English Bible
Sirach 43
Big screen- 1The pride of the height, the clear firmament, the beauty of heaven, with his glorious show;
- 2The sun when it appears, declaring at his rising a marvelous instrument, the work of the most High:
- 3At noon it parches the country, and who can abide the burning heat thereof?
- 4A man blowing a furnace is in works of heat, but the sun burns the mountains three times more; breathing out fiery vapours, and sending forth bright beams, it dims the eyes.
- 5Great is the Lord that made it; and at his commandment runs hastily.
- 6He made the moon also to serve in her season for a declaration of times, and a sign of the world.
- 7From the moon is the sign of feasts, a light that decreases in her perfection.
- 8The month is called after her name, increasing wonderfully in her changing, being an instrument of the armies above, shining in the firmament of heaven;
- 9The beauty of heaven, the glory of the stars, an ornament giving light in the highest places of the Lord.
- 10At the commandment of the Holy One they will stand in their order, and never faint in their watches.
- 11Look upon the rainbow, and praise him that made it; very beautiful it is in the brightness thereof.
- 12It encircles the heaven about with a glorious circle, and the hands of the most High have bended it.
- 13By his commandment he makes the snow to fall apace, and sends swiftly the lightnings of his judgment.
- 14Through this the treasures are opened: and clouds fly forth as fowls.
- 15By his great power he makes the clouds firm, and the hailstones are broken small.
- 16At his sight the mountains are shaken, and at his will the south wind blows.
- 17The noise of the thunder makes the earth to tremble: so does the northern storm and the whirlwind: as birds flying he scatters the snow, and the falling down thereof is as the lighting of grasshoppers:
- 18The eye marvels at the beauty of the whiteness thereof, and the heart is astonished at the raining of it.
- 19The hoarfrost also as salt he pours on the earth, and being congealed, it lies on the top of sharp stakes.
- 20When the cold north wind blows, and the water is congealed into ice, it remains upon every gathering together of water, and clothes the water as with a breastplate.
- 21It devours the mountains, and burns the wilderness, and consumes the grass as fire.
- 22A present remedy of all is a mist coming speedily, a dew coming after heat refreshes.
- 23By his counsel he appeases the deep, and plants islands therein.
- 24They that sail on the sea tell of the danger thereof; and when we hear it with our ears, we marvel thereat.
- 25For therein be strange and wondrous works, variety of all kinds of beasts and whales created.
- 26By him the end of them has prosperous success, and by his word all things consist.
- 27We may speak much, and yet come short: therefore in sum, he is all.
- 28How shall we be able to magnify him? for he is great above all his works.
- 29The Lord is terrible and very great, and marvelous is his power.
- 30When you° glorify the Lord, exalt him as much as you° can; for even yet will he far exceed: and when you° exalt him, put forth all your strength, and be not weary; for you° can never go far enough.
- 31Who has seen him, that he might tell us? and who can magnify him as he is?
- 32There are yet hid greater things than these be, for we have seen but a few of his works.
- 33For the Lord has made all things; and to the godly has he given wisdom.