The Glory of Creation
Sirach 43
The chapter is an extended hymn praising the Lord's works in nature, the sun, moon, stars, rainbow, snow, hail, thunder, frost, and sea with its creatures, each declared marvelous and obedient to his command. It closes by confessing that no one can fully describe or magnify the Lord, since he is greater than all his works.
About these editions
The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.
Brenton 1851Septuagint
Greek · BrentonSeptuagint
1
BrentonThe pride of the height, the clear firmament, the beauty of heaven, with his glorious shew;
GreekΓαυρίαμα ὕψους, στερέωμα καθαριότητος, εἶδος οὐρανοῦ ἐν ὁράματι δόξης.
2
Brentonthe sun when it appeareth, declaring at his rising a marvellous instrument, the work of the most High:
GreekἭλιος ἐν ὀπτασίᾳ διαγγέλλων ἐν ἐξόδῳ, σκεῦος θαυμαστὸν, ἔργον ὑψίστου.
3
Brentonat noon it parcheth the country, and who can abide the burning heat thereof?
GreekἘν μεσημβρίᾳ αὐτοῦ ἀναξηραίνει χώραν, καὶ ἐναντίον καύματος αὐτοῦ τίς ὑποστήσεται;
4
BrentonA 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.
GreekΚάμινον φυσῶν ἐν ἔργοις καύματος, τριπλασίως ἥλιος ἐκκαίων ὄρη· ἀτμίδας πυρώδεις ἐμφυσῶν, καὶ ἐκλάμπων ἀκτίνας ἀμαυροῖ ὀφθαλμούς.
5
BrentonGreat is the Lord that made it; and at his commandment it runneth hastily.
GreekΜέγας Κύριος ὁ ποιήσας αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐν λόγοις αὐτοῦ κατέσπευσε πορείαν.
6
BrentonHe made the moon also to serve in her season for a declaration of times, and a sign of the world.
GreekΚαὶ ἡ σελήνη ἐν πᾶσιν εἰς καιρὸν αὐτῆς, ἀνάδειξιν χρόνων, καὶ σημεῖον αἰῶνος.
7
BrentonFrom the moon is the sign of feasts, a light that decreaseth in her perfection.
GreekἈπὸ σελήνης σημεῖον ἑορτῆς, φωστὴρ μειούμενος ἐπὶ συντελείας.
8
BrentonThe month is called after her name, increasing wonderfully in her changing, being an instrument of the armies above, shining in the firmament of heaven;
GreekΜὴν κατὰ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς ἐστιν, αὐξανομένη θαυμαστῶς ἐν ἀλλοιώσει· σκεῦος παρεμβολῶν ἐν ὕψει, ἐν στερεώματι οὐρανοῦ ἐκλάμπων·
9
Brentonthe beauty of heaven, the glory of the stars, an ornament giving light in the highest places of the Lord.
Greekκάλλος οὐρανοῦ, δόξα ἄστρων, κόσμος φωτίζων, ἐν ὑψίστοις Κύριος.
10
BrentonAt the commandment of the Holy One they will stand in their order, and never faint in their watches.
GreekἘν λόγοις ἁγίου στήσονται κατὰ κρίμα, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐκλυθῶσιν ἐν φυλακαῖς αὐτῶν.
11
BrentonLook upon the rainbow, and praise him that made it; very beautiful it is in the brightness thereof.
GreekἼδε τόξον, καὶ εὐλόγησον τὸν ποιήσαντα αὐτὸ, σφόδρα ὡραῖον ἐν τῷ αὐγάσματι αὐτοῦ.
12
BrentonIt compasseth the heaven about with a glorious circle, and the hands of the most High have bended it.
GreekἘγύρωσεν οὐρανὸν ἐν κυκλώσει δόξης, χεῖρες ὑψίστου ἐτάννυσαν αὐτό.
13
BrentonBy his commandment he maketh the snow to fall apace, and sendeth swiftly the lightnings of his judgment.
GreekΠροστάγματι αὐτοῦ κατέσπευσε χιόνα, καὶ ταχύνει ἀστραπὰς κρίματος αὐτοῦ.
14
BrentonThrough this the treasures are opened: and clouds fly forth as fowls.
GreekΔιὰ τοῦτο ἠνεῴχθησαν θησαυροὶ, καὶ ἐξέπτησαν νεφέλαι ὡς πετεινά.
15
BrentonBy his great power he maketh the clouds firm, and the hailstones are broken small.
GreekἘν μεγαλείῳ αὐτοῦ ἴσχυσε νεφέλας, καὶ διεθρύβησαν λίθοι χαλάζης.
16
BrentonAt his sight the mountains are shaken, and at his will the south wind bloweth.
GreekΚαὶ ἐν ὀπτασίαις αὐτοῦ σαλευθήσεται ὄρη, ἐν θελήματι πνεύσεται νότος.
