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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

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