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Babylon's Idols and the True God

^1 (C1)Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;
Their idols are on the beasts of burden and on the cattle.
Your burdens of idols are loaded on them,
Burdens on the weary animals.

² They stooped over, they have bowed down together;
They could not rescue the burden of their own idols,
But have themselves ^(C1)gone into captivity.

³ "^(C1)Listen to Me," says the LORD, "O house of Jacob,
And all ^(C2)the remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been ^(C3)carried by Me from your birth
And have been carried in My arms from the womb,

⁴ Even to your old age ^(C1)I am He,
And even to your ^(C2)advanced old age I will carry you!
I have made you, and I will carry you;
Be assured I will carry you and I will save you.

⁵ "^(C1)To whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal and compare Me,
That we may be alike? ^(VR1)

⁶ "Those who ^(C1)lavish gold from the bag
And weigh out silver on the scales
Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
They ^(C2)bow down, indeed they worship it.

⁷ "They ^(C1)lift it on their shoulders in religious processions or into battle and carry it;
They set it in its place and there it remains standing.
^(C2)It cannot move from its place.
Even if one cries to it for help, the idol ^(C3)cannot answer;
It ^(C4)cannot save him from his distress.

⁸ "^(C1)Remember this, and take courage;
^(C2)Take it to heart, you ^(C3)rebellious and disloyal people.

⁹ "Remember carefully the ^(C1)former things which I did from ages past;
For I am God, and there is ^(C2)no one else;
I am God, and there is ^(C3)no one like Me,

¹⁰ Declaring the end and the result from the beginning,
And from ancient times the things which have not yet been done,
Saying, '^(C1)My purpose will be established,
And I will do all that pleases Me and fulfills My purpose,'

¹¹ Calling a ^(C1)bird of prey from the ^(C2)east,
From a far country, the man (Cyrus) of My purpose.
Truly I have ^(C3)spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, be assured I will do it.

¹² "^(C1)Listen to Me, you ^(C2)stiff-necked people,
You who are ^(C3)far from righteousness (right standing with God).

¹³ "I ^(C1)bring near My righteousness in the salvation of Israel, it is not far away;
And My salvation will not delay.
And I will grant ^(C2)salvation in Zion,
And My ^(C3)glory for Israel.