Sirach · Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
Sirach 43 Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
DRB Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
1 The firmament on high is his beauty, the beauty of heaven with its glorious shew.
1 The pride of the heavenly heights is the clear sky, the appearance of heaven, in the spectacle of its glory.
2 The sun when he appeareth shewing forth at his rising, an admirable instrument, the 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 noon he burneth the earth, and who can abide his burning heat? As one keeping a furnace in the works of heat:
3 At noon, it dries up the land. Who can stand against its burning heat?
4 The sun three times as much, burneth the mountains, breathing out fiery vapours, and shining with his beams, he blindeth 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 that made him, and at his words he hath hastened his course.
5 Great is the Lord who made it. At his word, he hastens on its course.
6 And the moon in all in her season, is for a declaration of times and a sign of the world.
6 The moon marks the changing seasons, declares times, and is a sign for the world.
7 From the moon is the sign of the festival day, a light that decreaseth in her perfection.
7 From the moon is the sign of feast days, a light that wanes when it completes its course.
8 The month is called after her name, increasing wonderfully in her perfection.
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 Being an instrument of the armies on high, shining gloriously in the Armament 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 enlighteneth the world on high.
10 At the word of the Holy One, they will stand in due order. They won’t faint in their watches.
11 By the words of the holy one they shall stand in judgment, and shall never fail in their watches.
11 Look at the rainbow, and praise him who made it. It is exceedingly beautiful in its brightness.
12 Look upon the rainbow, and bless him that made it: it is very beautiful in its brightness.
12 It encircles the sky with its glorious circle. The hands of the Most High have stretched it out.
13 It encompasseth the heaven about with the circle of its glory, the hands of the most High have displayed it.
13 By his commandment, he makes the snow fall and swiftly sends the lightnings of his judgment.
14 By his commandment he maketh the snow to fall apace, and sendeth forth swiftly the lightnings of his judgment.
14 Therefore the storehouses are opened, and clouds fly out like birds.
15 Through this are the treasures 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 hath fixed the clouds, and the hailstones are broken.
16 At his appearing, the mountains will be shaken. At his will, the south wind will blow.
17 At his sight shall the mountains be shaken, and at his will the south wind shall 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 noise of his thunder shall strike the earth, so doth the northern storm, and the whirlwind:
18 The eye is dazzled at the beauty of its whiteness. The heart is amazed as it falls.
19 And as the birds lighting upon the earth, he scattereth snow, and the falling thereof, is as the coming down 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 admireth at the beauty of the whiteness thereof, and the heart is astonished at the shower thereof.
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 shall pour frost as salt upon the earth: and when it freezeth, it shall 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 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.
22 A mist coming speedily heals all things. A dew coming after heat brings cheerfulness.
23 And it shall devour the mountains, and burn the wilderness, and consume all that is green as with fire.
23 By his counsel, he has calmed the deep and planted islands in it.
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.
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 is still, and with his thought he appeaseth the deep, and the Lord hath planted islands therein.
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 them that sail on the sea, tell the dangers thereof: and when we hear with our ears, we shall admire.
26 Because of him, his messengers succeed. By his word, all things hold together.
27 There are great and wonderful works: a variety of beasts, and of all living things, and the monstrous creatures of whales.
27 We may say many things, but couldn’t say enough. The summary of our words is, “He is everything!”
28 Through him is established the end of their journey, and by his word all things are regulated.
28 How could we have strength to glorify him? For he is himself the greater than all his works.
29 We shall say much, and yet shall want words: but the sum of our words is, He is all.
29 The Lord is awesome and exceedingly great! His power is marvelous!
30 What shall we be able to do to glorify him? for the Almighty himself is above all his 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 exceeding great, and his power is admirable.
31 Who has seen him, that he may describe him? Who can magnify him as he is?
32 Glorify the Lord as much as ever you can, for he will yet far exceed, and his magnificence is wonderful.
32 Many things greater than these are hidden, for we have seen just a few of his works.
33 Blessing the Lord, exalt him as much as you can: for he is above all praise.
33 For the Lord made all things. He gave wisdom to the godly.
34 When you exalt him put forth all your strength, and be not weary: for you can never go far enough.
34 Not in this translation
35 Who shall see him, and declare him? and who shall magnify him as he is from the beginning?
35 Not in this translation
36 There are many things hidden from us that are greater than these: for we have seen but a few of his works.
36 Not in this translation
37 But the Lord hath made all things, and to the godly he hath given wisdom.
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)