My LORD’s BibleSirach (Ecclesiasticus) 43
1The pride of the height, the clear firmament, the beauty of heaven, with his glorious shew;
γαυρίαμα ὕψους στερέωμα καθαριότητος εἶδος οὐρανοῦ ἐν ὁράματι δόξης
2The sun when it appeareth, declaring at his rising a marvellous instrument, the work of the most High:
ἥλιος ἐν ὀπτασίᾳ διαγγέλλων ἐν ἐξόδῳ σκεῦος θαυμαστόν ἔργον ὑψίστου
3At noon it parcheth the country, and who can abide the burning heat thereof?
ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ αὐτοῦ ἀναξηραίνει χώραν καὶ ἐναντίον καύματος αὐτοῦ τίς ὑποστήσεται
4A 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.
κάμινον φυσῶν ἐν ἔργοις καύματος τριπλασίως ἥλιος ἐκκαίων ὄρη ἀτμίδας πυρώδεις ἐκφυσῶν καὶ ἐκλάμπων ἀκτῖνας ἀμαυροῖ ὀφθαλμούς
5Great is the Lord that made it; and at his commandment runneth hastily.
μέγας κύριος ὁ ποιήσας αὐτόν καὶ ἐν λόγοις αὐτοῦ κατέσπευσεν πορείαν
6He made the moon also to serve in her season for a declaration of times, and a sign of the world.
καὶ ἡ σελήνη ἐν πᾶσιν εἰς καιρὸν αὐτῆς ἀνάδειξιν χρόνων καὶ σημεῖον αἰῶνος
7From the moon is the sign of feasts, a light that decreaseth in her perfection.
ἀπὸ σελήνης σημεῖον ἑορτῆς φωστὴρ μειούμενος ἐπὶ συντελείας
8The month is called after her name, increasing wonderfully in her changing, being an instrument of the armies above, shining in the firmament of heaven;
μὴν κατὰ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς ἐστιν αὐξανόμενος θαυμαστῶς ἐν ἀλλοιώσει σκεῦος παρεμβολῶν ἐν ὕψει ἐν στερεώματι οὐρανοῦ ἐκλάμπων
9The beauty of heaven, the glory of the stars, an ornament giving light in the highest places of the Lord.
κάλλος οὐρανοῦ δόξα ἄστρων κόσμος φωτίζων ἐν ὑψίστοις κυρίου
10At the commandment of the Holy One they will stand in their order, and never faint in their watches.
ἐν λόγοις ἁγίου στήσονται κατὰ κρίμα καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐκλυθῶσιν ἐν φυλακαῖς αὐτῶν
11Look upon the rainbow, and praise him that made it; very beautiful it is in the brightness thereof.
ἰδὲ τόξον καὶ εὐλόγησον τὸν ποιήσαντα αὐτὸ σφόδρα ὡραῖον ἐν τῷ αὐγάσματι αὐτοῦ
12It compasseth the heaven about with a glorious circle, and the hands of the most High have bended it.
ἐγύρωσεν οὐρανὸν ἐν κυκλώσει δόξης χεῖρες ὑψίστου ἐτάνυσαν αὐτό
13By his commandment he maketh the snow to fall apace, and sendeth swiftly the lightnings of his judgment.
προστάγματι αὐτοῦ κατέσπευσεν χιόνα καὶ ταχύνει ἀστραπὰς κρίματος αὐτοῦ
14Through this the treasures are opened: and clouds fly forth as fowls.
διὰ τοῦτο ἠνεῴχθησαν θησαυροί καὶ ἐξέπτησαν νεφέλαι ὡς πετεινά
15By his great power he maketh the clouds firm, and the hailstones are broken small.
ἐν μεγαλείῳ αὐτοῦ ἴσχυσεν νεφέλας καὶ διεθρύβησαν λίθοι χαλάζης
16At his sight the mountains are shaken, and at his will the south wind bloweth.
καὶ ἐν ὀπτασίᾳ αὐτοῦ σαλευθήσεται ὄρη ἐν θελήματι αὐτοῦ πνεύσεται νότος
17The 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:
φωνὴ βροντῆς αὐτοῦ ὠνείδισεν γῆν καὶ καταιγὶς βορέου καὶ συστροφὴ πνεύματος
18The eye marvelleth at the beauty of the whiteness thereof, and the heart is astonished at the raining of it.
