ps. 85:9] I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off,
and my salvation will not delay;
dch. 62:11; [Joel 2:32] I will put salvation in Zion,
for Israel my glory. ”