Ben Sira - chapter 43

43: 1 - 33 (translated by Edgar Goodspeed)
The glory of the height is the firmament in its purity, the sight of the heavens with the spectacle of their splendor.  The sun, when he/it appears, making proclamation as he/it goes forth, is a wonderful instrument, the work of the Most High; at noonday he/it dries up the country, and who can withstand his burning heat?  A man who blows a furnace works in the midst of heat, but the sun three times as much, burning up the mountains.  He breathes out fiery vapors, and shoots forth his beams, blinding the eyes.  Great is the Lord who made him, at whose command the sun hurries on his/its course.
The moon, too, the Lord places in its position at its season, to mark times and be an everlasting sign; the moon gives the sign for the festival, a light that wanes after reaching the full.  The month is named after her/it; she increases marvelously as she changes, an instrument of the hosts on high, shining in the firmament of the heavens.  The beauty of heaven is the glory of the stars, a system giving light in the highest places of the Lord.  At the command of the Holy One they take their places as He decrees, and they will not fail in their watches.  Behold the rainbow, and bless Him who made it surpassigly beautiful in its brightness.  It curves over the heaven in a glorious circle, the hands of the Most high have stretched it out, by His command He brings the hurrying snow, and makes swift the lightning of His judgment; because of it, the storehouses are opened, and the clouds fly out like birds.  In His majesty the Lord makes the clouds thick, and the hailstones are broken in pieces.  When the Lord appears, the mountains shake.  At his wish the south wind blows.  His voice in the thunder rebukes the earth; so do the hurricane from the north and the whirlwind.  He sprinkles the snow like birds fluttering down, it comes down like locusts settling; the eye is amazed at the beauty of its whiteness, and the mind is astonished at its raining.  The Lord pours hoarfrost over the earth like salt, and when it freezes, it becomes points of thorns.  The cold north wind blows, and the ice freezes on the water; it lodges on every pool of water, and the water puts it on like a breastplate.  It consumes the mountains and burns up the wilderness, and shrivels the green herbage like fire, a mist coming quickly heals everything; the dew falling refreshes things after the heat.
By His counsel the Lord has stilled the deep, and planted islands in it.  Those who sail the sea tell of its danger, and we wonder at what we hear with our ears.  There are strange and wonderful works in it, all kinds of living things, the whale creation.  Because of Him His messenger prospers on His way, and through His command all things consist.
We may say more, but we will not reach the end, and the conclusion of what we have to say is: He is the whole (Latin phrase is Ipse Est In Omnibus).  Where can we find strength to glorify Him?  For He is greater than all His works.  The Lord is terrible and exceedingly great, and His power is wonderful.  Glorify the Lord and exalt Him as much as you can, for even then He will surpass it.  When you exalt Him, put forth all your strength; do not grow weary, for you will not reach the end.  Who has ever seen Him, so that one can describe Him?  And who can tell His greatness as it really is?  Many things greater than these still remain hidden, for we have seen but few of His works.  For the Lord has made all things, and He has given wisdom to the godly!