12  Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out the heavens with his span, and grasped the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance, and the hills in scales? 13  Who hath directed the Spirit of Jehovah, and, as his counsellor, hath taught him? 14  With whom took he counsel, and who gave him intelligence, and instructed him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed him the way of understanding? 15  Behold, the nations are esteemed as a drop of the bucket, and as the fine dust on the scales; behold, he taketh up the isles as an atom. 16  And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering. 17  All the nations are as nothing before him; they are esteemed by him less than a cipher, and vanity.

18  To whom then will ye liken •God? and what likeness will ye compare unto him? 19  The workman casteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains for it. 20  He that is impoverished, so that he hath no offering, chooseth a tree that doth not rot; he seeketh unto him a skilled workman to prepare a graven image that shall not be moved. 21  —Do ye not know? Have ye not heard? Hath it not been told you from the beginning? Have ye not understood the foundation of the earth? 22  It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a gauze curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in; 23  that bringeth the princes to nothing, that maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. 24  Scarcely are they planted, scarcely are they sown, scarcely hath their stock taken root in the earth, but he also bloweth upon them and they wither, and the whirlwind taketh them away as stubble. 25  To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. 26  Lift up your eyes on high, and see! Who hath created these things, bringing out their host by number? He calleth them all by name; through the greatness of his might and strength of power, not one faileth.

27  Why sayest thou, Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from Jehovah, and my right is passed away from my God? 28  Dost thou not know, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not nor tireth? There is no searching of his understanding. 29  He giveth power to the faint; and to him that hath no might he increaseth strength. 30  Even the youths shall faint and shall tire, and the young men shall stumble and fall; 31  but they that wait upon Jehovah shall renew their strength: they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not tire; they shall walk, and not faint.