O Lord My God, You Are Very Great

104 (A)Bless the Lord, O my soul!
    O Lord my God, you are (B)very great!
(C)You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
    covering yourself with light as with a garment,
    (D)stretching out the heavens (E)like a tent.
He (F)lays the beams of his (G)chambers on the waters;
he makes (H)the clouds his chariot;
    he rides on (I)the wings of the wind;
he (J)makes his messengers winds,
    his (K)ministers (L)a flaming fire.

He (M)set the earth on its foundations,
    so that it should never be moved.
You (N)covered it with the deep as with a garment;
    the waters stood above the mountains.
At (O)your rebuke they fled;
    at (P)the sound of your thunder they (Q)took to flight.
The mountains rose, the valleys sank down
    to the place that you (R)appointed for them.
You set (S)a boundary that they may not pass,
    so that they (T)might not again cover the earth.

10 You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
    they flow between the hills;
11 they (U)give drink to every beast of the field;
    the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
    they sing among the branches.
13 (V)From your lofty abode you (W)water the mountains;
    the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.

14 You cause (X)the grass to grow for the livestock
    and (Y)plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth (Z)food from the earth
15     and (AA)wine to gladden the heart of man,
(AB)oil to make his face shine
    and bread to (AC)strengthen man's heart.

16 The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly,
    (AD)the cedars of Lebanon (AE)that he planted.
17 In them the birds build their nests;
    the stork has her home in the fir trees.
18 The high mountains are for (AF)the wild goats;
    the rocks are a refuge for (AG)the rock badgers.

19 He made the moon to mark the (AH)seasons;[a]
    the sun knows its time for setting.
20 (AI)You make darkness, and it is night,
    when all the beasts of the forest creep about.
21 (AJ)The young lions roar for their prey,
    seeking their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they steal away
    and lie down in their (AK)dens.
23 (AL)Man goes out to his work
    and to his labor until the evening.

24 O Lord, how manifold are your works!
    In (AM)wisdom have you made them all;
    the earth is full of your creatures.
25 Here is the sea, great and wide,
    (AN)which teems with creatures innumerable,
    living things both small and great.
26 There go the ships,
    and (AO)Leviathan, which you formed to (AP)play in it.[b]

27 These (AQ)all look to you,
    to (AR)give them their food in due season.
28 When you give it to them, they gather it up;
    when you (AS)open your hand, they are filled with good things.
29 When you (AT)hide your face, they are (AU)dismayed;
    when you (AV)take away their breath, they die
    and (AW)return to their dust.
30 When you (AX)send forth your Spirit,[c] they are created,
    and you (AY)renew the face of the ground.

31 May the glory of the Lord (AZ)endure forever;
    may the Lord (BA)rejoice in his works,
32 who looks on the earth and it (BB)trembles,
    who (BC)touches the mountains and they smoke!
33 I will sing to the Lord (BD)as long as I live;
    I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
34 May my (BE)meditation be pleasing to him,
    for I rejoice in the Lord.
35 Let (BF)sinners be consumed from the earth,
    and let the wicked be no more!
(BG)Bless the Lord, O my soul!
(BH)Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 104:19 Or the appointed times (compare Genesis 1:14)
  2. Psalm 104:26 Or you formed to play with
  3. Psalm 104:30 Or breath

Praise to Yahweh for His Creation and Providence

104 Bless Yahweh, O my soul.
O Yahweh my God, you are very great.
You clothe yourself with splendor and majesty,
you who cover yourself with light as with a garment,
who stretch out the heavens like a tent curtain,
the one who sets beams in the waters for his upper chambers,
who makes clouds his chariot,
who rides[a] on the wings of the wind,
who makes his messengers the winds,
his attendants a flame of fire.
He established the earth on her foundations,
so that it will not be moved forever and ever.
You covered it with the deep as with a garment.
The waters stood above the mountains.
At your rebuke they fled;
at the sound of your thunder they ran off.
They ascended the mountains and drained though the valleys
to the place that you established[b] for them.
You set a boundary that they may not cross over,
so that they would not return to cover the earth.
10 You are the one who sends forth springs into the valleys;
they flow between the mountains.
11 They give drink for every beast of the field.
The wild donkeys quench[c] their thirst.
12 Along them the birds of the heavens abide.
From among the branches they sing.[d]
13 You are the one who waters[e] the mountains
from his upper chambers.
The earth is full[f] with the fruit of your labors:
14 who causes grass to grow for the cattle
and herbs for the service of humankind,
to bring forth food from the earth,
15 and wine that makes glad the heart of man,
so that their faces shine from oil,
and bread that strengthens the heart of man.
16 The trees of Yahweh drink their fill,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted,
17 where birds make their nest.
The stork has its home in the fir trees.
18 The high mountains are for the wild goats;
the cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers.
19 He made the moon for appointed times;
the sun knows its time for setting.
20 You make darkness, and it is night,
when[g] all the animals of the forest creep about.
21 The young lions are roaring for the prey
and seeking their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they gather together
and lie down in their dens.
23 Humankind goes out to its work,
and to its labor until evening.
24 How many are your works, O Yahweh;
all of them you have done in wisdom.
The earth is full of your creatures.
25 This is the great and wide[h] sea,
in which are moving animals without number,
living things small and great.
26 There the ships sail.
Leviathan is there that you formed to play with.[i]
27 They all wait for you
to give them their food at the proper time.[j]
28 You give to them; they gather it.
You open your hand, they are filled with what is good.
29 You hide your face, they are terrified.
You take away their breath, they die
and return to their dust.
30 You send forth your Spirit,[k] they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of Yahweh endure forever.
May Yahweh be glad in his works,
32 the one who looks at the earth and it quakes,
and touches the mountains and they smoke.
33 I will sing to Yahweh throughout my life;
I will sing praise to my God while I remain alive.[l]
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him.
I will be glad in Yahweh.
35 Let sinners perish completely from the earth,
and the wicked not remain alive.[m]
Bless Yahweh, O my soul.
Praise Yah.[n]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 104:3 Hebrew “goes”
  2. Psalm 104:8 Or “appointed”
  3. Psalm 104:11 Literally “break”
  4. Psalm 104:12 Literally “give voice”
  5. Psalm 104:13 Literally “give drink”
  6. Psalm 104:13 Or “is sated”
  7. Psalm 104:20 Hebrew “in it”
  8. Psalm 104:25 Literally “broad of hands”
  9. Psalm 104:26 For this construction meaning “to play with,” see Job 40:29 (Eng: 41:5)
  10. Psalm 104:27 Literally “in its season”
  11. Psalm 104:30 Or “breath”
  12. Psalm 104:33 Literally “while I am still”
  13. Psalm 104:35 Literally “they are not still”
  14. Psalm 104:35 Hebrew hallelujah