Sirach · Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
Sirach 43 Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
Sirach is not in RV1909.
1 The firmament on high is his beauty, the beauty of heaven with its glorious shew.
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2 The sun when he appeareth shewing forth at his rising, an admirable instrument, the work of the most High.
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3 At noon he burneth the earth, and who can abide his burning heat? As one keeping a furnace in the works of heat:
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4 The sun three times as much, burneth the mountains, breathing out fiery vapours, and shining with his beams, he blindeth the eyes.
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5 Great is the Lord that made him, and at his words he hath hastened his course.
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6 And the moon in all in her season, is for a declaration of times and a sign of the world.
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7 From the moon is the sign of the festival day, a light that decreaseth in her perfection.
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8 The month is called after her name, increasing wonderfully in her perfection.
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9 Being an instrument of the armies on high, shining gloriously in the Armament of heaven.
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10 The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven; the Lord enlighteneth the world on high.
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11 By the words of the holy one they shall stand in judgment, and shall never fail in their watches.
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12 Look upon the rainbow, and bless him that made it: it is very beautiful in its brightness.
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13 It encompasseth the heaven about with the circle of its glory, the hands of the most High have displayed it.
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14 By his commandment he maketh the snow to fall apace, and sendeth forth swiftly the lightnings of his judgment.
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15 Through this are the treasures opened, and the clouds fly out like birds.
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16 By his greatness he hath fixed the clouds, and the hailstones are broken.
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17 At his sight shall the mountains be shaken, and at his will the south wind shall blow.
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18 The noise of his thunder shall strike the earth, so doth the northern storm, and the whirlwind:
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19 And as the birds lighting upon the earth, he scattereth snow, and the falling thereof, is as the coming down of locusts.
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20 The eye admireth at the beauty of the whiteness thereof, and the heart is astonished at the shower thereof.
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21 He shall pour frost as salt upon the earth: and when it freezeth, it shall become like the tops of thistles.
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22 The cold north wind bloweth, and the water is congealed into crystal; upon every gathering together of waters it shall rest, and shall clothe the waters as a breastplate.
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23 And it shall devour the mountains, and burn the wilderness, and consume all that is green as with fire.
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24 A present remedy of all is the speedy coming of a cloud, and a dew that meeteth it, by the heat that cometh, shall overpower it.
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25 At his word the wind is still, and with his thought he appeaseth the deep, and the Lord hath planted islands therein.
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26 Let them that sail on the sea, tell the dangers thereof: and when we hear with our ears, we shall admire.
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27 There are great and wonderful works: a variety of beasts, and of all living things, and the monstrous creatures of whales.
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28 Through him is established the end of their journey, and by his word all things are regulated.
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29 We shall say much, and yet shall want words: but the sum of our words is, He is all.
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30 What shall we be able to do to glorify him? for the Almighty himself is above all his works.
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31 The Lord is terrible, and exceeding great, and his power is admirable.
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32 Glorify the Lord as much as ever you can, for he will yet far exceed, and his magnificence is wonderful.
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33 Blessing the Lord, exalt him as much as you can: for he is above all praise.
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34 When you exalt him put forth all your strength, and be not weary: for you can never go far enough.
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35 Who shall see him, and declare him? and who shall magnify him as he is from the beginning?
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36 There are many things hidden from us that are greater than these: for we have seen but a few of his works.
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37 But the Lord hath made all things, and to the godly he hath given wisdom.
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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)