ὡς πετεινὰ καθιπτάμενα πάσσει χιόνα καὶ ὡς ἀκρὶς καταλύουσα ἡ κατάβασις αὐτῆς κάλλος λευκότητος αὐτῆς ἐκθαυμάσει ὀφθαλμός καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὑετοῦ αὐτῆς ἐκστήσεται καρδία
19The hoarfrost also as salt he poureth on the earth, and being congealed, it lieth on the top of sharp stakes.
καὶ πάχνην ὡς ἅλα ἐπὶ γῆς χέει καὶ παγεῖσα γίνεται σκολόπων ἄκρα
20When 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.
ψυχρὸς ἄνεμος βορέης πνεύσει καὶ παγήσεται κρύσταλλος ἐφ' ὕδατος ἐπὶ πᾶσαν συναγωγὴν ὕδατος καταλύσει καὶ ὡς θώρακα ἐνδύσεται τὸ ὕδωρ
21It devoureth the mountains, and burneth the wilderness, and consumeth the grass as fire.
καταφάγεται ὄρη καὶ ἔρημον ἐκκαύσει καὶ ἀποσβέσει χλόην ὡς πῦρ
22A present remedy of all is a mist coming speedily, a dew coming after heat refresheth.
ἴασις πάντων κατὰ σπουδὴν ὁμίχλη δρόσος ἀπαντῶσα ἀπὸ καύσωνος ἱλαρώσει
23By his counsel he appeaseth the deep, and planteth islands therein.
λογισμῷ αὐτοῦ ἐκόπασεν ἄβυσσον καὶ ἐφύτευσεν ἐν αὐτῇ νήσους
24They that sail on the sea tell of the danger thereof; and when we hear it with our ears, we marvel thereat.
οἱ πλέοντες τὴν θάλασσαν διηγοῦνται τὸν κίνδυνον αὐτῆς καὶ ἀκοαῖς ὠτίων ἡμῶν θαυμάζομεν
25For therein be strange and wondrous works, variety of all kinds of beasts and whales created.
καὶ ἐκεῖ τὰ παράδοξα καὶ θαυμάσια ἔργα ποικιλία παντὸς ζῴου κτίσις κητῶν
26By him the end of them hath prosperous success, and by his word all things consist.
δι' αὐτὸν εὐοδοῖ ἄγγελος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν λόγῳ αὐτοῦ σύγκειται τὰ πάντα
27We may speak much, and yet come short: wherefore in sum, he is all.
πολλὰ ἐροῦμεν καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀφικώμεθα καὶ συντέλεια λόγων τὸ πᾶν ἐστιν αὐτός
28How shall we be able to magnify him? for he is great above all his works.
δοξάζοντες ποῦ ἰσχύσομεν αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ μέγας παρὰ πάντα τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ
29The Lord is terrible and very great, and marvellous is his power.
φοβερὸς κύριος καὶ σφόδρα μέγας καὶ θαυμαστὴ ἡ δυναστεία αὐτοῦ
30When 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.
δοξάζοντες κύριον ὑψώσατε καθ' ὅσον ἂν δύνησθε ὑπερέξει γὰρ καὶ ἔτι καὶ ὑψοῦντες αὐτὸν πληθύνατε ἐν ἰσχύι μὴ κοπιᾶτε οὐ γὰρ μὴ ἀφίκησθε
31Who hath seen him, that he might tell us? and who can magnify him as he is?
τίς ἑόρακεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐκδιηγήσεται καὶ τίς μεγαλυνεῖ αὐτὸν καθώς ἐστιν
32There are yet hid greater things than these be, for we have seen but a few of his works.
πολλὰ ἀπόκρυφά ἐστιν μείζονα τούτων ὀλίγα γὰρ ἑωράκαμεν τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ
33For the Lord hath made all things; and to the godly hath he given wisdom.
πάντα γὰρ ἐποίησεν ὁ κύριος καὶ τοῖς εὐσεβέσιν ἔδωκεν σοφίαν