Sirach 43

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 The clear vault of the sky shines forth like heaven itself, a vision of glory.	1 Pride of the heights, a clear vault of the sky -- such is the beauty of the heavens, a glorious sight.
2 The orb of the sun, resplendent at its rising: what a wonderful work of the Most High!	2 The sun, as he emerges, proclaims at his rising, 'How wonderful a thing, the work of the Most High!'
3 At noon it seethes the surface of the earth, and who can bear its fiery heat?	3 At his zenith, he parches the ground, who can withstand his blaze?
4 Like a blazing furnace of solid metal, it sets the mountains aflame with its rays; By its fiery darts the land is consumed; the eyes are dazzled by its light.	4 We have to blow the furnace to produce any heat, the sun burns the mountains three times as much;breathing out blasts of fire, flashing his rays, he dazzles the eyes.
5 Great indeed is the LORD who made it, at whose orders it urges on its steeds.	5 Great is the Lord who created him and whose word speeds him on his course.
6 The moon, too, that marks the changing times, governing the seasons, their lasting sign,	6 And then the moon, ever punctual to mark the times, an everlasting sign:
7 By which we know the feast days and fixed dates, this light-giver which wanes in its course:	7 It is the moon that signals the feasts, a luminary that wanes after being ful .
8 As its name says, each month it renews itself; how wondrous in this change!	8 The month derives its name from hers, she waxes wonderful y in her phases, banner of the hosts onhigh, shining in the vault of heaven.
9 The beauty, the glory, of the heavens are the stars that adorn with their sparkling the heights of God,	9 The glory of the stars makes the beauty of the sky, a brilliant adornment of the Lord on High.
10 At whose command they keep their place and never relax in their vigils. A weapon against the flood waters stored on high, lighting up the firmament by its brilliance,	10 At the words of the Holy One they stand as he decrees, and never grow slack at their watch.
11 Behold the rainbow! Then bless its Maker, for majestic indeed is its splendor;	11 See the rainbow and praise its Maker, so superbly beautiful in its splendour.
12 It spans the heavens with its glory, this bow bent by the mighty hand of God.	12 Across the sky it forms a glorious arc drawn by the hands of the Most High.
13 His rebuke marks out the path for the lightning, and speeds the arrows of his judgment to their goal.	13 By his command he sends the snow, he speeds the lightning by his command.
14 At it the storehouse is opened, and like vultures the clouds hurry forth.	14 In the same way, his treasuries open and the clouds fly out like birds.
15 In his majesty he gives the storm its power and breaks off the hailstones.	15 His great power solidifies the clouds, then pulverises them into hail.
16 The thunder of his voice makes the earth writhe; before his might the mountains quake.	16 at the sight of him, the mountains quake. At his wil the south wind blows,or the storm from the northand the whirlwind.
17 A word from him drives on the south wind, the angry north wind, the hurricane and the storm.	17 At the roar of his thunder, the earth writhes in labour,
18 He sprinkles the snow like fluttering birds; it comes to settle like swarms of locusts.	18 He sprinkles snow like birds alighting, it comes down like locusts settling. The eye marvels at thebeauty of its whiteness, and the mind is amazed at its falling.
19 Its shining whiteness blinds the eyes, the mind is baffled by its steady fall.	19 Over the earth, like salt, he also pours hoarfrost, which, when it freezes, bristles like thorns.
20 He scatters frost like so much salt; it shines like blossoms on the thornbush.	20 The cold wind blows from the north, and ice forms on the water; it forms on every piece of standingwater, covering it like a breastplate.
21 Cold northern blasts he sends that turn the ponds to lumps of ice. He freezes over every body of water, and clothes each pool with a coat of mail.	21 The wind swal ows up the mountains and scorches the desert, like a fire it consumes the vegetation.
22 When the mountain growth is scorched with heat, and the flowering plains as though by flames,	22 But cloud brings swift healing, and dew brings joy after the heat.
23 The dripping clouds restore them all, and the scattered dew enriches the parched land.	23 By his own resourcefulness he has tamed the abyss, and planted it with islands.
24 His is the plan that calms the deep, and plants the islands in the sea.	24 Those who sail the sea tell of its dangers, their accounts fill our ears with amazement:
25 Those who go down to the sea tell part of its story, and when we hear them we are thunderstruck;	25 for there too exist strange and wonderful works, animals of every kind and huge sea creatures.
26 In it are his creatures, stupendous, amazing, all kinds of life, and the monsters of the deep.	26 Thanks to God, his messenger reaches port, everything works out according to his word.
27 For him each messenger succeeds, and at his bidding accomplishes his will.	27 We could say much more and stil fal short; to put it concisely, 'He is al .'
28 More than this we need not add; let the last word be, he is all in all!	28 Where shall we find sufficient power to glorify him, since he is the Great One, above al his works,
29 Let us praise him the more, since we cannot fathom him, for greater is he than all his works;	29 the awe-inspiring Lord, stupendously great, and wonderful in his power?
30 Awful indeed is the LORD'S majesty, and wonderful is his power.	30 Exalt the Lord in your praises as high as you may -- stil he surpasses you. Exert al your strengthwhen you exalt him, do not grow tired -- you wil never come to the end.
31 Lift up your voices to glorify the LORD, though he is still beyond your power to praise;	31 Who has ever seen him to describe him? Who can glorify him as he deserves?
32 Extol him with renewed strength, and weary not, though you cannot reach the end:	32 Many mysteries remain even greater than these, for we have seen only a few of his works,
33 For who can see him and describe him? or who can praise him as he is?	33 the Lord himself having created al things and given wisdom to those who are devout.
34 Beyond these, many things lie hid; only a few of his works have we seen.
35 It is the LORD who has made all things, and to those who fear him he gives wisdom.