Isaiah · Westminster Leningrad Codex
Isaiah 46 Westminster Leningrad Codex
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 כָּרַ֥ע בֵּל֙ קֹרֵ֣ס נְב֔וֹ הָיוּ֙ עֲצַבֵּיהֶ֔ם לַחַיָּ֖ה וְלַבְּהֵמָ֑ה נְשֻׂאֹתֵיכֶ֣ם עֲמוּס֔וֹת מַשָּׂ֖א לַעֲיֵפָֽה׃
1 Bel bows down. Nebo stoops. Their idols are carried by animals, and on the livestock. The things that you carried around are heavy loads, a burden for the weary.
2 קָרְס֤וּ כָֽרְעוּ֙ יַחְדָּ֔ו לֹ֥א יָכְל֖וּ מַלֵּ֣ט מַשָּׂ֑א וְנַפְשָׁ֖ם בַּשְּׁבִ֥י הָלָֽכָה׃ ס
2 They stoop and they bow down together. They could not deliver the burden, but they have gone into captivity.
3 שִׁמְע֤וּ אֵלַי֙ בֵּ֣ית יַעֲקֹ֔ב וְכָל־שְׁאֵרִ֖ית בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הַֽעֲמֻסִים֙ מִנִּי־בֶ֔טֶן הַנְּשֻׂאִ֖ים מִנִּי־רָֽחַם׃
3 “Listen to me, house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, that have been carried from their birth, that have been carried from the womb.
4 וְעַד־זִקְנָה֙ אֲנִ֣י ה֔וּא וְעַד־שֵיבָ֖ה אֲנִ֣י אֶסְבֹּ֑ל אֲנִ֤י עָשִׂ֙יתִי֙ וַאֲנִ֣י אֶשָּׂ֔א וַאֲנִ֥י אֶסְבֹּ֖ל וַאֲמַלֵּֽט׃ ס
4 Even to old age I am he, and even to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear. Yes, I will carry, and will deliver.
5 לְמִ֥י תְדַמְי֖וּנִי וְתַשְׁו֑וּ וְתַמְשִׁל֖וּנִי וְנִדְמֶֽה׃
5 “To whom will you compare me, and consider my equal, and compare me, as if we were the same?
6 הַזָּלִ֤ים זָהָב֙ מִכִּ֔יס וְכֶ֖סֶף בַּקָּנֶ֣ה יִשְׁקֹ֑לוּ יִשְׂכְּר֤וּ צוֹרֵף֙ וְיַעֲשֵׂ֣הוּ אֵ֔ל יִסְגְּד֖וּ אַף־יִֽשְׁתַּחֲוּֽוּ ׃
6 Some pour out gold from the bag, and weigh silver in the balance. They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god. They fall down— yes, they worship.
7 יִ֠שָּׂאֻהוּ עַל־כָּתֵ֨ף יִסְבְּלֻ֜הוּ וְיַנִּיחֻ֤הוּ תַחְתָּיו֙ וְיַֽעֲמֹ֔ד מִמְּקוֹמ֖וֹ לֹ֣א יָמִ֑ישׁ אַף־יִצְעַ֤ק אֵלָיו֙ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲנֶ֔ה מִצָּרָת֖וֹ לֹ֥א יוֹשִׁיעֶֽנּוּ׃ ס
7 They bear it on their shoulder. They carry it, and set it in its place, and it stands there. It cannot move from its place. Yes, one may cry to it, yet it can not answer. It cannot save him out of his trouble.
8 זִכְרוּ־זֹ֖את וְהִתְאֹשָׁ֑שׁוּ הָשִׁ֥יבוּ פוֹשְׁעִ֖ים עַל־לֵֽב׃
8 “Remember this, and show yourselves men. Bring it to mind again, you transgressors.
