Isaiah 41:29

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

Look, all of them are nothing, their accomplishments are nonexistent; their metal images lack any real substance.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Isa 41:24 : 24 Look, you are nothing, and your accomplishments are nonexistent; the one who chooses to worship you is disgusting.
  • Jer 5:13 : 13 The prophets will prove to be full of wind. The LORD has not spoken through them. So, let what they say happen to them.’”
  • Jer 10:2-9 : 2 The LORD says,“Do not start following pagan religious practices. Do not be in awe of signs that occur in the sky even though the nations hold them in awe. 3 For the religion of these people is worthless. They cut down a tree in the forest, and a craftsman makes it into an idol with his tools. 4 He decorates it with overlays of silver and gold. He uses hammer and nails to fasten it together so that it will not fall over. 5 Such idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field. They cannot talk. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them because they cannot hurt you. And they do not have any power to help you.” 6 I said,“There is no one like you, LORD. You are great. And you are renowned for your power. 7 Everyone should revere you, O King of all nations, because you deserve to be revered. For there is no one like you among any of the wise people of the nations nor among any of their kings. 8 The people of those nations are both stupid and foolish. Instruction from a wooden idol is worthless! 9 Hammered-out silver is brought from Tarshish and gold is brought from Ufaz to cover those idols. They are the handiwork of carpenters and goldsmiths. They are clothed in blue and purple clothes. They are all made by skillful workers. 10 The LORD is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King. When he shows his anger the earth shakes. None of the nations can stand up to his fury. 11 You people of Israel should tell those nations this:‘These gods did not make heaven and earth. They will disappear from the earth and from under the heavens.’ 12 The LORD is the one who by his power made the earth. He is the one who by his wisdom established the world. And by his understanding he spread out the skies. 13 When his voice thunders, the heavenly ocean roars. He makes the clouds rise from the far-off horizons. He makes the lightning flash out in the midst of the rain. He unleashes the wind from the places where he stores it. 14 All these idolaters will prove to be stupid and ignorant. Every goldsmith will be disgraced by the idol he made. For the image he forges is merely a sham. There is no breath in any of those idols. 15 They are worthless, mere objects to be mocked. When the time comes to punish them, they will be destroyed. 16 The LORD, who is the inheritance of Jacob’s descendants, is not like them. He is the one who created everything. And the people of Israel are those he claims as his own. His name is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.”
  • Hab 2:18 : 18 What good is an idol? Why would a craftsman make it? What good is a metal image that gives misleading oracles? Why would its creator place his trust in it and make such mute, worthless things?
  • Isa 44:9-9 : 9 All who form idols are nothing; the things in which they delight are worthless. Their witnesses cannot see; they recognize nothing, so they are put to shame. 10 Who forms a god and casts an idol that will prove worthless? 11 Look, all his associates will be put to shame; the craftsmen are mere humans. Let them all assemble and take their stand! They will panic and be put to shame. 12 A blacksmith works with his tool and forges metal over the coals. He forms it with hammers; he makes it with his strong arm. He gets hungry and loses his energy; he drinks no water and gets tired. 13 A carpenter takes measurements; he marks out an outline of its form; he scrapes it with chisels, and marks it with a compass. He patterns it after the human form, like a well-built human being, and puts it in a shrine. 14 He cuts down cedars and acquires a cypress or an oak. He gets trees from the forest; he plants a cedar and the rain makes it grow. 15 A man uses it to make a fire; he takes some of it and warms himself. Yes, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Then he makes a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire– over that half he cooks meat; he roasts a meal and fills himself. Yes, he warms himself and says,‘Ah! I am warm as I look at the fire.’ 17 With the rest of it he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships it. He prays to it, saying,‘Rescue me, for you are my god!’ 18 They do not comprehend or understand, for their eyes are blind and cannot see; their minds do not discern. 19 No one thinks to himself, nor do they comprehend or understand and say to themselves:‘I burned half of it in the fire– yes, I baked bread over the coals; I roasted meat and ate it. With the rest of it should I make a disgusting idol? Should I bow down to dry wood?’ 20 He feeds on ashes; his deceived mind misleads him. He cannot rescue himself, nor does he say,‘Is this not a false god I hold in my right hand?’
  • Ps 115:4-8 : 4 Their idols are made of silver and gold– they are man-made. 5 They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see, 6 ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell, 7 hands, but cannot touch, feet, but cannot walk. They cannot even clear their throats. 8 Those who make them will end up like them, as will everyone who trusts in them.
  • Ps 135:15-18 : 15 The nations’ idols are made of silver and gold, they are man-made. 16 They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see, 17 and ears, but cannot hear. Indeed, they cannot breathe. 18 Those who make them will end up like them, as will everyone who trusts in them.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Jer 51:17-18
    2 verses
    82%

    17All idolaters will prove to be stupid and ignorant. Every goldsmith will be disgraced by the idol he made. For the image he forges is merely a sham. There is no breath in any of those idols.

    18They are worthless, objects to be ridiculed. When the time comes to punish them, they will be destroyed.

  • Jer 10:14-15
    2 verses
    82%

    14All these idolaters will prove to be stupid and ignorant. Every goldsmith will be disgraced by the idol he made. For the image he forges is merely a sham. There is no breath in any of those idols.

    15They are worthless, mere objects to be mocked. When the time comes to punish them, they will be destroyed.

  • Isa 44:9-11
    3 verses
    81%

    9All who form idols are nothing; the things in which they delight are worthless. Their witnesses cannot see; they recognize nothing, so they are put to shame.

    10Who forms a god and casts an idol that will prove worthless?

