| New Living Translation | Berean Study 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 crouches; Nebo cowers. Their idols weigh down beasts and cattle. The images you carry are burdensome, a load to the weary animal. |
| 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. | 2The gods cower; they crouch together, unable to relieve the burden; but they themselves go 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, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been sustained from the womb, carried along since birth. |
| 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 I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will sustain you and deliver you. |
| 5“To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal? | 5To whom will you liken Me or count Me equal? To whom will you compare Me, that we should 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! | 6They pour out their bags of gold and weigh out silver on scales; they hire a goldsmith to fashion it into a god, so they can bow down and 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 lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not answer; it saves no one from his troubles. |
| 8“Do not forget this! Keep it in mind! Remember this, you guilty ones. | 8Remember this and be brave; take it to heart, 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. | 9Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; 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. | 10I declare the end from the beginning, and ancient times from what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’ |
| 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. | 11I summon a bird of prey from the east, a man for My purpose from a far-off land. Truly I have spoken, and truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, and I will surely do it. |
| 12“Listen to me, you stubborn people who are so far from doing right. | 12Listen to Me, you stubborn people, far removed 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 am bringing My righteousness near; it is not far away, and My salvation will not be delayed. I will grant salvation to Zion and adorn Israel with My splendor. |
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