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104 My soul, praise the Lord!
    Lord my God, you are very great!
You are clothed with glory and honor.
    You wear light like a robe.
You spread out the skies like a curtain.
    You built your home above them.[a]
You use the thick clouds like a chariot
    and ride across the sky on the wings of the wind.
You make the winds your messengers
    and flames of fire your servants.[b]
You built the earth on its foundations,
    so it can never be moved.
You covered it with water like a blanket.
    The water covered even the mountains.
But you gave the command, and the water turned back.
    You shouted at the water, and it rushed away.
The water flowed down from the mountains into the valleys,
    to the places you made for it.
You set the limits for the seas,
    and the water will never again rise to cover the earth.

10 Lord, you cause water to flow from springs into the streams
    that flow down between the mountains.
11 The streams provide water for all the wild animals.
    Even the wild donkeys come there to drink.
12 Wild birds come to live by the pools;
    they sing in the branches of nearby trees.
13 You send rain down on the mountains.
    The earth gets everything it needs from what you have made.
14 You make the grass grow to feed the animals.
    You provide plants for the crops we grow—
    the plants that give us food from the earth.
15 You give us the wine that makes us happy,
    the oil that makes our skin soft,[c]
    and the food that makes us strong.

16 The great cedar trees of Lebanon belong to the Lord.
    He planted them and gives them the water they need.
17 That’s where the birds make their nests,
    and the storks live in the fir trees.
18 The high mountains are a home for wild goats.
    The large rocks are hiding places for rock badgers.

19 Lord, you made the moon to show us when the festivals begin.
    And the sun always knows when to set.
20 You made darkness to be the night—
    the time when wild animals come out and roam around.
21 Lions roar as they attack,
    as if they are asking God for the food he gives them.
22 When the sun rises, they leave
    and go back to their dens to rest.
23 Then people go out to do their work,
    and they work until evening.

24 Lord, you created so many things!
    With your wisdom you made them all.
    The earth is full of the living things you made.
25 Look at the ocean, so big and wide!
    It is filled with all kinds of sea life.
    There are creatures large and small—too many to count!
26 Ships sail over the ocean,
    and playing there is Leviathan,[d]
    the great sea creature you made.

27 Lord, all living things depend on you.
    You give them food at the right time.
28 You give it, and they eat it.
    They are filled with good food from your open hands.
29 When you turn away from them,
    they become frightened.
When you take away their breath,[e]
    they die, and their bodies return to the dust.
30 But when you send out your life-giving breath,[f]
    things come alive, and the world is like new again!

31 May the Lord’s glory continue forever!
    May the Lord enjoy what he made.
32 He just looks at the earth, and it trembles.
    He just touches the mountains, and smoke rises from them.

33 I will sing to the Lord for the rest of my life.
    I will sing praises to my God as long as I live.
34 May my words be pleasing to him.
    The Lord is the one who makes me happy.
35 I wish sinners would disappear from the earth.
    I wish the wicked would be gone forever.

My soul, praise the Lord!
    Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 104:3 above them Literally, “on the water above.” This is like the picture of the world in Gen. 1. There the sky was like a bowl turned upside down on the earth. There was water below the bowl and water above it.
  2. Psalm 104:4 Or “You make your angels spirits and your servants flames of fire.” This may be a wordplay referring to the Cherub and Seraph angels.
  3. Psalm 104:15 makes our skin soft Literally, “makes our face shine.” This can also mean “makes us happy.”
  4. Psalm 104:26 Leviathan This might mean any large sea animal, like a whale. But it probably means “the sea monster,” the “Dragon,” or “Rahab.” This creature represents the great power of the ocean, the power that God controls.
  5. Psalm 104:29 breath Or “spirit.”
  6. Psalm 104:30 life-giving breath Or “Spirit.”

The Lords Care over All His Works.

104 (A)Bless the Lord, my soul!
Lord my God, You are very great;
You are (B)clothed with splendor and majesty,
Covering Yourself with (C)light as with a cloak,
(D)Stretching out heaven like a tent curtain.
[a]He (E)lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters;
[b]He makes the (F)clouds His chariot;
[c]He walks on the (G)wings of the wind;
[d]He makes [e](H)the winds His messengers,
[f]Flaming (I)fire His ministers.

