Sirach 43
43
1Nothing can compare
with the glorious sight
of the clear, blue sky.
2And you can almost hear
the rising sun say,
“I am a wonderful creation
of the Most High God.”
3By noon its fiery heat
has dried out the soil.
It forces people into the shade,
4and scorches mountain slopes.
The sun's blinding light
is three times hotter
than any fire we can build.
5Our great Lord created the sun,
and when he commands,
it hurries to obey.
6The moon also has its turn
in the sky
serving as a sign
of the changing months,
7and setting the times
for sacred festivals.
When its light has become dark,
a new month begins—
8the word “month”
even comes from “moon”—
then we watch in amazement,
as the moon gradually grows
until it is full,
giving light to God's armies
in the heavens above.
9Heaven, the Lord's home,
is decorated at night
with beautiful, twinkling stars.
10They never rest but stand guard
where he has placed them.
11Look at the rainbow,
bright and beautiful,
and praise its Creator,
12who bent it with his hands
and placed it around the sky.
13At the Lord's command,
snow begins to fall,
and lightning quickly obeys.
14And like birds, the clouds fly
from his storehouse.
15He gives them his great power,
and he crushes hailstones.
* 16His voice thunders at the earth,
and at the sight of him,
mountains tremble.
17The whirlwind obeys him,
as do winds from the south
and storms from the north.
God sends the snow,
and it settles on the ground
like a flock of birds
or a swarm of locusts.
18We watch amazed
as it floats down,
white and lovely.
19He sprinkles frost
as though it were salt,
and icicles form.
20A freezing north wind
makes the surface of every pond
hard as armor.
21God sends the fiery heat,
and deserted mountain pastures
are scorched and withered.
22But soon the early morning mist
and the refreshing dew
will heal the damage.
23The Lord calmed the oceans
and placed the islands,
all according to his plan.
24And when sailors tell stories
of danger at sea,
we are amazed.
25The oceans are home
to strange creatures
and huge monsters.
26God tells each of these things
what to do,
and because of his power,
they never fail.
All creation is held together
by his command.
27We could never finish telling
what God has done,
so we should say,
“The Lord can be seen
in all his creation.”#43.27 The Lord … creation: One possible meaning for the difficult text.
28But he is far greater
than what he created,
so where can we look
for strength to praise him?
29The Lord is fearsome
and powerful,
30so always praise him
with all your strength.
Don't let yourself grow tired—
he deserves more praise
than you can give.
31Since no one has seen the Lord
and described him to us,
we really don't know
how to praise him.
32We have seen so little
of God's creation,
and we do not understand
so many things.
33Still, the Lord created it all,
and he has given wisdom
to those who worship him.
Currently Selected:
Sirach 43: CEVDCI
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.