Isaiah 46:2

Together they bend low and kneel down; they are unable to rescue the images; ¹  they themselves ²  head off into captivity. ³ 

They stoop and bow down together; unable to rescue the burden, they themselves go off into captivity.

They stooped over, they have bowed down together; They could not rescue the burden, But have themselves gone into captivity.

Both the idols and the ones carrying them are bowed down. The gods cannot protect the people, and the people cannot protect the gods. They go off into captivity together.

Dead weight, burdens who can't bear burdens, hauled off to captivity.

They are bent down, they are falling together: they were not able to keep their images safe, but they themselves have been taken prisoner.

They stoop, they bow down together; they cannot save the burden, but themselves go into captivity.

They stoop, they bow down together; They could not deliver the burden, But have themselves gone into captivity.

Together they bend low and kneel down; they are unable to rescue the images; ¹  they themselves ²  head off into captivity. ³ 

¹ tn Heb “[the] burden,” i.e., their images, the heavy burden carried by the animals.

² tn נַפְשָׁם (nafsham, “their souls/lives”) is equivalent here to a third masculine plural suffix, but the third feminine singular verb הָלָכָה (halakhah, “they go”) agrees with the feminine noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul, life”).

³ sn The downfall of Babylon is depicted here. The idols are carried off by the victorious enemy; the gods are likened to defeated captives who cower before the enemy and are taken into exile.