Sirach 43 Catholic Public Domain Version

431 The firmament on high is his beauty; it is the beauty of heaven in a vision of glory. 2 The sun, at its appearance, announces its journey; it is an instrument of wonder, a work of the Most High. 3 At midday, it scorches the earth. And in the presence of its heat, who would be able to endure? It is like the custodian of a furnace in its works of heat. 4 In three ways, the sun acts: scorching the mountains, emitting fiery rays, and shining with its beams that can blind the eyes. 5 Great is the Lord who made it, and at his word, it hurries on its journey. 6 And the moon, in all its phases, serves to mark the seasons and to be a sign of the times. 7 From the moon is the sign of a feast day; it is a light which diminishes at its consummation. 8 A month is named according to its phases, increasing wonderfully at its culmination. 9 It is an instrument of the armies on high, shining gloriously in the firmament of heaven. 10 The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven; the Lord illuminates the world from on high. 11 At the words of the Holy One, they stand for judgment, and they will never fail in their vigilance. 12 Consider the rainbow, and bless the One who made it; it is very beautiful in its splendor. 13 It encompasses the heavens with the circle of its glory; the hands of the Most High made it appear. 14 By his order, he hastens the snow, and he spurs on the lightning to express his judgment. 15 In like manner, his storehouses are opened, and the clouds fly out like birds. 16 By his greatness, he has positioned the clouds, and the hailstones have been broken. 17 At his glance, the mountains will be shaken, and by his will, the south wind will blow. 18 The voice of his thunder will reverberate through the earth, by a storm from the north, and by a gathering of the whirlwind. 19 And like the birds landing in a flock upon the earth, he sends down the snow; and its descent is like the arrival of a swarm of locusts. 20 The eye is in wonder at the beauty of its whiteness, and the heart is astonished at its falling. 21 He will pour out frost like salt upon the earth. And when it freezes, it will become like the tops of thistles. 22 The cold north wind blows, and the water freezes into crystals; it will rest upon every gathering of water, and it will clothe the water like a breastplate. 23 And it will devour the mountains, and burn the wilderness, and extinguish the greenery, like a fire. 24 Relief for all is in the hurried arrival of a cloud. And the lowly dew will arrive to meet the heat and overpower it. 25 At his word, the wind grows quiet, and by his thought, he appeases the abyss, for the Lord has planted islands in it. 26 Let those who navigate the sea describe its perils. And when we have heard it with our ears, we will wonder. 27 There are illustrious and wondrous works: the various kinds of wild animals, and all manner of cattle, and the great creatures of the sea. 28 Through him, the end of their journey is confirmed, and by his word, all things fit together. 29 We can say much, and yet still lack for words. But the consummation of our words is this: He is in all things. 30 What would we be able to do to glorify him? For the Almighty himself is above all his own works. 31 The Lord is terrible, and exceedingly great, and his power is wonderful. 32 Glorify the Lord as much as you are able, yet still he will far exceed this. For his magnificence is beyond wonder. 33 Bless the Lord and exalt him, as much as you are able. But he is beyond all praise. 34 When you exalt him, use all your ability, and do not cease in this labor. For you can never comprehend him. 35 Who will see him and explain? And who will magnify him, as he is from the beginning? 36 There are many things, hidden from us, which are greater than these things. For we have seen but a few of his works. 37 But the Lord has made all things, and he has given wisdom to those who act with piety.