For Good News Translation the LORD is speaking here, but we prefer the prophet as the speaker in verses 1-2 (so Revised Standard Version, New International Version, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

The historical context for verses 1-2 is the attempted escape of the Babylonians from Babylon after they have been defeated. According to these verses, they are loading the idols of their gods onto animals to move them to a safe place. The prophet says that they will not succeed.

Bel bows down, Nebo stoops: Bel, also known as Marduk, was one of Babylonia’s chief gods. Nebo was another one; he was the son of Marduk. Both these gods are mentioned on the Cyrus Cylinder that archeologists discovered in Babylon. There are two possible interpretations for the verbs bows down and stoops in this context. According to one view, these verbs refer to “worship” (see the comments on “bow” at 45.23). But it is not clear whom the Babylonian gods would worship, unless the prophet is speaking ironically of them worshiping themselves. According to another view, these verbs refer to the decline or downfall of the gods, which is the sense we prefer, especially since the next verse says these gods go into captivity. Bible en français courant expresses this meaning by rendering this line as “The god Bel has weakened, the god Nebo bends/weakens,” and so does Good News Translation with “This is the end for Babylon’s gods!” Bible en français courant makes it clear that Bel and Nebo are gods, which is helpful.

Their idols are on beasts and cattle is literally “their idols have become living thing and cattle” or “their idols belong to living thing and cattle.” The second reading is favored by most versions, and is understood to mean “their idols have been placed on beasts and cattle.” When the Babylonians were fleeing Babylon, they loaded the idols of their gods on animals. For the Hebrew word rendered idols, see the comments on 10.11, where it is translated “images.” Good News Translation omits the idea of idols here and only refers to the Babylonian gods, but translators should keep the reference to idols. The Hebrew words for beasts and cattle refer to any animals used for carrying loads in this context. Bible en français courant combines them, saying “beasts of burden,” which is helpful. Good News Translation says “donkeys,” but this is too narrow.

These things you carry are loaded as burdens on weary beasts is literally “the things that were carried around by you [are] loaded a burden for weariness,” which means the idols that the Babylonians once carried around have now been loaded onto the backs of animals, which become tired because of the heavy burden. The pronoun you is plural in Hebrew. It refers to the Babylonian idol worshipers. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch makes this explicit with “You people of Babylon.” New International Version omits this pronoun by rendering you carry as “are carried,” which is a valid model (see also the examples below). The Hebrew words rendered these things you carry and burdens come from the same root. Some commentators assume these things you carry refers to the fact that the idols were carried in procession on festival days and other important occasions. Revised English Bible makes this explicit with “once carried in your processions,” and so does Bible en français courant (1997) with “What was carried in procession.” However, there is no specific evidence of this within the text, so it should not be made so explicit. On weary beasts probably means that these animals became weary because of the load rather than that they were already tired before taking on the load, so a better rendering is “on tiring animals.”

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• Bel bows down, Nebo stoops,
as their idols are placed on beasts of burden;
these idols that were carried around
are [now] loaded as burdens on tiring animals.

• Bel and Nebo bow down,
their images are placed on cattle and other animals;
these images that were carried around
are now burdens, loaded on tiring animals.

• The gods [of Babylonia] called Bel and Nebo
are brought down very low.
Images of them were carried around,
but are now [placed] on animals that carry loads.
These animals grow very tired from the burden of these images.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .