top Wisdom of Sirach ch 43

Chapter 43

1 Γαυρίαμα ὕψους στερέωμα καθαριότητος, εἶδος οὐρανοῦ ἐν ὁράματι δόξης. 1 The pride of the height, the clear firmament, the beauty of heaven, with his glorious shew;
2 ἥλιος ἐν ὀπτασίᾳ διαγγέλλων ἐν ἐξόδῳ σκεῦος θαυμαστόν, ἔργον ὑψίστου· 2 The sun when it appeareth, declaring at his rising a marvellous instrument, the work of the most High:
3 ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ αὐτοῦ ἀναξηραίνει χώραν, καὶ ἐναντίον καύματος αὐτοῦ τίς ὑποστήσεται; 3 At noon it parcheth the country, and who can abide the burning heat thereof?
4 κάμινον φυσῶν ἐν ἔργοις καύματος, τριπλασίως ἥλιος ἐκκαίων ὄρη· ἀτμίδας πυρώδεις ἐκφυσῶν καὶ ἐκλάμπων ἀκτῖνας ἀμαυροῖ ὀφθαλμούς. 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 μέγας κύριος ὁ ποιήσας αὐτόν, καὶ ἐν λόγοις αὐτοῦ κατέσπευσεν πορείαν. 5 Great is the Lord that made it; and at his commandment runneth hastily.
6 καὶ ἡ σελήνη ἐν πᾶσιν εἰς καιρὸν αὐτῆς, ἀνάδειξιν χρόνων καὶ σημεῖον αἰῶνος· 6 He made the moon also to serve in her season for a declaration of times, and a sign of the world.
7 ἀπὸ σελήνης σημεῖον ἑορτῆς, φωστὴρ μειούμενος ἐπὶ συντελείας. 7 From the moon is the sign of feasts, a light that decreaseth in her perfection.
8 μὴν κατὰ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς ἐστιν αὐξανόμενος θαυμαστῶς ἐν ἀλλοιώσει, σκεῦος παρεμβολῶν ἐν ὕψει, ἐν στερεώματι οὐρανοῦ ἐκλάμπων. 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 κάλλος οὐρανοῦ δόξα ἄστρων, κόσμος φωτίζων ἐν ὑψίστοις κυρίου· 9 The beauty of heaven, the glory of the stars, an ornament giving light in the highest places of the Lord.
10 ἐν λόγοις ἁγίου στήσονται κατὰ κρίμα καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐκλυθῶσιν ἐν φυλακαῖς αὐτῶν. 10 At the commandment of the Holy One they will stand in their order, and never faint in their watches.
11 ἰδὲ τόξον καὶ εὐλόγησον τὸν ποιήσαντα αὐτὸ σφόδρα ὡραῖον ἐν τῷ αὐγάσματι αὐτοῦ· 11 Look upon the rainbow, and praise him that made it; very beautiful it is in the brightness thereof.
12 ἐγύρωσεν οὐρανὸν ἐν κυκλώσει δόξης, χεῖρες ὑψίστου ἐτάνυσαν αὐτό. 12 It compasseth the heaven about with a glorious circle, and the hands of the most High have bended it.
13 προστάγματι αὐτοῦ κατέσπευσεν χιόνα καὶ ταχύνει ἀστραπὰς κρίματος αὐτοῦ· 13 By his commandment he maketh the snow to fall apace, and sendeth swiftly the lightnings of his judgment.
14 διὰ τοῦτο ἠνεῴχθησαν θησαυροί, καὶ ἐξέπτησαν νεφέλαι ὡς πετεινά· 14 Through this the treasures are opened: and clouds fly forth as fowls.
15 ἐν μεγαλείῳ αὐτοῦ ἴσχυσεν νεφέλας, καὶ διεθρύβησαν λίθοι χαλάζης· 15 By his great power he maketh the clouds firm, and the hailstones are broken small.
16 καὶ ἐν ὀπτασίᾳ αὐτοῦ σαλευθήσεται ὄρη, ἐν θελήματι αὐτοῦ πνεύσεται νότος. 16 At his sight the mountains are shaken, and at his will the south wind bloweth.
17 φωνὴ βροντῆς αὐτοῦ ὠνείδισεν γῆν καὶ καταιγὶς βορέου καὶ συστροφὴ πνεύματος. 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 ὡς πετεινὰ καθιπτάμενα πάσσει χιόνα καὶ ὡς ἀκρὶς καταλύουσα ἡ κατάβασις αὐτῆς· κάλλος λευκότητος αὐτῆς ἐκθαυμάσει ὀφθαλμός, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὑετοῦ αὐτῆς ἐκστήσεται καρδία. 18 The eye marvelleth at the beauty of the whiteness thereof, and the heart is astonished at the raining of it.
19 καὶ πάχνην ὡς ἅλα ἐπὶ γῆς χέει, καὶ παγεῖσα γίνεται σκολόπων ἄκρα. 19 The hoarfrost also as salt he poureth on the earth, and being congealed, it lieth on the top of sharp stakes.
20 ψυχρὸς ἄνεμος βορέης πνεύσει, καὶ παγήσεται κρύσταλλος ἐφ' ὕδατος· ἐπὶ πᾶσαν συναγωγὴν ὕδατος καταλύσει, καὶ ὡς θώρακα ἐνδύσεται τὸ ὕδωρ. 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 καταφάγεται ὄρη καὶ ἔρημον ἐκκαύσει καὶ ἀποσβέσει χλόην ὡς πῦρ. 21 It devoureth the mountains, and burneth the wilderness, and consumeth the grass as fire.
22 ἴασις πάντων κατὰ σπουδὴν ὁμίχλη δρόσος ἀπαντῶσα ἀπὸ καύσωνος ἱλαρώσει. 22 A present remedy of all is a mist coming speedily, a dew coming after heat refresheth.
23 λογισμῷ αὐτοῦ ἐκόπασεν ἄβυσσον καὶ ἐφύτευσεν ἐν αὐτῇ νήσους. 23 By his counsel he appeaseth the deep, and planteth islands therein.
24 οἱ πλέοντες τὴν θάλασσαν διηγοῦνται τὸν κίνδυνον αὐτῆς, καὶ ἀκοαῖς ὠτίων ἡμῶν θαυμάζομεν· 24 They that sail on the sea tell of the danger thereof; and when we hear it with our ears, we marvel thereat.
25 καὶ ἐκεῖ τὰ παράδοξα καὶ θαυμάσια ἔργα ποικιλία παντὸς ζῴου, κτίσις κητῶν. 25 For therein be strange and wondrous works, variety of all kinds of beasts and whales created.
26 δι' αὐτὸν εὐοδοῖ ἄγγελος αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν λόγῳ αὐτοῦ σύγκειται τὰ πάντα. 26 By him the end of them hath prosperous success, and by his word all things consist.
27 πολλὰ ἐροῦμεν καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀφικώμεθα, καὶ συντέλεια λόγων τὸ πᾶν ἐστιν αὐτός. 27 We may speak much, and yet come short: wherefore in sum, he is all.
28 δοξάζοντες ποῦ ἰσχύσομεν; αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ μέγας παρὰ πάντα τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ. 28 How shall we be able to magnify him? for he is great above all his works.
29 φοβερὸς κύριος καὶ σφόδρα μέγας, καὶ θαυμαστὴ ἡ δυναστεία αὐτοῦ 29 The Lord is terrible and very great, and marvellous is his power.
30 δοξάζοντες κύριον ὑψώσατε καθ' ὅσον ἄν δύνησθε, ὑπερέξει γὰρ καὶ ἔτι· καὶ ὑψοῦντες αὐτὸν πληθύνατε ἐν ἰσχύϊ, μὴ κοπιᾶτε, οὐ γὰρ μὴ ἀφίκησθε. 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 τίς ἑόρακεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐκδιηγήσεται; καὶ τίς μεγαλυνεῖ αὐτὸν καθώς ἐστιν; 31 Who hath seen him, that he might tell us? and who can magnify him as he is?
32 πολλὰ ἀπόκρυφά ἐστιν μείζονα τούτων, ὀλίγα γὰρ ἑωράκαμεν τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ· 32 There are yet hid greater things than these be, for we have seen but a few of his works.
33 πάντα γὰρ ἐποίησεν ὁ κύριος καὶ τοῖς εὐσεβέσιν ἔδωκεν σοφίαν. 33 For the Lord hath made all things; and to the godly hath he given wisdom.