Chapter 43

¹The firmament on high is his beauty, the beauty of heaven with its glorious shew. ²The sun when he appeareth shewing forth at his rising, an admirable instrument, the work of the most High. ³At noon he burneth the earth, and who can abide his burning heat? As one keeping a furnace in the works of heat: ⁴The sun three times as much, burneth the mountains, breathing out fiery vapours, and shining with his beams, he blindeth the eyes. ⁵Great is the Lord that made him, and at his words he hath hastened his course. ⁶And the moon in all in her season, is for a declaration of times and a sign of the world. ⁷From the moon is the sign of the festival day, a light that decreaseth in her perfection. ⁸The month is called after her name, increasing wonderfully in her perfection ⁹Being an instrument of the armies on high, shining gloriously in the Armament of heaven. ¹⁰The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven; the Lord enlighteneth the world on high. ¹¹By the words of the holy one they shall stand in judgment, and shall never fail in their watches. ¹²Look upon the rainbow, and bless him that made it: it is very beautiful in its brightness. ¹³It encompasseth the heaven about with the circle of its glory, the hands of the most High have displayed it. ¹⁴By his commandment he maketh the snow to fall apace, and sendeth forth swiftly the lightnings of his judgment. ¹⁵Through this are the treasures opened, and the clouds fly out like birds. ¹⁶By his greatness he hath fixed the clouds, and the hailstones are broken. ¹⁷At his sight shall the mountains be shaken, and at his will the south wind shall blow. ¹⁸The noise of his thunder shall strike the earth, so doth the northern storm, and the whirlwind: ¹⁹And as the birds lighting upon the earth, he scattereth snow, and the falling thereof, is as the coming down of locusts. ²⁰The eye admireth at the beauty of the whiteness thereof, and the heart is astonished at the shower thereof. ²¹He shall pour frost as salt upon the earth: and when it freezeth, it shall become like the tops of thistles. ²²The cold north wind bloweth, and the water is congealed into crystal; upon every gathering together of waters it shall rest, and shall clothe the waters as a breastplate. ²³And it shall devour the mountains, and burn the wilderness, and consume all that is green as with fire. ²⁴A present remedy of all is the speedy coming of a cloud, and a dew that meeteth it, by the heat that cometh, shall overpower it. ²⁵At his word the wind is still, and with his thought he appeaseth the deep, and the Lord hath planted islands therein. ²⁶Let them that sail on the sea, tell the dangers thereof: and when we hear with our ears, we shall admire. ²⁷There are great and wonderful works: a variety of beasts, and of all living things, and the monstrous creatures of whales. ²⁸Through him is established the end of their journey, and by his word all things are regulated. ²⁹We shall say much, and yet shall want words: but the sum of our words is, He is all. ³⁰What shall we be able to do to glorify him? for the Almighty himself is above all his works. ³¹31The Lord is terrible, and exceeding great, and his power is admirable. ³²Glorify the Lord as much as ever you can, for he will yet far exceed, and his magnificence is wonderful. ³³Blessing the Lord, exalt him as much as you can: for he is above all praise. ³⁴When you exalt him put forth all your strength, and be not weary: for you can never go far enough. ³⁵Who shall see him, and declare him? and who shall magnify him as he is from the beginning? ³⁶There are many things hidden from us that are greater than these: for we have seen but a few of his works. ³⁷But the Lord hath made all things, and to the godly he hath given wisdom.