Sirach 43
The passage describes the beauty and wonder of God's creation, including the sun, moon, stars, and natural phenomena such as snow, hail, and frost. It highlights the power and majesty of God, who controls the forces of nature and has created all things. The passage concludes by acknowledging the limitations of human understanding and the infinite greatness of God, encouraging readers to glorify and praise Him as much as possible.
1The firmament on high is his beauty; it is the beauty of heaven in a vision of glory2The sun, at its appearance, announces its journey; it is an instrument of wonder, a work of the Most High3At 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 heat4In three ways, the sun acts: scorching the mountains, emitting fiery rays, and shining with its beams that can blind the eyes5Great is the Lord who made it, and at his word, it hurries on its journey6And the moon, in all its phases, serves to mark the seasons and to be a sign of the times7From the moon is the sign of a feast day; it is a light which diminishes at its consummation8A month is named according to its phases, increasing wonderfully at its culmination9It is an instrument of the armies on high, shining gloriously in the firmament of heaven10The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven; the Lord illuminates the world from on high11At the words of the Holy One, they stand for judgment, and they will never fail in their vigilance12Consider the rainbow, and bless the One who made it; it is very beautiful in its splendor13It encompasses the heavens with the circle of its glory; the hands of the Most High made it appear14By his order, he hastens the snow, and he spurs on the lightning to express his judgment15In like manner, his storehouses are opened, and the clouds fly out like birds16By his greatness, he has positioned the clouds, and the hailstones have been broken17At his glance, the mountains will be shaken, and by his will, the south wind will blow18The voice of his thunder will reverberate through the earth, by a storm from the north, and by a gathering of the whirlwind19And 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 locusts20The eye is in wonder at the beauty of its whiteness, and the heart is astonished at its falling21He will pour out frost like salt upon the earth. And when it freezes, it will become like the tops of thistles22The 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 breastplate23And it will devour the mountains, and burn the wilderness, and extinguish the greenery, like a fire24Relief for all is in the hurried arrival of a cloud. And the lowly dew will arrive to meet the heat and overpower it25At his word, the wind grows quiet, and by his thought, he appeases the abyss, for the Lord has planted islands in it26Let those who navigate the sea describe its perils. And when we have heard it with our ears, we will wonder27There are illustrious and wondrous works: the various kinds of wild animals, and all manner of cattle, and the great creatures of the sea28Through him, the end of their journey is confirmed, and by his word, all things fit together29We can say much, and yet still lack for words. But the consummation of our words is this: He is in all things30What would we be able to do to glorify him? For the Almighty himself is above all his own works31The Lord is terrible, and exceedingly great, and his power is wonderful32Glorify the Lord as much as you are able, yet still he will far exceed this. For his magnificence is beyond wonder33Bless the Lord and exalt him, as much as you are able. But he is beyond all praise34When you exalt him, use all your ability, and do not cease in this labor. For you can never comprehend him35Who will see him and explain? And who will magnify him, as he is from the beginning36There are many things, hidden from us, which are greater than these things. For we have seen but a few of his works37But the Lord has made all things, and he has given wisdom to those who act with piety
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