43 The firmament of highness is the fairness thereof; the fairness of heaven in the sight of glory. [The firmament of the height is the fairness of him; and the fairness of heaven in the sight of glory.]
2 The sun in beholding, telling in going out, is a wonderful vessel, the work of (the) high God. [The sun in the sight, showing out in the issue, a marvellous vessel, the work of the (Most) High.]
3 In the time of midday it burneth the earth; and who shall be able to suffer (or to endure) in the sight of his (or its) heat?
4 Keeping a furnace in the works of heat; the sun burning hills in three manners, sending out beams of fire [or blasting out fiery beams], and shining again with his (or its) beams, blindeth (the) eyes.
5 The Lord is great, that made it; and in the words of him it hast(en)ed (its) journey. [Great is the Lord, that made it; and in the words of it he hied the way.]
6 And the moon in all men in his (or its) time is (a) showing of time, and a sign of the world. [And the moon in all things in his time showing of time, and token of the spiritual world.]
7 A sign of the feast day is taken of (or from) the moon; the light which is made little in the end. [Of (or From) the moon the sign of the holy day; a light-giver that is less(en)ed in the ending.]
8 The month is increasing by the name thereof, wonderfully into the ending. A vessel of castles (or of the hosts) in high things, shining gloriously in the firmament of heaven. [The month after his name is waxing, marvellously into the full ending. A vessel of tents (or the hosts) in high things, in the firmament of heaven shining gloriously.]
9 The fairness of heaven is the glory of stars; the Lord on high lighteneth the world. [The fairness of heaven, glory of stars; the Lord lightening the world in heights.]
10 In (or At) the words of the Holy (One), those (or they) shall stand at the doom; and those shall not fail in their wakings. [In words holy men shall stand at the doom; and they shall not fail in their watches.]
11 See thou the rainbow, and bless thou him that made it; it is full fair in his (or its) shining.
12 It went about heaven in the compass of his (or its) glory; the hands of (the) high God opened it. [He compassed heaven in the circuit of his glory (or It compassed heaven in the circuit of its glory); the hands of the (Most) High opened it.]
13 By his commandment he hast(en)ed the snow; and he hast(en)eth to send out the lightnings of his doom.
14 Therefore (the) treasures were opened, and clouds fled out as bees. [Therefore opened be the treasures, and flew away the little clouds as birds.]
15 In his greatness he setted clouds; and stones of hail were broken. [In his muchliness he put the clouds; and be broken the stones of the hail.]
16 Hills shall be moved in (or at) his sight; and the south wind shall blow in (or at) his will. [In his sight shall be stirred (al)together the hills; and in his will shall (ex)spire, or breath out the south.]
17 The voice of his thunder shall beat the earth; the tempest of the north, and the gathering together of (the) wind. And as a bird putting down to sit sprinkleth (or scattereth) (the) snow, and the coming down of that snow is as a locust drenching (or drowning) down. [The voice of his thunder beateth the earth; and the tempest of the north, and the gathering of wind. And as a bird putting down to sit sprinkleth the snow, and as a locust drenching the descendings of it.]
18 The eye shall wonder on the fairness of (the) whiteness thereof; and an heart dreadeth on the rain thereof. [The fairness of the shining of it the eye shall marvel; and upon the weather of him the heart quaketh.]
19 He shall shed out frost as salt on the earth; and while the wind bloweth, it shall be made as (the) cops (or the tops) of a briar. [Frost as salt he shall pour out upon the earth; and while he bloweth, he (or it) shall be made as the cops (or the tops) of the bramble(bush).]
20 The cold northern wind blew, and (the) crystal of (the) water froze together [or and the crystal freezed from the water]; it resteth, on all the gathering together of waters, and it clotheth itself with waters, as with an habergeon.
21 And it shall devour hills, and it shall burn the desert; and it shall quench green thing as fire. [And it shall devour hills, and burn out the desert; and quench out the green as fire.]
22 The medicine of all things is in the hast(en)ing of a cloud; a dew, meeting the heat coming of (or after) (the) burning, shall make it low.
23 The wind was still in the word of God; by his thought he made peaceable the depth of (the) waters; and the Lord Jesus[a], that is, God, which is (the) Saviour of all men, planted it. [In his word the wind held his peace; by his thinking he shall (make) peace(ful) the sea; and the Lord Jesus* planted it.]
24 They that sail in (or on) the sea, tell out the perils thereof; and we hearing with our ears, shall wonder. [Who sail the sea, shall tell out the perils of it; and hearing with our ears we shall wonder.]
25 There be full clear works, and wonderful [or marvellous], diverse kinds of beasts, and of all little beasts, and the creature(s) (or the creation) of wonderful fishes.
26 The end of (the) way is confirmed for it; and all things be made in (or by) the word of him. [For him is confirmed the end of the way; and in the word of him all things be made together.]
27 We say many things, and (yet) we fail in words; forsooth he is the (full) ending of words. [Many things we say, and fail in words; full ending forsooth of words he is.]
28 To what thing shall we be mighty, that have (or who hath) glory in all things? for he is all-mighty above all his works. [In all things glorying, to what shall we be mighty? he forsooth is all-mighty over all his works.]
29 The Lord is fearedful, and full great; and his power is wonderful. [Fearful the Lord, and great hugely; and marvellous the power of him.]
30 Glorify ye the Lord as much as ever ye may (or as ye be able to), yet he shall be mightier; and his great doing is wonderful. Ye blessing the Lord, enhance (or exalt) him as much as ye may (or as ye be able to); for he is more than all praising. Ye enhancing him shall be filled with virtue; travail ye not to know God perfectly in this life, for ye shall not take (or shall not receive) (it) perfectly, that is, for it is unpossible. [Glorifying the Lord how much ever ye shall be able to, he shall be over-worthy yet; and full marvellous the great doing of him. Blessing the Lord, enhance ye him as much as ye be able to; more forsooth he is than all praising. Enhancing him ye shall be fulfilled with virtue; nor travail ye, forsooth ye shall not full come.]
31 Who saw him, and shall tell (it) out? and who shall magnify him, as he is from the beginning?
32 Many things greater than these be hid from us; for we have seen (only a) few things of his works. [Many hid things be more than these; forsooth few things we have seen of his works.]
33 Forsooth the Lord made all things; and he gave wisdom to men doing faithfully. [All things forsooth the Lord made; and to men piously doing he gave wisdom.]
Footnotes
- Sirach 43:23 Though the author of this book, that was an Hebrew man, wrote this book in Greek, nevertheless he setted in here an Hebrew name. (The gloss above from the “Wycliffe Bible” notwithstanding, modern translations do not have this or any name here. T.P.N.)