Psalms 104
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great, clad in awful splendour,
Bless the LORD, my soul. The LORD, my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty.
2 covered with robe of light. You stretch out the heavens like the cloth of a tent.
He covers himself with light as with a garment. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain.
3 He lays the beams of his chambers on water. He takes dark clouds for his chariot, and rides on the wings of the wind.
He lays the beams of his rooms in the waters. He makes the clouds his chariot. He walks on the wings of the wind.
4 He takes the winds for his messengers, the fire and the flame for his servants.
He makes his messengers winds, and his servants flames of fire.
5 He founded the earth upon pillars, to sustain it unshaken forever.
He laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be moved forever.
6 With the garment of ocean he covered it, waters towered over the mountains.
You covered it with the deep as with a cloak. The waters stood above the mountains.
7 But at your rebuke they fled, scared by the roar of your thunder,
At your rebuke they fled. At the voice of your thunder they hurried away.
8 mountains rose, valleys sank down to the place appointed for them.
The mountains rose, the valleys sank down, to the place which you had assigned to them.
9 They dared not pass the bounds set for them, or cover the earth any more.
You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, that they do not turn again to cover the earth.
10 He sent brooks into the valleys, they meander between the mountains.
He sends springs into the valleys. They run among the mountains.
11 The wild beasts all drink from them, and the wild asses quench their thirst.
They give drink to every animal of the field. The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 The birds have their home by the banks, and sing in the branches.
The birds of the sky nest by them. They sing among the branches.
13 From his chambers above he gives drink to the mountains, and satisfies earth with the vials of heaven.
He waters the mountains from his rooms. The earth is filled with the fruit of your works.
14 He makes grass grow for the cattle, and herbs for people. He brings bread out of the earth;
He causes the grass to grow for the livestock, and plants for man to cultivate, that he may produce food out of the earth:
15 wine, to gladden hearts; oil, to make faces shine; bread, to strengthen hearts.
wine that makes the heart of man glad, oil to make his face to shine, and bread that strengthens man’s heart.
16 The trees of the Lord drink their fill the cedars he planted on Lebanon,
The LORD’s trees are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon, which he has planted,
17 where the little birds build their nest, and the stork whose home is the cypress.
where the birds make their nests. The stork makes its home in the cypress trees.
18 The high hills are for the wild goats, and the rocks are for coneys to hide in.
The high mountains are for the wild goats. The rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.
19 He created the moon to mark seasons, and told the sun when to set.
He appointed the moon for seasons. The sun knows when to set.
20 You make it dark: night comes, when all the wild beasts creep out.
You make darkness, and it is night, in which all the animals of the forest prowl.
21 Young lions that roar for their prey, seeking their meat from God.
The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their food from God.
22 At sunrise they slink away, and lie down in their dens.
The sun rises, and they steal away, and lie down in their dens.
23 Then people go forth to their work, and toil till evening.
Man goes out to his work, to his labor until the evening.
24 How many, O Lord, are your works, all of them made in wisdom! The earth is filled with your creatures.
LORD, how many are your works! In wisdom, you have made them all. The earth is full of your riches.
25 And there is the great broad sea, where are countless things in motion, living creatures, both great and small.
There is the sea, great and wide, in which are innumerable living things, both small and large animals.
26 There go the ships, and the Leviathan you made to play there.
There the ships go, and leviathan, whom you formed to play there.
27 They all look in hope to you, to give them their food in due season.
These all wait for you, that you may give them their food in due season.
28 And you give with open hand; they gather and eat to their heart’s desire.
You give to them; they gather. You open your hand; they are satisfied with good.
29 When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take their breath away, they die and go back to their dust.
You hide your face; they are troubled. You take away their breath; they die and return to the dust.
30 But a breath from your lips creates them, and renews the face of the earth.
You send out your Spirit and they are created. You renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the Lord be forever, may the Lord rejoice in his works.
Let the LORD’s glory endure forever. Let the LORD rejoice in his works.
32 A glance of his makes the earth tremble, a touch of his makes the hills smoke.
He looks at the earth, and it trembles. He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord while I live, I will play to my God while I am.
I will sing to the LORD as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.
34 May my musing be sweet to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.
Let my meditation be sweet to him. I will rejoice in the LORD.
35 But may sinners be swept from the earth, and the wicked vanish forever. O my soul, bless the Lord. Hallelujah.
Let sinners be consumed out of the earth. Let the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, my soul. Praise the LORD!
