Psalms 104
1 Bless the LORD, my soul. The LORD, my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honour and majesty.
Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great, clad in awful splendour,
2 He covers himself with light as with a garment. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain.
covered with robe of light. You stretch out the heavens like the cloth of a tent.
3 He lays the beams of his rooms in the waters. He makes the clouds his chariot. He walks on the wings of the wind.
He lays the beams of his chambers on water. He takes dark clouds for his chariot, and rides on the wings of the wind.
4 He makes his messengers winds, and his servants flames of fire.
He takes the winds for his messengers, the fire and the flame for his servants.
5 He laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be moved forever.
He founded the earth upon pillars, to sustain it unshaken forever.
6 You covered it with the deep as with a cloak. The waters stood above the mountains.
With the garment of ocean he covered it, waters towered over the mountains.
7 At your rebuke they fled. At the voice of your thunder they hurried away.
But at your rebuke they fled, scared by the roar of your thunder,
8 The mountains rose, the valleys sank down, to the place which you had assigned to them.
mountains rose, valleys sank down to the place appointed for them.
9 You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, that they don’t turn again to cover the earth.
They dared not pass the bounds set for them, or cover the earth any more.
10 He sends springs into the valleys. They run amongst the mountains.
He sent brooks into the valleys, they meander between the mountains.
11 They give drink to every animal of the field. The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
The wild beasts all drink from them, and the wild asses quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the sky nest by them. They sing amongst the branches.
The birds have their home by the banks, and sing in the branches.
13 He waters the mountains from his rooms. The earth is filled with the fruit of your works.
From his chambers above he gives drink to the mountains, and satisfies earth with the vials of heaven.
14 He causes the grass to grow for the livestock, and plants for man to cultivate, that he may produce food out of the earth:
He makes grass grow for the cattle, and herbs for people. He brings bread out of the earth;
15 wine that makes the heart of man glad, oil to make his face to shine, and bread that strengthens man’s heart.
wine, to gladden hearts; oil, to make faces shine; bread, to strengthen hearts.
16 The LORD’s trees are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon, which he has planted,
The trees of the Lord drink their fill the cedars he planted on Lebanon,
17 where the birds make their nests. The stork makes its home in the cypress trees.
where the little birds build their nest, and the stork whose home is the cypress.
18 The high mountains are for the wild goats. The rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.
The high hills are for the wild goats, and the rocks are for coneys to hide in.
19 He appointed the moon for seasons. The sun knows when to set.
He created the moon to mark seasons, and told the sun when to set.
20 You make darkness, and it is night, in which all the animals of the forest prowl.
You make it dark: night comes, when all the wild beasts creep out.
21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their food from God.
Young lions that roar for their prey, seeking their meat from God.
22 The sun rises, and they steal away, and lie down in their dens.
At sunrise they slink away, and lie down in their dens.
23 Man goes out to his work, to his labour until the evening.
Then people go forth to their work, and toil till evening.
24 LORD, how many are your works! In wisdom, you have made them all. The earth is full of your riches.
How many, O Lord, are your works, all of them made in wisdom! The earth is filled with your creatures.
25 There is the sea, great and wide, in which are innumerable living things, both small and large animals.
And there is the great broad sea, where are countless things in motion, living creatures, both great and small.
26 There the ships go, and leviathan, whom you formed to play there.
There go the ships, and the Leviathan you made to play there.
27 These all wait for you, that you may give them their food in due season.
They all look in hope to you, to give them their food in due season.
28 You give to them; they gather. You open your hand; they are satisfied with good.
And you give with open hand; they gather and eat to their heart’s desire.
29 You hide your face; they are troubled. You take away their breath; they die and return to the dust.
When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take their breath away, they die and go back to their dust.
30 You send out your Spirit and they are created. You renew the face of the ground.
But a breath from your lips creates them, and renews the face of the earth.
31 Let the LORD’s glory endure forever. Let the LORD rejoice in his works.
May the glory of the Lord be forever, may the Lord rejoice in his works.
32 He looks at the earth, and it trembles. He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
A glance of his makes the earth tremble, a touch of his makes the hills smoke.
33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.
I will sing to the Lord while I live, I will play to my God while I am.
34 Let my meditation be sweet to him. I will rejoice in the LORD.
May my musing be sweet to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.
35 Let sinners be consumed out of the earth. Let the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, my soul. Praise the LORD!
But may sinners be swept from the earth, and the wicked vanish forever. O my soul, bless the Lord. Hallelujah.
