Ben Sira 43:15-32

15 With his power he forms great masses of clouds and shatters the ice into hailstones.
16 He speaks, and thunder twists the earth in pain; the mountains are shaken by his strength. Whenever he wishes, the south wind blows, whirlwinds come, and windstorms from the north. He sends the snow fluttering down like birds, like locusts lighting on the ground.
18 We marvel at its beautiful whiteness, and in fascination we watch it fall.
19 He sprinkles frost over the ground like salt, and it freezes into thorny flowers of ice.
20 He sends the cold north wind blowing and the water hardens into ice; every lake and pond freezes over, putting on a coat of icy armor.
21 He scorches the wilderness hills with drought, and the grass turns brown from its heat;
22 but a cloudy mist restores it all to life as the weather cools and dew appears.
23 By his wisdom he calmed the great oceans and placed the islands there.
24 Sailors tell about the dangers of the sea, and we listen to their tales in amazement.
25 In the sea are strange and marvelous creatures: huge monsters and all kinds of living things.
26 Each of the Lord's messengers succeeds at its task. Everything is held together by his word.
27 We could say much more and never finish, but it all means this: the Lord is everything.
28 How can we find the power to praise him? He is greater than all his creation.
29 The Lord is awesome in his greatness; his power is overwhelming.
30 Though you do your best to praise him, he is greater than you can ever express. Though you honor him tirelessly and with all your strength, you still cannot praise him enough.
31 No one has seen him, no one can describe him; no one can praise him as he deserves.
32 Mysteries greater than these are still unknown; we know only a fraction of his works.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. [Hebrew] by his strength; [Greek] when he appears.
  • [b]. [Hebrew] flowers of ice; [Greek] points.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.