Ecclesiasticus
Chapter 43
God's incomparable excellency appeareth in the heavens, ℣.2 in the sun, ℣.6 moon, ℣.9 other stars, ℣.12 rainbow. ℣.14 snow, ℣.15 clouds, ℣.16 hail. ℣.17 wind. ℣.18 thunder, ℣.21 frost ℣.22 crystal, ℣.24 dew, ℣.26 the sea, and innumerable things therein. ℣.29 No man is able to praise God sufficiently.
- 1
The firmament of height is his beauty, the beauty of heaven is in the vision of glory.
- 2
The sun in sight declaring at his coming forth, a marvelous instrument, the work of the Highest.
- 3
At noon it burneth the earth, and who can abide in the presence of the heat thereof: keeping a furnace in the works of heat:
- 4
the sun three times so much burning the mountains, casting out fiery beams, and shining with his beams blindeth the eyes.
- 5
Great is our Lord that made it, and by his words it hath hastened his course.
- 6
And the moon in all in her time, is the shewing of season and the sign of age.
- 7
By the moon is the sign of a festival day, a light that diminisheth in consummation.
- 8
The month is according to her name, increasing marvelously in consummation.
- 9
An instrument of the camp on high, shining gloriously in the firmament of heaven.
- 10
The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven, our Lord illuminating the world on high.
- 11
In the words of the holy one they shall stand to judgement, and shall not fail in their watches.
- 12
See the bow, and bless him that made it: it is very beautiful in his brightness.
- 13
It hath compassed heaven in the circuit of his glory, the hands of the Highest have opened it.
- 14
But by his commandment he hath hastened snow, & he hasteth to send forth the lightnings of his judgement.
- 15
Therefore are the treasures opened, & the clouds fly forth as birds.
- 16
By his greatness he hath set the clouds, & the hailstones are broken.
- 17
In his sight the mountains shall be moved, & at his will the south wind hath blown.
- 18
The noise of his thunder shall beat the earth, the tempest of the northwind, and the gathering together of wind:
- 19
and as the bird lighting down to sit, he scattereth snow, and the falling thereof, is as the locust diving downward.
- 20
The eye shall admire the beauty of the whiteness thereof, and the heart quaketh at the shower thereof.
- 21
He shall pour out frost upon the earth as salt: and when it freezeth, it shall be made as the tops of a thistle.
- 22
The cold north wind blew, & of water there froze crystal, upon all gathering together of waters it shall rest, & as a breast plate it shall put it self upon the waters.
- 23
And it shall devour the mountains, & burn the desert, & extinguish that which is green as fire.
- 24
The remedy of all is in the hasty coming of a cloud, and a dew meeting it by the heat that cometh, shall make it quail.
- 25
At his word the wind was still, and with his thought he appeased the depth, and our Lord planted Islands therein.
- 26
They that sail on the sea, tell the perils thereof: & hearing with our ears we shall marvel.
- 27
There are goodly works, & marvelous: diverse kinds of beasts, & of all cattle, & the creature of mighty beasts.
- 28
Through him is the end of their journey confirmed, and by his word all things are set in order.
- 29
We shall say many things, & shall fail in words; but the sum of our words is, He is in all.
- 30
Glorifying him how far shall we be able? For the omnipotent himself is above all his works.
- 31
Our Lord is terrible, & exceeding great, & his might is marvelous.
- 32
Glorifying our Lord as much as ever you can, he shall yet surpass, and his magnificence is marvelous.
- 33
Blessing our Lord, exalt him as much as you can: for he is greater than all praise.
- 34
Exalting him be ye replenished with strength. Labour not: for you shall not comprehend.
- 35
Who shall see him, and shall declare him? And who shall magnify him as he is from the beginning?
- 36
Many things hid are greater than these: for we have seen few of his works.
- 37
But our Lord made all things, and to them that live piously he hath given wisdom.