He (J)established the earth upon its foundations,
So that it will not [g]totter forever and ever.
You (K)covered it with the deep sea as with a garment;
The waters were standing above the mountains.
They fled from Your (L)rebuke,
At the (M)sound of Your thunder they hurried away.
The mountains rose; the valleys sank down
To the (N)place which You established for them.
You set a (O)boundary so that they will not pass over,
So that they will not return to cover the earth.

10 [h]He sends forth (P)springs in the valleys;
They flow between the mountains;
11 They (Q)give drink to every animal of the field;
The (R)wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the sky (S)dwell [i]beside them;
They [j]lift up their voices from among the branches.
13 [k]He (T)waters the mountains from His upper chambers;
(U)The earth is satisfied with the fruit of His works.

14 [l]He causes the (V)grass to grow for the [m]cattle,
And (W)vegetation for the labor of mankind,
So that [n]they may produce [o]food (X)from the earth,
15 And (Y)wine, which makes a human heart cheerful,
(Z)So that he makes his face gleam with oil,
And [p]food, which (AA)sustains a human heart.
16 The trees of the Lord [q]drink their fill,
The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,
17 Where the (AB)birds build their nests,
And the (AC)stork, whose home is the juniper trees.

18 The high mountains are for the (AD)wild goats;
The (AE)cliffs are a refuge for the (AF)rock hyrax.
19 He made the moon (AG)for the seasons;
The (AH)sun knows the place of its setting.
20 You (AI)appoint darkness and it becomes night,
In which all the (AJ)animals of the forest [r]prowl about.
21 The (AK)young lions roar for their prey
[s]And (AL)seek their food from God.
22 When the sun rises they withdraw,
And they lie down in their (AM)dens.
23 A person goes out to (AN)his work
And to his labor until evening.

24 Lord, how (AO)many are Your works!
[t]In (AP)wisdom You have made them all;
The (AQ)earth is full of Your [u]possessions.
25 [v]There is the (AR)sea, great and [w]broad,
In which are swarms without number,
Animals both small and great.
26 The (AS)ships move along there,
And [x](AT)Leviathan, which You have formed to have fun in it.

27 They all (AU)wait for You
To (AV)give them their food in [y]due season.
28 You give to them, they gather it up;
You (AW)open Your hand, they are satisfied with good.
29 You (AX)hide Your face, they are terrified;
You (AY)take away their breath, they perish
And (AZ)return to their dust.
30 You send forth Your [z](BA)Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the ground.

31 May the (BB)glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord (BC)rejoice in His works;
32 [aa]He (BD)looks at the earth, and it (BE)trembles;
He (BF)touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 [ab]I will sing to the Lord [ac](BG)as long as I live;
[ad]I will (BH)sing praise to my God [ae]while I have my being.
34 May my (BI)praise be pleasing to Him;
As for me, I shall (BJ)rejoice in the Lord.
35 May sinners be (BK)removed from the earth
And may the (BL)wicked be no more.
(BM)Bless the Lord, my soul.
[af](BN)Praise [ag]the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 104:3 Lit The one who
  2. Psalm 104:3 Lit The one who
  3. Psalm 104:3 Lit The one who
  4. Psalm 104:4 Lit Who
  5. Psalm 104:4 Or His angels, spirits
  6. Psalm 104:4 Or His ministers flames of fire
  7. Psalm 104:5 Or move out of place
  8. Psalm 104:10 Lit The one who sends
  9. Psalm 104:12 Or over; or above
  10. Psalm 104:12 Lit give forth
  11. Psalm 104:13 Lit Who
  12. Psalm 104:14 Lit Who
  13. Psalm 104:14 Or animals
  14. Psalm 104:14 Or He
  15. Psalm 104:14 Lit bread
  16. Psalm 104:15 Lit bread
  17. Psalm 104:16 Lit are satisfied
  18. Psalm 104:20 Lit crawl
  19. Psalm 104:21 Lit And to seek
  20. Psalm 104:24 Or With
  21. Psalm 104:24 Or creatures
  22. Psalm 104:25 Or This
  23. Psalm 104:25 Or broad of dimensions; lit hands
  24. Psalm 104:26 Or a sea monster
  25. Psalm 104:27 Lit its appointed time
  26. Psalm 104:30 Or breath
  27. Psalm 104:32 Lit The one who
  28. Psalm 104:33 Or Let me sing
  29. Psalm 104:33 Lit in my lifetime
  30. Psalm 104:33 Or Let me sing
  31. Psalm 104:33 Lit while I still am
  32. Psalm 104:35 Or Hallelujah!
  33. Psalm 104:35 Heb Yah