    11Look, all his associates will be put to shame; the craftsmen are mere humans. Let them all assemble and take their stand! They will panic and be put to shame.

  • Jer 10:8
    76%

    8The people of those nations are both stupid and foolish. Instruction from a wooden idol is worthless!

  • Isa 41:28
    75%

    28I look, but there is no one, among them there is no one who serves as an adviser, that I might ask questions and receive answers.

  • Ps 115:4
    74%

    4Their idols are made of silver and gold– they are man-made.

  • Isa 40:17-19
    3 verses
    74%

    17All the nations are insignificant before him; they are regarded as absolutely nothing.

    18To whom can you compare God? To what image can you liken him?

    19A craftsman casts an idol; a metalsmith overlays it with gold and forges silver chains for it.

  • Isa 41:24
    74%

    24Look, you are nothing, and your accomplishments are nonexistent; the one who chooses to worship you is disgusting.

  • Eccl 1:14
    74%

    14I reflected on everything that is accomplished by man on earth, and I concluded: Everything he has accomplished is futile– like chasing the wind!

  • Ps 39:5-6
    2 verses
    74%

    5Look, you make my days short-lived, and my life span is nothing from your perspective. Surely all people, even those who seem secure, are nothing but vapor.(Selah)

    6Surely people go through life as mere ghosts. Surely they accumulate worthless wealth without knowing who will eventually haul it away.”

  • Isa 45:16
    72%

    16They will all be ashamed and embarrassed; those who fashion idols will all be humiliated.

  • Ps 135:15-18
    4 verses
    72%

    15The nations’ idols are made of silver and gold, they are man-made.

    16They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see,

    17and ears, but cannot hear. Indeed, they cannot breathe.

    18Those who make them will end up like them, as will everyone who trusts in them.

  • Eccl 2:11
    71%

    11Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplished and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it, I concluded:“All these achievements and possessions are ultimately profitless– like chasing the wind! There is nothing gained from them on earth.”

  • Ps 115:7-8
    2 verses
    71%

    7hands, but cannot touch, feet, but cannot walk. They cannot even clear their throats.

    8Those who make them will end up like them, as will everyone who trusts in them.

  • Job 27:12
    71%

    12If you yourselves have all seen this, Why in the world do you continue this meaningless talk?

  • Hab 2:18
    71%

    18What good is an idol? Why would a craftsman make it? What good is a metal image that gives misleading oracles? Why would its creator place his trust in it and make such mute, worthless things?

  • Isa 2:8
    71%

    8Their land is full of worthless idols; they worship the product of their own hands, what their own fingers have fashioned.

  • Eccl 12:8
    71%

    8Concluding Refrain: Qoheleth Restates His Thesis“Absolutely futile!” laments the Teacher,“All of these things are futile!”

  • Hab 2:13
    71%

    13Be sure of this! The LORD of Heaven’s Armies has decreed: The nations’ efforts will go up in smoke; their exhausting work will be for nothing.

  • Eccl 1:2
    70%

    2Introduction: Utter Futility“Futile! Futile!” laments the Teacher,“Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!”

  • Isa 41:11
    70%

    11Look, all who were angry at you will be ashamed and humiliated; your adversaries will be reduced to nothing and perish.

  • Ps 62:9
    70%

    9Men are nothing but a mere breath; human beings are unreliable. When they are weighed in the scales, all of them together are lighter than air.

  • Jer 6:29
    70%

    29The fiery bellows of judgment burn fiercely. But there is too much dross to be removed. The process of refining them has proved useless. The wicked have not been purged.

  • Eccl 4:16
    70%

    16There is no end to all the people nor to the past generations, yet future generations will not rejoice in him. This also is profitless and like chasing the wind.

  • Isa 42:17
    69%

    17Those who trust in idols will turn back and be utterly humiliated, those who say to metal images,‘You are our gods.’”

  • Isa 34:12
    69%

    12Her nobles will have nothing left to call a kingdom and all her officials will disappear.

  • Eccl 4:4
    69%

    4Labor Motivated by Envy Then I considered all the skillful work that is done: Surely it is nothing more than competition between one person and another. This also is profitless– like chasing the wind.

  • Isa 40:23
    69%

    23He is the one who reduces rulers to nothing; he makes the earth’s leaders insignificant.

  • Ezek 13:6
    69%

    6They see delusion and their omens are a lie. They say,“the LORD declares,” though the LORD has not sent them; yet they expect their word to be confirmed.

  • Isa 37:19
    69%

    19They have burned the gods of the nations, for they are not really gods, but only the product of human hands manufactured from wood and stone. That is why the Assyrians could destroy them.

  • Ps 97:7
    69%

    7All who worship idols are ashamed, those who boast about worthless idols. All the gods bow down before him.

  • Deut 32:28
    69%

    28They are a nation devoid of wisdom, and there is no understanding among them.

  • Ezek 7:20
    69%

    20They rendered the beauty of his ornaments into pride, and with it they made their abominable images– their detestable idols. Therefore I will render it filthy to them.

  • Ps 78:33
    69%

    33So he caused them to die unsatisfied and filled with terror.

  • Jer 16:20
    68%

    20Can people make their own gods? No, what they make are not gods at all.”

  • Job 15:31
    68%

    31Let him not trust in what is worthless, deceiving himself; for worthlessness will be his reward.

  • Job 6:18
    68%

    18Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go into the wasteland and perish.

  • Jer 50:38
    68%

    38A drought will come upon her land; her rivers and canals will be dried up. All of this will happen because her land is filled with idols. Her people act like madmen because of those idols they fear.

  • Eccl 6:11
    68%

    11The more one argues with words, the less he accomplishes. How does that benefit him?