Wisdom of Sirach 43

1 ΓΑΥΡΙΑΜΑ ὕψους στερέωμα καθαριότητος, εἶδος οὐρανοῦ ἐν ὁράματι δόξης.

1 The pride of the height, the clear firmament, the beauty of heaven, with his glorious show;

2 ἥλιος ἐν ὀπτασίᾳ διαγγέλων ἐν ἐξόδῳ, σκεῦος θαυμαστόν, ἔργον Ὑψίστου.

2 The sun when it appears, 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 parches 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 burns the mountains three times more; breathing out fiery vapours, and sending forth bright beams, it dims the eyes.

5 μέγας Κύριος ὁ ποιήσας αὐτόν, καὶ ἐν λόγοις αὐτοῦ κατέσπευσε πορείαν.

5 Great is the Lord that made it; and at his commandment runs 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 decreases in her perfection.

8 μὴν κατὰ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς ἐστιν, αὐξανομένη 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 αὐτό, 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 encircles the heaven about with a glorious circle, and the hands of the most High have bended it.

13 Προστάγματι αὐτοῦ κατέσπευσε χιόνα καὶ ταχύνει ἀστραπὰς κρίματος αὐτοῦ.

13 By his commandment he makes the snow to fall apace, and sends swiftly the lightnings of his judgement.

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 ἴσχυσε νεφέλας, καὶ διεθρύβησαν λίθοι χαλάζης·

15 By his great power he makes the clouds firm, and the hailstones are broken small.

16 καὶ ἐν ὀπτασίαις αὐτοῦ σαλευθήσεται ὄρη, ἐν θελήματι πνεύσεται νότος.

16 At his sight the mountains are shaken, and at his will the south wind blows.

17 φωνὴ βροντῆς αὐτοῦ ὠδίνησε γῆν καὶ καταιγὶς Βορέου καὶ συστροφὴ πνεύματος.

17 The noise of the thunder makes the earth to tremble: so does the northern storm and the whirlwind: as birds flying he scatters the snow, and the falling down thereof is as the lighting of grasshoppers:

18 ὡς πετεινὰ καθιπτάμενα πάσσει χιόνα, καὶ ὡς ἀκρὶς καταλύουσα ἡ κατάβασς αὐτῆς· κάλλος λευκότητος αὐτῆς ἐκθαυμάσει ὀφθαλμός, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὑετοῦ αὐτῆς ἐκστήσεται καρδία.

18 The eye marvels 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 pours on the earth, and being congealed, it lies 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 blows, and the water is congealed into ice, it remains upon every gathering together of water, and clothes the water as with a breastplate.

21 καταφάγεται ὄρη καὶ ἔρημον ἐκκαύσει καὶ ἀποσβέσει χλόην ὡς πῦρ.

21 It devours the mountains, and burns the wilderness, and consumes 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 refreshes.

23 Λογισμῷ αὐτοῦ ἐκόπασεν ἄβυσσον, καὶ ἐφύτευσεν ἐν αὐτῇ νήσους.

23 By his counsel he appeases the deep, and plants 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 πάντα.

26 By him the end of them has prosperous success, and by his word all things consist.

27 Πολλὰ ἐροῦμεν καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐφικώμεθα, καὶ συντέλεια λόγων· τὸ πᾶν ἐστιν αὐτός.

27 We may speak much, and yet come short: therefore 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, καθόσον ἂν δύνησθε, ὑπερέξει γὰρ καὶ ἔτι· καὶ ὑψοῦντες αὐτὸν πληθύνατε ἐν ἰσχύϊ· μὴ κοπιᾶτε, οὐ γὰρ μὴ ἐφίκησθε.

30 When you⌃ glorify the Lord, exalt him as much as you⌃ can; for even yet will he far exceed: and when you⌃ exalt him, put forth all your strength, and be not weary; for you⌃ can never go far enough.

31 τίς ἑώρακεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐκδιηγήσεται; καὶ τίς μεγαλυνεῖ αὐτὸν καθώς ἐστι;

31 Who has seen him, that he might tell us? and who can magnify him as he is?

32 πολλὰ ἀπόκρυφά ἐστι 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 ἔδωκε σοφίαν.

33 For the Lord has made all things; and to the godly has he given wisdom.