Sirach 43

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	JERUSALEM
1 The firmament on high is his beauty; it is the beauty of heaven in a vision of glory.	1 Orgueil des hauteurs, firmament de clarté, tel apparaît le ciel dans son spectacle de gloire.
2 The sun, at its appearance, announces its journey; it is an instrument of wonder, a work of the Most High.	2 Le soleil, en se montrant, proclame dès son lever: "Quelle merveille que l'oeuvre du Très-Haut!"
3 At 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 heat.	3 A son midi il dessèche la terre, qui peut résister à son ardeur?
4 In three ways, the sun acts: scorching the mountains, emitting fiery rays, and shining with its beams that can blind the eyes.	4 On attise la fournaise pour produire la chaleur, le soleil brûle trois fois plus les montagnes;exhalant des vapeurs brûlantes, dardant ses rayons, il éblouit les yeux.
5 Great is the Lord who made it, and at his word, it hurries on its journey.	5 Il est grand, le Seigneur qui l'a créé et dont la parole dirige sa course rapide.
6 And the moon, in all its phases, serves to mark the seasons and to be a sign of the times.	6 La lune aussi, toujours exacte à marquer les temps, signe éternel.
7 From the moon is the sign of a feast day; it is a light which diminishes at its consummation.	7 C'est la lune qui marque les fêtes, cet astre qui décroît, après son plein.
8 A month is named according to its phases, increasing wonderfully at its culmination.	8 C'est d'elle que le mois tire son nom; elle croît étonnamment en sa révolution, enseigne desarmées célestes, brillant au firmament du ciel.
9 It is an instrument of the armies on high, shining gloriously in the firmament of heaven.	9 La gloire des astres fait la beauté du ciel; ils ornent brillamment les hauteurs du Seigneur.
10 The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven; the Lord illuminates the world from on high.	10 Sur la parole du Saint ils se tiennent selon son ordre et ne relâchent pas leur faction.
11 At the words of the Holy One, they stand for judgment, and they will never fail in their vigilance.	11 Vois l'arc-en-ciel et bénis son auteur, il est magnifique dans sa splendeur.
12 Consider the rainbow, and bless the One who made it; it is very beautiful in its splendor.	12 Il forme dans le ciel un cercle de gloire, les mains du Très-Haut l'ont tendu.
13 It encompasses the heavens with the circle of its glory; the hands of the Most High made it appear.	13 Par son ordre il fait tomber la neige, il lance les éclairs selon ses décrets.
14 By his order, he hastens the snow, and he spurs on the lightning to express his judgment.	14 C'est ainsi que s'ouvrent ses réserves et que s'envolent les nuages comme des oiseaux.
15 In like manner, his storehouses are opened, and the clouds fly out like birds.	15 Sa puissance épaissit les nuages, qui se pulvérisent en grêlons;
16 By his greatness, he has positioned the clouds, and the hailstones have been broken.	16 à sa vue les montagnes sont ébranlées; à sa volonté souffle le vent du sud,
17 At his glance, the mountains will be shaken, and by his will, the south wind will blow.	17 à la voix de son tonnerre la terre entre en travail; comme l'ouragan du nord et les cyclones.
18 The voice of his thunder will reverberate through the earth, by a storm from the north, and by a gathering of the whirlwind.	18 Comme des oiseaux qui se posent il fait descendre la neige, elle s'abat comme dessauterelles. L'oeil s'émerveille devant l'éclat de sa blancheur et l'esprit s'étonne de la voir tomber.
19 And 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 locusts.	19 Il déverse encore sur la terre, comme du sel, le givre que le gel change en pointes d'épines.
20 The eye is in wonder at the beauty of its whiteness, and the heart is astonished at its falling.	20 Le vent froid du nord souffle, la glace se forme sur l'eau; elle se pose sur toute eaudormante, la revêt comme une cuirasse.
21 He will pour out frost like salt upon the earth. And when it freezes, it will become like the tops of thistles.	21 Il dévore les montagnes et brûle le désert, il consume la verdure comme un feu.
22 The 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 breastplate.	22 Le nuage est un prompt remède, la rosée, après la canicule, rend la joie.
23 And it will devour the mountains, and burn the wilderness, and extinguish the greenery, like a fire.	23 Selon un plan il a dompté l'abîme et il y a planté les îles.
24 Relief for all is in the hurried arrival of a cloud. And the lowly dew will arrive to meet the heat and overpower it.	24 Ceux qui parcourent la mer en content les dangers; leurs récits nous remplissentd'étonnement:
25 At his word, the wind grows quiet, and by his thought, he appeases the abyss, for the Lord has planted islands in it.	25 ce ne sont qu'aventures étranges et merveilleuses, animaux de toutes sortes et monstresmarins.
26 Let those who navigate the sea describe its perils. And when we have heard it with our ears, we will wonder.	26 Grâce à Dieu son messager arrive à bon port, et tout s'arrange selon sa parole.
27 There are illustrious and wondrous works: the various kinds of wild animals, and all manner of cattle, and the great creatures of the sea.	27 Nous pourrions nous étendre sans épuiser le sujet; en un mot: "Il est toutes choses."
28 Through him, the end of their journey is confirmed, and by his word, all things fit together.	28 Où trouver la force de le glorifier? Car il est le Grand, au-dessus de toutes ses oeuvres,
29 We can say much, and yet still lack for words. But the consummation of our words is this: He is in all things.	29 Seigneur redoutable et souverainement grand, dont la puissance est admirable.
30 What would we be able to do to glorify him? For the Almighty himself is above all his own works.	30 Que vos louanges exaltent le Seigneur, selon votre pouvoir, car il vous dépasse. Pourl'exalter déployez vos forces, ne vous lassez pas, car vous n'en finirez pas.
31 The Lord is terrible, and exceedingly great, and his power is wonderful.	31 Qui l'a vu et pourrait en rendre compte? Qui peut le glorifier comme il le mérite?
32 Glorify the Lord as much as you are able, yet still he will far exceed this. For his magnificence is beyond wonder.	32 Il reste beaucoup de mystères plus grands que ceux-là, car nous n'avons vu qu'un petitnombre de ses oeuvres.
33 Bless the Lord and exalt him, as much as you are able. But he is beyond all praise.	33 Car c'est le Seigneur qui a tout créé, et aux hommes pieux il a donné la sagesse.
34 When you exalt him, use all your ability, and do not cease in this labor. For you can never comprehend him.
35 Who will see him and explain? And who will magnify him, as he is from the beginning?
36 There are many things, hidden from us, which are greater than these things. For we have seen but a few of his works.
37 But the Lord has made all things, and he has given wisdom to those who act with piety.