They stoop, they bow down together essentially repeats the first line of the previous verse (see the comments there), adding the adverb together. Here the two Babylonian gods are treated together. The verbs stoop and bow down are in reverse order from verse 1. This chiastic repetition highlights the weakened condition of the gods. Most versions use the same verbs as in verse 1. Good News Translation places this line at the end of the verse.

They cannot save the burden means the Babylonian gods cannot rescue the images of themselves, which are loaded on the animals. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “They could not rescue the burden” (similarly New International Version), and Revised English Bible has “they are not able to bring the burden to safety.” New Jerusalem Bible has a different subject here, one that the Hebrew grammar allows: “no one can save this burden.” Since Good News Translation views the gods and the idols of them as the same, it says “The idols cannot save themselves,” but we do not recommend this.

But themselves go into captivity: Not only are the Babylonian gods unable to rescue the idols of themselves, they also go into captivity with them. Themselves is literally “their life.” The Hebrew word for “life” (nephesh) often refers to the essence of a person (see the comments on 1.14 and 26.8, where it is rendered “soul”). Here it refers to the reality lying behind the idols. Captivity refers to exile here (see the comments on 5.13).

Translation examples for this verse are:

• The gods stoop and bow down together;
they cannot rescue the load,
but they themselves are taken into captivity.

• The gods bow down together;
they cannot rescue the images that are a burden,
and they themselves go into exile.

• The gods are brought down very low together;
they cannot save the load,
but they are taken away as prisoners.

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 .