| 43 | Ecclesiasticus | ||
| 1 | The pride of the heavenly heights is the clear firmament, the appearance of heaven in a spectacle of glory. | ||
| 2 | The sun, when it appears, making proclamation as it goes forth, is a marvelous instrument, the work of the Most High. | ||
| 3 | At noon it parches the land; and who can withstand its burning heat? | ||
| 4 | A man tending a furnace works in burning heat, but the sun burns the mountains three times as much; it breathes out fiery vapors, and with bright beams it blinds the eyes. | ||
| 5 | Great is the Lord who made it; and at his command it hastens on its course. | ||
| 6 | He made the moon also, to serve in its season to mark the times and to be an everlasting sign. | ||
| 7 | From the moon comes the sign for feast days, a light that wanes when it has reached the full. | ||
| 8 | The month is named for the moon, increasing marvelously in its phases, an instrument of the hosts on high shining forth in the firmament of heaven. | ||
| 9 | The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven, a gleaming array in the heights of the Lord. | ||
| 10 | At the command of the Holy One they stand as ordered, they never relax in their watches. | ||
| 11 | Look upon the rainbow, and praise him who made it, exceedingly beautiful in its brightness. | ||
| 12 | It encircles the heaven with its glorious arc; the hands of the Most High have stretched it out. | ||
| 13 | By his command he sends the driving snow and speeds the lightnings of his judgment. | ||
| 14 | Therefore the storehouses are opened, and the clouds fly forth like birds. | ||
| 15 | In his majesty he amasses the clouds, and the hailstones are broken in pieces. | ||
| 16 | At his appearing the mountains are shaken; at his will the south wind blows. | ||
| 17 | The voice of his thunder rebukes the earth; so do the tempest from the north and the whirlwind. He scatters the snow like birds flying down, and its descent is like locusts alighting. | ||
| 18 | The eye marvels at the beauty of its whiteness, and the mind is amazed at its falling. | ||
| 19 | He pours the hoarfrost upon the earth like salt, and when it freezes, it becomes pointed thorns. | ||
| 20 | The cold north wind blows, and ice freezes over the water; it rests upon every pool of water, and the water puts it on like a breastplate. | ||
| 21 | He consumes the mountains and burns up the wilderness, and withers the tender grass like fire. | ||
| 22 | A mist quickly heals all things; when the dew appears, it refreshes from the heat. | ||
| 23 | By his counsel he stilled the great deep and planted islands in it. | ||
| 24 | Those who sail the sea tell of its dangers, and we marvel at what we hear. | ||
| 25 | for in it are strange and marvelous works, all kinds of living things, and huge creatures of the sea. | ||
| 26 | Because of him his messenger finds the way, and by his word all things hold together. | ||
| 27 | Though we speak much we cannot reach the end, and the sum of our words is: "He is the all." | ||
| 28 | Where shall we find strength to praise him? For he is greater than all his works. | ||
| 29 | Terrible is the Lord and very great, and marvelous is his power. | ||
| 30 | When you praise the Lord, exalt him as much as you can; for he will surpass even that. When you exalt him, put forth all your strength, and do not grow weary, for you cannot praise him enough. | ||
| 31 | Who has seen him and can describe him? Or who can extol him as he is? | ||
| 32 | Many things greater than these lie hidden, for we have seen but few of his works. | ||
| 33 | For the Lord has made all things, and to the godly he has granted wisdom. | ||
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