Sirach 43 — ASVBT

43Verse 1The pride of the height is the firmament in its clearness,
The appearance of heaven, in the spectacle of its glory.
^{Verse 2}The sun when it appeareth, bringing tidings as it goeth forth,
Is a marvelous instrument, the work of the Most High:
^{Verse 3}At noon it drieth up the country,
And who shall stand against its burning heat?
^{Verse 4}A man blowing a furnace is in works of heat,
But the sun three times more, burning up the mountains:
Breathing out fiery vapors,
And sending forth bright beams, it dimmeth the eyes.
^{Verse 5}Great is the Lord that made it;
And at his word it hasteneth its course.^{Verse 6}The moon also is in all things for its season,
For a declaration of times, and a sign of the world.
^{Verse 7}From the moon is the sign of the feast day;
A light that waneth when it is come to the full.
^{Verse 8}The month is called after its name,
Increasing wonderfully in its changing;
An instrument of the hosts on high,
Shining forth in the firmament of heaven;
^{Verse 9}The beauty of heaven, the glory of the stars,
An ornament giving light in the highest places of the Lord.
^{Verse 10}At the word of the Holy One they will stand in due order,
And they will not faint in their watches.
^{Verse 11}Look upon the rainbow, and praise him that made it;
Exceeding beautiful in the brightness thereof.
^{Verse 12}It compasseth the heaven round about with a circle of glory;
The hands of the Most High have stretched it.^{Verse 13}By his commandment he maketh the snow to fall apace,
And sendeth swiftly the lightnings of his judgment.
^{Verse 14}By reason thereof the treasure houses are opened;
And clouds fly forth as fowls.
^{Verse 15}By his mighty power he maketh strong the clouds,
And the hailstones are broken small:
^{Verse 16}And at his appearing the mountains will be shaken,
And at his will the south wind will blow.
^{Verse 17}The voice of his thunder maketh the earth to travail;
So doth the northern storm and the whirlwind:
As birds flying down he sprinkleth the snow;
And as the lighting of the locust is the falling down thereof:
^{Verse 18}The eye will marvel at the beauty of its whiteness,
And the heart will be astonished at the raining of it.
^{Verse 19}The hoar frost also he poureth on the earth as salt;
And when it is congealed, it is as points of thorns.^{Verse 20}The cold north wind shall blow,
And the ice shall be congealed on the water:
It shall lodge upon every gathering together of water,
And the water shall put on as it were a breastplate.
^{Verse 21}It shall devour the mountains, and burn up the wilderness,
And consume the green herb as fire.
^{Verse 22}A mist coming speedily is the healing of all things;
A dew coming after heat shall bring cheerfulness.
^{Verse 23}By his counsel he hath stilled the deep,
And planted islands therein.
^{Verse 24}They that sail on the sea tell of the danger thereof;
And when we hear it with our ears, we marvel.
^{Verse 25}Therein are also those strange and wondrous works,
Variety of all that hath life, the race of sea monsters.
^{Verse 26}By reason of him his end hath success,
And by his word all things consist.^{Verse 27}We may say many things, yet shall we not attain;
And the sum of our words is, He is all.
^{Verse 28}How shall we have strength to glorify him?
For he is himself the great one above all his works.
^{Verse 29}The Lord is terrible and exceeding great;
And marvelous is his power.
^{Verse 30}When ye glorify the Lord, exalt him as much as ye can;
For even yet will he exceed:
And when ye exalt him, put forth your full strength:
Be not weary; for ye will never attain.
^{Verse 31}Who hath seen him, that he may declare him?
And who shall magnify him as he is?
^{Verse 32}Many things are hidden greater than these;
For we have seen but a few of his works.
^{Verse 33}For the Lord made all things;
And to the godly gave he wisdom.