9 זִכְר֥וּ רִאשֹׁנ֖וֹת מֵעוֹלָ֑ם כִּ֣י אָנֹכִ֥י אֵל֙ וְאֵ֣ין ע֔וֹד אֱלֹהִ֖ים וְאֶ֥פֶס כָּמֽוֹנִי׃
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 מַגִּ֤יד מֵֽרֵאשִׁית֙ אַחֲרִ֔ית וּמִקֶּ֖דֶם אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־נַעֲשׂ֑וּ אֹמֵר֙ עֲצָתִ֣י תָק֔וּם וְכָל־חֶפְצִ֖י אֶעֱשֶֽׂה׃
10 I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done. I say: My counsel will stand, and I will do all that I please.
11 קֹרֵ֤א מִמִּזְרָח֙ עַ֔יִט מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מֶרְחָ֖ק אִ֣ישׁ עצתו אַף־דִּבַּ֙רְתִּי֙ אַף־אֲבִיאֶ֔נָּה יָצַ֖רְתִּי אַף־אֶעֱשֶֽׂנָּה׃ ס
11 I call a ravenous bird from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. Yes, I have spoken. I will also bring it to pass. I have planned. I will also do it.
12 שִׁמְע֥וּ אֵלַ֖י אַבִּ֣ירֵי לֵ֑ב הָרְחוֹקִ֖ים מִצְּדָקָֽה׃
12 Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, who are far from righteousness!
13 קֵרַ֤בְתִּי צִדְקָתִי֙ לֹ֣א תִרְחָ֔ק וּתְשׁוּעָתִ֖י לֹ֣א תְאַחֵ֑ר וְנָתַתִּ֤י בְצִיּוֹן֙ תְּשׁוּעָ֔ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל תִּפְאַרְתִּֽי׃ ס
13 I bring my righteousness near. It is not far off, and my salvation will not wait. I will grant salvation to Zion, my glory to Israel.
Cross references (13)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Isaiah 21:9; Jeremiah 51:44; Jeremiah 50:2; Jeremiah 51:52; Isaiah 41:6–7
- 2 Jeremiah 48:7; Judges 18:17–18; Judges 18:24; Jeremiah 43:12–13; 2 Samuel 5:21
- 3 Deuteronomy 1:31; Isaiah 51:7; Isaiah 51:1; Psalm 71:6; Isaiah 44:1–2
- 4 Psalm 71:18; Psalm 48:14; Psalm 92:14; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17
- 5 Isaiah 40:18; Isaiah 40:25; Psalm 89:6; Philippians 2:6; Colossians 1:15
- 6 Acts 17:29; Jeremiah 10:14; Isaiah 40:19–20; Hosea 8:4–6; Isaiah 2:8
- 7 Isaiah 45:20; Jeremiah 10:5; Isaiah 46:1; 1 Samuel 5:3; Jonah 1:5
- 8 1 Corinthians 14:20; Luke 15:17; Haggai 1:7; Isaiah 47:7; Haggai 1:5
- 9 Isaiah 45:21–22; Isaiah 42:9; Isaiah 46:5; Psalm 111:4; Deuteronomy 33:26
- 10 Proverbs 19:21; Psalm 33:11; Ephesians 1:9–11; Isaiah 43:13; Proverbs 21:30
- 11 Numbers 23:19; Isaiah 14:24–27; Job 23:13; Ephesians 1:11; Isaiah 41:2
- 12 Jeremiah 2:5; Ephesians 2:13; Isaiah 46:3; Zechariah 7:11–12; Psalm 119:150
- 13 Isaiah 62:11; Isaiah 12:2; Isaiah 51:5; Isaiah 61:3; Isaiah 44:23
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
And on this account, he (the Demiurge), being incapable of recognising any spiritual essences, imagined himself to be God alone, and declared through the prophets, "I am God, and besides me there is none else." They further teach that the spirits of wickedness derived their origin from grief.
Thou wilt carry us both when little, and even to grey hairs wilt Thou carry us; for our firmness, when it is Thou, then is it firmness; but when it is our own, then it is infirmity.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)