17
BrentonThe 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:
GreekΦωνὴ βροντῆς αὐτοῦ ὠδίνησε γῆν, καὶ καταιγὶς Βορέου καὶ συστροφὴ πνεύματος· ὡς πετεινὰ καθιπτάμενα πάσσει χιόνα, καὶ ὡς ἀκρὶς καταλύουσα ἡ κατάβασις αὐτῆς.
18
Brentonthe eye marvelleth at the beauty of the whiteness thereof, and the heart is astonished at the raining of it.
GreekΚάλλος λευκότητος αὐτῆς ἐκθαυμάσει ὀφθαλμὸς, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὑετοῦ αὐτῆς ἐκστήσεται καρδία.
19
BrentonThe hoarfrost also as salt he poureth on the earth, and being congealed, it becometh sharp peaks.
GreekΚαὶ πάχνην ὡς ἅλα ἐπὶ γῆς χέει, καὶ παγεῖσα γίνεται σκολόπων ἄκρα.
20
BrentonWhen 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.
GreekΨυχρὸς ἄνεμος Βορέης πνεύσει, καὶ παγήσεται κρύσταλλος ἀφʼ ὕδατος· ἐπὶ πᾶσαν συναγωγὴν ὕδατος καταλύσει, καὶ ὡς θώρακα ἐνδύσεται τὸ ὕδωρ.
21
BrentonIt devoureth the mountains, and burneth the wilderness, and consumeth the grass as fire.
GreekΚαταφάγεται ὄρη, καὶ ἔρημον ἐκκαύσει, καὶ ἀποσβέσει χλόην ὡς πῦρ.
22
BrentonA present remedy of all is a mist coming speedily: a dew coming after heat refresheth.
GreekἼασις πάντων κατὰ σπουδὴν ὁμίχλη, δρόσος ἀπαντῶσα ἀπὸ καύσωνος ἱλαρώσει.
23
BrentonBy his counsel he appeaseth the deep, and planteth islands therein.
GreekΛογισμῷ αὐτοῦ ἐκόπασεν ἄβυσσον, καὶ ἐφύτευσεν αὐτὴν Ἰησοῦς.
24
BrentonThey that sail on the sea tell of the danger thereof; and when we hear it with our ears, we marvel thereat.
GreekΟἱ πλέοντες τὴν θάλασσαν διηγοῦνται τὸν κίνδυνον αὐτῆς, καὶ ἀκοαῖς ὠτίῳν ἡμῶν θαυμάζομεν.
25
BrentonFor therein be strange and wondrous works, variety of all kinds of beasts, the race of whales.
GreekΚαὶ ἐκεῖ τὰ παρὰδοξα καὶ θαυμάσια ἔργα, ποικιλία παντὸς ζώου, κτίσις κητῶν.
26
BrentonBy him the end of them hath prosperous success, and by his word all things consist.
GreekΔιʼ αὐτὸν εὐοδία τέλος αὐτοὺ, καὶ ἐν λόγῳ αὐτοῦ σύγκειται πάντα.
27
BrentonWe may speak much, and yet come short; wherefore in sum, he is all.
GreekΠολλὰ ἐροῦμεν καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐφικώμεθα, καὶ συντέλεια λόγων τὸ πᾶν ἐστιν αὐτός.
28
BrentonHow shall we be able to magnify him? for he is great above all his works.
GreekΔοξάζοντες ποῦ ἰσχύσωμεν; αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ μέγας παρὰ πάντα τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ.
29
BrentonThe Lord is terrible and very great, and marvellous is his power.
GreekΦοβερὸς Κύριος καὶ σφόδρα μέγας, καὶ θαυμαστὴ ἡ δυναστεία αὐτοῦ.
30
BrentonWhen 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.
GreekΔοξάζοντες Κύριον ὑψώσατε καθόσον ἂν δύνησθε, ὑπερέξει γὰρ καὶ ἔτι· καὶ ὑψοῦντες αὐτὸν πληθύνατε ἐν ἰσχύϊ, μὴ κοπιᾶτε, οὐ γὰρ μὴ ἐφίκησθε.
31
BrentonWho hath seen him, that he might tell us? and who can magnify him as he is?
GreekΤίς ἑώρακεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐκδιηγήσεται; καὶ τίς μεγαλύνει αὐτὸν καθώς ἐστι;
32
BrentonThere are yet hid greater things than these be, for we have seen but a few of his works.
GreekΠολλὰ ἀπόκρυφά ἐστι μείζονα τούτων, ὀλίγα γὰρ ἑωράκαμεν τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ.
33
BrentonFor the Lord hath made all things; and to the godly hath he given wisdom.
GreekΠάντα γὰρ ἐποίησεν ὁ Κύριος, καὶ τοῖς εὐσεβέσιν ἔδωκε σοφίαν. ΠΑΤΕΡΩΝ ὝΜΝΟΣ.