Psalm 104

God the Creator

My soul, bless the Lord!
Lord my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with majesty and splendor.(A)
He wraps himself in light as if it were a robe,
spreading out the sky like a canopy,(B)
laying the beams of his palace
on the waters above,(C)
making the clouds his chariot,(D)
walking on the wings of the wind,(E)
and making the winds his messengers,[a]
flames of fire his servants.(F)

He established the earth on its foundations;
it will never be shaken.(G)
You covered it with the deep
as if it were a garment;
the water stood above the mountains.(H)
At your rebuke the water fled;
at the sound of your thunder they hurried away(I)
mountains rose and valleys sank[b]
to the place you established for them.(J)
You set a boundary they cannot cross;
they will never cover the earth again.(K)

10 He causes the springs to gush into the valleys;
they flow between the mountains.(L)
11 They supply water for every wild beast;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.(M)
12 The birds of the sky live beside the springs;
they make their voices heard among the foliage.(N)
13 He waters the mountains from his palace;
the earth is satisfied by the fruit of your labor.(O)

14 He causes grass to grow for the livestock
and provides crops for man to cultivate,
producing food from the earth,(P)
15 wine that makes human hearts glad—
making his face shine with oil—
and bread that sustains human hearts.(Q)

16 The trees of the Lord flourish,[c]
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.(R)
17 There the birds make their nests;
storks make their homes in the pine trees.(S)
18 The high mountains are for the wild goats;
the cliffs are a refuge for hyraxes.(T)

19 He made the moon to mark the[d] festivals;[e]
the sun knows when to set.(U)
20 You bring darkness, and it becomes night,
when all the forest animals stir.(V)
21 The young lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God.(W)
22 The sun rises; they go back
and lie down in their dens.(X)
23 Man goes out to his work
and to his labor until evening.(Y)

24 How countless are your works, Lord!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.[f](Z)
25 Here is the sea, vast and wide,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.(AA)
26 There the ships move about,
and Leviathan, which you formed to play there.(AB)

27 All of them wait for you
to give them their food at the right time.(AC)
28 When you give it to them,
they gather it;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.(AD)
29 When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.(AE)
30 When you send your breath,[g]
they are created,(AF)
and you renew the surface of the ground.(AG)

31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
may the Lord rejoice in his works.(AH)
32 He looks at the earth, and it trembles;
he touches the mountains,
and they pour out smoke.(AI)
33 I will sing to the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God while I live.(AJ)
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him;
I will rejoice in the Lord.(AK)
35 May sinners vanish from the earth
and wicked people be no more.(AL)
My soul, bless the Lord!
Hallelujah!

Footnotes

  1. 104:4 Or angels
  2. 104:7–8 Or away. They flowed over the mountains and went down valleys
  3. 104:16 Lit are satisfied
  4. 104:19 Lit moon for
  5. 104:19 Or the appointed times
  6. 104:24 Lit possessions
  7. 104:30 Or Spirit

Davidic[a]

Praise God, who Creates

104 Bless the Lord, my soul;
    Lord, my God, you are very great.
You are clothed in splendor and majesty;
you are wrapped in light like a garment,
        stretching out the sky like a curtain.

He lays the beams of his roof loft on the water above,[b]
    making clouds his chariot,
        walking on the wings of the wind.
He makes the winds his messengers,
    blazing fires his servants.
He established the earth on its foundations,
    so that it never falters.

You covered the primeval ocean like a garment;
    the water stood above the mountains.
They flee at your rebuke;
    they rush away at the sound of your thunders.
Mountains rise up and valleys sink
    to the place you have ordained for them.
You have set a boundary they cannot cross;
    they will never again cover the earth.

10 He causes springs to gush forth into rivers
    that flow between the[c] mountains.
11 They give water[d] for animals of the field to drink;
    the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 Birds of the sky live beside them
    and chirp a song[e] among the foliage.

13 He waters the mountains from his heavenly rooms;
    the earth is satisfied from the fruit of your work.
14 He causes grass to sprout for the cattle
    and plants for people to cultivate,
        to produce food from the land,
15 like wine that makes the heart of people[f] happy,
    oil that makes the face glow,
        and food[g] that sustains people.[h]

16 The loftiest trees[i] are satisfied,
    the cedars of Lebanon that he planted,
17 the birds build their nests there,
    and the heron builds[j] its nest among the evergreen.
18 The high mountains are for wild goats;
    the cliffs are a refuge for the rock badger.

19 He made the moon to mark time;[k]
    the sun knows its setting time.
20 You bring darkness and it becomes night;
    when every beast of the forest prowls.
21 Young lions roar for prey,
    seeking their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they[l] gather
    and lie down in their dens.
23 People go out to their work
    and labor until evening.

24 How numerous are your works, Lord!
    You have made them all wisely;
        the earth is filled with your creations.[m]
25 There is the deep and wide sea,
    teeming with numberless creatures,
        living things small and great.
26 There, the ships pass through;
    Leviathan, which you created, frolics in it.

27 All of them look to you
    to provide them[n] their food at the proper time.
28 They receive what you give them;
    when you open your hand,
        they are filled with good things.
29 When you withdraw your favor,[o]
    they are disappointed;
Take away their breath,
    and[p] they die[q] and return to dust.
30 When you send your spirit,[r] they are[s] created,
    and you replenish the surface of the earth.

31 May the glory of the Lord last forever;
    may the Lord rejoice in his works!
32 He looks at the earth and it shakes;
    he touches the mountains and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord with my whole being;[t]
    I will sing to my God continually!
34 May my thoughts be pleasing to him;
    indeed, I will rejoice in the Lord!
35 May sinners disappear from the land
    and the wicked live no longer.

Bless the Lord, my soul! Hallelujah!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 104:1 So LXX DSS 4QPsa 11QPsa; MT DSS 4QPsd lack this line
  2. Psalm 104:3 The Heb. lacks above
  3. Psalm 104:10 So LXX DSS 4QPsd; the Heb. lacks the
  4. Psalm 104:11 The Heb. lacks water
  5. Psalm 104:12 Lit. and they give a voice
  6. Psalm 104:15 Lit. man
  7. Psalm 104:15 Or bread
  8. Psalm 104:15 Lit. heart of man
  9. Psalm 104:16 Lit. trees of the Lord
  10. Psalm 104:17 The Heb. lacks builds
  11. Psalm 104:19 Lit. for an appointed time
  12. Psalm 104:22 So MT; LXX DSS 4QPsd 11QPsa read and they
  13. Psalm 104:24 Lit. acquisitions
  14. Psalm 104:27 So LXX DSS 11QPsa; the Heb. lacks them
  15. Psalm 104:29 Lit. you conceal your face
  16. Psalm 104:29 So MT; LXX DSS 11QPsa read then
  17. Psalm 104:29 So MT DSS 11QPsa; LXX reads they will fail
  18. Psalm 104:30 Or breath
  19. Psalm 104:30 So MT; LXX reads they will be; DSS 11QPsa reads then they are
  20. Psalm 104:33 Lit. with my life