12 Who has measured the oceans by using the palm of his hand?

Who has used the width of his hand to mark off the sky?

Who has measured out the dust of the earth in a basket?

Who has weighed the mountains on scales?

Who has weighed the hills in a balance?

13 Who can ever understand what is in the Lord’s mind?

Who can ever give him advice?

14 Did the Lord have to ask anyone to help him understand?

Did he have to ask someone to teach him the right way?

Who taught him what he knows?

Who showed him how to understand?

15 The nations are only a drop in a bucket to him.

He considers them as nothing but dust on the scales.

He weighs the islands as if they were only fine dust.

16 Lebanon doesn’t have enough trees to keep his altar fires burning.

It doesn’t have enough animals to sacrifice as burnt offerings to him.

17 To him, all of the nations don’t amount to anything.

He considers them to be worthless.

In fact, they are less than nothing in his sight.