Ecclesiasticus, 43

1. The pride of the height, the clear firmament, the beauty of heaven, with his glorious shew;

1. The pride of the heights above is the clear firmament. How glorious is the spectacle of the heavens!

2. The sun when it appeareth, declaring at his rising a marvellous instrument, the work of the most High:

2. When the sun rises and appears, it proclaims: "I am your marvelous work, Most High!"

3. At noon it parcheth the country, and who can abide the burning heat thereof?

3. At noon, it dries up the land; who can bear its burning heat?

4. A man blowing a furnace is in works of heat, but the sun burneth the mountains three times more; breathing out fiery vapours, and sending forth bright beams, it dimmeth the eyes.

4. You may stoke a furnace to produce heat, but three times greater is the heat of the sun burning the mountains, and sending out fiery vapors, blinding the eyes with its rays.

5. Great is the Lord that made it; and at his commandment runneth hastily.

5. How great is the Lord who made it and whose word directs its rapid course!

6. He made the moon also to serve in her season for a declaration of times, and a sign of the world.

6. He also made the moon, exact in marking the months and the passage of time.

7. From the moon is the sign of feasts, a light that decreaseth in her perfection.

7. With its full light gradually decreasing, the moon determines and rules over the feast days.

8. The month is called after her name, increasing wonderfully in her changing, being an instrument of the armies above, shining in the firmament of heaven;

8. The month also takes its name from the moon. How marvelously does it increase in its phases, providing a signal for the heavenly hosts, brightly shining in the expanse of the sky!

9. The beauty of heaven, the glory of the stars, an ornament giving light in the highest places of the Lord.

9. The bright radiance of the stars accounts for the beauty of the sky. What a brilliant ornament they are for the heights of the Lord!

10. At the commandment of the Holy One they will stand in their order, and never faint in their watches.

10. At the command of the All Holy they stand as appointed and never fail to keep watch.

11. Look upon the rainbow, and praise him that made it; very beautiful it is in the brightness thereof.

11. Look at the rainbow and praise the One who made it. How magnificent it is in splendor!

12. It compasseth the heaven about with a glorious circle, and the hands of the most High have bended it.

12. It forms a circle of glory in the sky, a bow that is bent by the hands of its Maker.

13. By his commandment he maketh the snow to fall aplace, and sendeth swiftly the lightnings of his judgment.

13. At his order the snow falls and lightning strikes according to his decrees.

14. Through this the treasures are opened: and clouds fly forth as fowls.

14. The storerooms of heaven are opened and clouds fly away like birds.

15. By his great power he maketh the clouds firm, and the hailstones are broken small.

15. It is his power that thickens the clouds, making them freeze and break into hailstones.

16. At his sight the mountains are shaken, and at his will the south wind bloweth.

16. At his will the south wind blows,

17. The noise of the thunder maketh the earth to tremble: so doth the northern storm and the whirlwind: as birds flying he scattereth the snow, and the falling down thereof is as the lighting of grasshoppers:

17. as do cyclones and hurricanes from the north.

18. The eye marvelleth at the beauty of the whiteness thereof, and the heart is astonished at the raining of it.

18. The snow flutters down like birds and alights on the ground like locusts. The eye marvels at the beauty of its whiteness and the mind is amazed to see it fall.

19. The hoarfrost also as salt he poureth on the earth, and being congealed, it lieth on the top of sharp stakes.

19. He sprinkles frost on the earth like salt; it freezes and becomes like thorny spikes.

20. When the cold north wind bloweth, and the water is congealed into ice, it abideth upon every gathering together of water, and clotheth the water as with a breastplate.

20. The cold north wind blows and turns the water into ice. Ice forms on all stagnant water giving it a freezing coat of armor.

21. It devoureth the mountains, and burneth the wilderness, and consumeth the grass as fire.

21. He wears down the mountains and scorches the desert, withering the green grass as if by fire.

22. A present remedy of all is a mist coming speedily, a dew coming after heat refresheth.

22. A mist is a timely remedy, and dew after the heat restores it all to life.

23. By his counsel he appeaseth the deep, and planteth islands therein.

23. According to his plan he stilled the great deep and planted islands in it.

24. They that sail on the sea tell of the danger thereof; and when we hear it with our ears, we marvel thereat.

24. Those who cross the seas tell of its dangers, and we listen in astonishment to what they relate:

25. For therein be strange and wondrous works, variety of all kinds of beasts and whales created.

25. It is all about strange and marvelous adventures with marine animals and monsters of all kinds.

26. By him the end of them hath prosperous success, and by his word all things consist.

26. Thanks be to God, all turns out well and everything is held together by his word.

27. We may speak much, and yet come short: wherefore in sum, he is all.

27. We shall not give further examples; one last word: He is everything.

28. How shall we be able to magnify him? for he is great above all his works.

28. Where shall we find the strength to glorify him? For he is the Mighty One, greater than all his works.

29. The Lord is terrible and very great, and marvellous is his power.

29. The Lord is awesome and sovereignly great, and admirable in his power.

30. When ye glorify the Lord, exalt him as much as ye can; for even yet will he far exceed: and when ye exalt him, put forth all your strength, and be not weary; for ye can never go far enough.

30. Let your praise exalt the Lord as best you can, he is greater than you could even express. Honor him with all your strength and do not tire, for you can never praise him enough.

31. Who hath seen him, that he might tell us? and who can magnify him as he is?

31. Who has seen him and can describe what he has seen? Who can glorify him as he merits?

32. There are yet hid greater things than these be, for we have seen but a few of his works.

32. Many mysteries greater than these still remain, for we have only seen a fraction of his works. The Lord has created all things and to upright men he has given wisdom.

33. For the Lord hath made all things; and to the godly hath he given wisdom.

33.