Psalms 104
1 [I tell] myself that I should praise Yahweh. Yahweh, my God, you are very great! Like a king has on his royal robes [MET], you have honor and majesty/greatness all around you!
For David himself. Bless the Lord, O my soul: O Lord my God, thou art exceedingly great. Thou hast put on praise and beauty:
2 You [created/caused] light to be like your robe [MET]. You spread out the sky like [a man sets up] a tent.
And art clothed with light as with a garment. Who stretchest out the heaven like a pavilion:
3 You made/put your home [in heaven], above the rain clouds in the sky, [like a man puts the] rafters of his house in place [MET]. You made/caused the clouds to be like chariots [to carry you].
Who coverest the higher rooms thereof with water. Who makest the clouds thy chariot: who walkest upon the wings of the winds.
4 You caused the winds to be [like] your messengers [MET], and flames of fire to be [like] your servants.
Who makest thy angels spirits: and thy ministers a burning fire.
5 You placed the world firmly on its foundation so that it can never be moved/shaken.
Who hast founded the earth upon its own bases: it shall not be moved for ever and ever.
6 [Later], you covered the earth with a flood, like a blanket, with the water that covered the mountains.
The deep like a garment is its clothing: above the mountains shall the waters stand.
7 [But] when you rebuked the water, the oceans receded; your voice spoke like thunder, and then the waters rushed away.
At thy rebuke they shall flee: at the voice of thy thunder they shall fear.
8 Mountains rose up [from the water], and the valleys sank down to the levels that you had determined for them.
The mountains ascend, and the plains descend into the place which thou hast founded for them.
9 [Then] you set a boundary for the oceans, a boundary that they cannot cross; their water will never again cover the [whole] earth.
Thou hast set a bound which they shall not pass over; neither shall they return to cover the earth.
10 You make/cause springs to pour [water] into ravines; their [water] flows down between the mountains.
Thou sendest forth springs in the vales: between the midst of the hills the waters shall pass.
11 Those [streams] provide water for all the animals [to drink]; the wild donkeys [drink the water and] are no longer thirsty.
All the beasts of the field shall drink: the wild asses shall expect in their thirst.
12 Birds make their nests alongside [the streams], and they sing among the branches [of the trees].
Over them the birds of the air shall dwell: from the midst of the rocks they shall give forth their voices.
13 From (your home in heaven/the sky) you send rain down on the mountains, and you fill the earth with many good things that you create.
Thou waterest the hills from thy upper rooms: the earth shall be filled with the fruit of thy works:
14 You make/cause grass to grow for the cattle [to eat], and you make/cause plants to grow for people. In that way [animals and people] get their food from [what grows in] the soil.
Bringing forth grass for cattle, and herb for the service of men. That thou mayst bring bread out of the earth:
15 We get [grapes to make] [MTY] wine to [drink and] make us cheerful, and we get [olives to make] [MTY] olive oil to [put on our] skin and cause it to shine, and we get [grain to make] [MTY] bread to give us strength.
And that wine may cheer the heart of man. That he may make the face cheerful with oil: and that bread may strengthen man’s heart.
16 Yahweh, you [send plenty of rain to] water your trees, the cedar [trees] that you planted in Lebanon.
The trees of the field shall be filled, and the cedars of Libanus which he hath planted:
17 Birds make their nests in those [trees]; even storks make their nests in pine/fir trees.
There the sparrows shall make their nests. The highest of them is the house of the heron.
18 High up in the mountains the wild goats live, and hyraxes/badgers live in the crags/crevices in the rocks.
The high hills are a refuge for the harts, the rock for the irchins.
19 [Yahweh], you made the moon to indicate the times for our festivals, and you made the sun that knows when to go down.
He hath made the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.
20 You bring darkness, and it becomes night, when all the animals in the forest prowl around, [looking for food].
Thou hast appointed darkness, and it is night: in it shall all the beasts of the woods go about:
21 At night the young lions roar as they seek their prey, [but] they depend on you to give them food.
The young lions roaring after their prey, and seeking their meat from God.
22 At dawn, they go back to their dens and lie down.
The sun ariseth, and they are gathered together: and they shall lie down in their dens.
23 And during the daytime, people go to their work; they work until it is evening.
Man shall go forth to his work, and to his labour until the evening.
24 Yahweh, you have made so many different kinds of things! You were [very] wise as you made them all. The earth is full of the creatures that you [made].
How great are thy works, O Lord? thou hast made all things in wisdom: the earth is filled with thy riches.
25 [We see] the ocean which is very large [DOU]! It is full of many kinds of living creatures, big ones and little ones.
So is this great sea, which stretcheth wide its arms: there are creeping things without number: Creatures little and great.
26 We see the ships which sail along! We see the huge sea monster, which you made to (splash around/play) in the sea.
There the ships shall go. This sea dragon which thou hast formed to play therein.
27 All of those creatures depend on you to give them the food that they need.
All expect of thee that thou give them food in season.
28 When you give them the food that they need, they gather it. You give them what you have in your hand, and they [eat it and] are satisfied.
What thou givest to them they shall gather up: when thou openest thy hand, they shall all be filled with good.
29 [But] if you refuse to give food to them, they become terrified. And when you cause them to stop breathing, they die; their bodies [decay and] become soil again.
But if thou turnest away thy face, they shall be troubled: thou shalt take away their breath, and they shall fail, and shall return to their dust.
30 When you cause newborn creatures to begin to breathe, they start to live; you give new life to all the living creatures on the earth.
Thou shalt send forth thy spirit, and they shall be created: and thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
31 I want the glory of Yahweh to last forever. I want him to rejoice about [all] the things that he has created.
May the glory of the Lord endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.
32 He causes the earth to shake [just] by looking at it! By [merely] touching the mountains he makes/causes them to pour out fire and smoke!
He looketh upon the earth, and maketh it tremble: he toucheth the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to Yahweh (as long as I live/throughout my entire life). I will praise my God until the day that I die.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
34 I want Yahweh to be pleased by all those things that I have thought [about him], because I rejoice about [knowing] him.
Let my speech be acceptable to him: but I will take delight in the Lord.
35 [But] I desire that sinners will disappear from the earth, so that there will be no more wicked [people]! [But as for] me, I will praise Yahweh! (Praise him/Hallelujah)!
Let sinners be consumed out of the earth, and the unjust, so that they be no more: O my soul, bless thou the Lord.
