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