Sirach · Catholic Public Domain Version
Sirach 43 Catholic Public Domain Version
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
1 The firmament on high is his beauty; it is the beauty of heaven in a vision of glory.
1 The pride of the heavenly heights is the clear sky, the appearance of heaven, in the spectacle of its glory.
2 The sun, at its appearance, announces its journey; it is an instrument of wonder, a work of the Most High.
2 The sun, when it appears, bringing tidings as it rises, is a marvelous instrument, the 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.
3 At noon, it dries up the land. Who can stand against its burning heat?
4 In three ways, the sun acts: scorching the mountains, emitting fiery rays, and shining with its beams that can blind the eyes.
4 A man tending a furnace is in burning heat, but the sun three times more, burning up the mountains, breathing out fiery vapors, and sending out bright beams, it blinds the eyes.
5 Great is the Lord who made it, and at his word, it hurries on its journey.
5 Great is the Lord who made it. At his word, he hastens on its course.
6 And the moon, in all its phases, serves to mark the seasons and to be a sign of the times.
6 The moon marks the changing seasons, declares times, and is a sign for the world.
7 From the moon is the sign of a feast day; it is a light which diminishes at its consummation.
7 From the moon is the sign of feast days, a light that wanes when it completes its course.
8 A month is named according to its phases, increasing wonderfully at its culmination.
8 The month is called after its name, increasing wonderfully in its changing— an instrument of the army on high, shining in the structure of heaven,
9 It is an instrument of the armies on high, shining gloriously in the firmament of heaven.
9 the beauty of heaven, the glory of the stars, an ornament giving light in the highest places of the Lord.
10 The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven; the Lord illuminates the world from on high.
10 At the word of the Holy One, they will stand in due order. They won’t faint in their watches.
11 At the words of the Holy One, they stand for judgment, and they will never fail in their vigilance.
11 Look at the rainbow, and praise him who made it. It is exceedingly beautiful in its brightness.
12 Consider the rainbow, and bless the One who made it; it is very beautiful in its splendor.
12 It encircles the sky with its glorious circle. The hands of the Most High have stretched it out.
13 It encompasses the heavens with the circle of its glory; the hands of the Most High made it appear.
13 By his commandment, he makes the snow fall and swiftly sends the lightnings of his judgment.
14 By his order, he hastens the snow, and he spurs on the lightning to express his judgment.
14 Therefore the storehouses are opened, and clouds fly out like birds.
15 In like manner, his storehouses are opened, and the clouds fly out like birds.
15 By his mighty power, he makes the clouds strong and the hailstones are broken in pieces.
16 By his greatness, he has positioned the clouds, and the hailstones have been broken.
16 At his appearing, the mountains will be shaken. At his will, the south wind will blow.
17 At his glance, the mountains will be shaken, and by his will, the south wind will blow.
17 The voice of his thunder rebukes the earth. So does the northern storm and the whirlwind. Like birds flying down, he sprinkles the snow. It falls down like the lighting of locusts.
18 The voice of his thunder will reverberate through the earth, by a storm from the north, and by a gathering of the whirlwind.
18 The eye is dazzled at the beauty of its whiteness. The heart is amazed as it falls.
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.
19 He also pours out frost on the earth like salt. When it is freezes, it has points like thorns.
20 The eye is in wonder at the beauty of its whiteness, and the heart is astonished at its falling.
20 The cold north wind blows and ice freezes on the water. It settles on every pool of water. The water puts it on like it was a breastplate.
21 He will pour out frost like salt upon the earth. And when it freezes, it will become like the tops of thistles.
21 It will devour the mountains, burn up the wilderness, and consume the green grass like fire.
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.
22 A mist coming speedily heals all things. A dew coming after heat brings cheerfulness.
23 And it will devour the mountains, and burn the wilderness, and extinguish the greenery, like a fire.
23 By his counsel, he has calmed the deep and planted islands in it.
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.
24 Those who sail on the sea tell of its dangers. We marvel when we hear it with our ears.
25 At his word, the wind grows quiet, and by his thought, he appeases the abyss, for the Lord has planted islands in it.
25 There are also those strange and wondrous works in it— variety of all that has life and the huge creatures of the sea.
26 Let those who navigate the sea describe its perils. And when we have heard it with our ears, we will wonder.
26 Because of him, his messengers succeed. By his word, all things hold together.
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.
27 We may say many things, but couldn’t say enough. The summary of our words is, “He is everything!”
28 Through him, the end of their journey is confirmed, and by his word, all things fit together.
28 How could we have strength to glorify him? For he is himself the greater than all his works.
29 We can say much, and yet still lack for words. But the consummation of our words is this: He is in all things.
29 The Lord is awesome and exceedingly great! His power is marvelous!
30 What would we be able to do to glorify him? For the Almighty himself is above all his own works.
30 Glorify the Lord and exalt him as much as you can! For even yet, he will surpass that. When you exalt him, summon your full strength. Don’t be weary, because you can’t praise him enough.
31 The Lord is terrible, and exceedingly great, and his power is wonderful.
31 Who has seen him, that he may describe him? Who can magnify him as he is?
32 Glorify the Lord as much as you are able, yet still he will far exceed this. For his magnificence is beyond wonder.
32 Many things greater than these are hidden, for we have seen just a few of his works.
33 Bless the Lord and exalt him, as much as you are able. But he is beyond all praise.
33 For the Lord made all things. He gave wisdom to the godly.
34 When you exalt him, use all your ability, and do not cease in this labor. For you can never comprehend him.
34 Not in this translation
35 Who will see him and explain? And who will magnify him, as he is from the beginning?
35 Not in this translation
36 There are many things, hidden from us, which are greater than these things. For we have seen but a few of his works.
36 Not in this translation
37 But the Lord has made all things, and he has given wisdom to those who act with piety.
37 Not in this translation
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… powerless to express in words our gratitude for the benefits which we are actually receiving; for He "passes all understanding," and convicts speech of its natural inability even to approach His dignity in the least degree; as it is written in the Book of Wisdom, "Exalt Him as much as you can, for even yet will He far exceed; and …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)