Sirach 43

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 Pride of the heights, a clear vault of the sky -- such is the beauty of the heavens, a glorious sight.	1 The pride of the height, the clear firmament, the beauty of heaven, with his glorious shew;
2 The sun, as he emerges, proclaims at his rising, 'How wonderful a thing, the work of the Most High!'	2 The sun when it appeareth, declaring at his rising a marvellous instrument, the work of the most High:
3 At his zenith, he parches the ground, who can withstand his blaze?	3 At noon it parcheth the country, and who can abide the burning heat thereof?
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.	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.
5 Great is the Lord who created him and whose word speeds him on his course.	5 Great is the Lord that made it; and at his commandment runneth hastily.
6 And then the moon, ever punctual to mark the times, an everlasting sign:	6 He made the moon also to serve in her season for a declaration of times, and a sign of the world.
7 It is the moon that signals the feasts, a luminary that wanes after being ful .	7 From the moon is the sign of feasts, a light that decreaseth in her perfection.
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.	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;
9 The glory of the stars makes the beauty of the sky, a brilliant adornment of the Lord on High.	9 The beauty of heaven, the glory of the stars, an ornament giving light in the highest places of the Lord.
10 At the words of the Holy One they stand as he decrees, and never grow slack at their watch.	10 At the commandment of the Holy One they will stand in their order, and never faint in their watches.
11 See the rainbow and praise its Maker, so superbly beautiful in its splendour.	11 Look upon the rainbow, and praise him that made it; very beautiful it is in the brightness thereof.
12 Across the sky it forms a glorious arc drawn by the hands of the Most High.	12 It compasseth the heaven about with a glorious circle, and the hands of the most High have bended it.
13 By his command he sends the snow, he speeds the lightning by his command.	13 By his commandment he maketh the snow to fall aplace, and sendeth swiftly the lightnings of his judgment.
14 In the same way, his treasuries open and the clouds fly out like birds.	14 Through this the treasures are opened: and clouds fly forth as fowls.
15 His great power solidifies the clouds, then pulverises them into hail.	15 By his great power he maketh the clouds firm, and the hailstones are broken small.
16 at the sight of him, the mountains quake. At his wil the south wind blows,or the storm from the northand the whirlwind.	16 At his sight the mountains are shaken, and at his will the south wind bloweth.
17 At the roar of his thunder, the earth writhes in labour,	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:
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.	18 The eye marvelleth at the beauty of the whiteness thereof, and the heart is astonished at the raining of it.
19 Over the earth, like salt, he also pours hoarfrost, which, when it freezes, bristles like thorns.	19 The hoarfrost also as salt he poureth on the earth, and being congealed, it lieth on the top of sharp stakes.
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.	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.
21 The wind swal ows up the mountains and scorches the desert, like a fire it consumes the vegetation.	21 It devoureth the mountains, and burneth the wilderness, and consumeth the grass as fire.
22 But cloud brings swift healing, and dew brings joy after the heat.	22 A present remedy of all is a mist coming speedily, a dew coming after heat refresheth.
23 By his own resourcefulness he has tamed the abyss, and planted it with islands.	23 By his counsel he appeaseth the deep, and planteth islands therein.
24 Those who sail the sea tell of its dangers, their accounts fill our ears with amazement:	24 They that sail on the sea tell of the danger thereof; and when we hear it with our ears, we marvel thereat.
25 for there too exist strange and wonderful works, animals of every kind and huge sea creatures.	25 For therein be strange and wondrous works, variety of all kinds of beasts and whales created.
26 Thanks to God, his messenger reaches port, everything works out according to his word.	26 By him the end of them hath prosperous success, and by his word all things consist.
27 We could say much more and stil fal short; to put it concisely, 'He is al .'	27 We may speak much, and yet come short: wherefore in sum, he is all.
28 Where shall we find sufficient power to glorify him, since he is the Great One, above al his works,	28 How shall we be able to magnify him? for he is great above all his works.
29 the awe-inspiring Lord, stupendously great, and wonderful in his power?	29 The Lord is terrible and very great, and marvellous 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.	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.
31 Who has ever seen him to describe him? Who can glorify him as he deserves?	31 Who hath seen him, that he might tell us? and who can magnify him as he is?
32 Many mysteries remain even greater than these, for we have seen only a few of his works,	32 There are yet hid greater things than these be, for we have seen but a few of his works.
33 the Lord himself having created al things and given wisdom to those who are devout.	33 For the Lord hath made all things; and to the godly hath he given wisdom.