Psalm 104
Praise of God the Creator
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul.
O Lord, my God, you are indeed very great.
You are clothed in majesty and splendor,
2 wrapped in light as in a robe.
You have stretched out the heavens like a tent;
3 you have established your palace upon the waters.
You make the clouds serve as your chariot;
you ride forth on the wings of the wind.
4 You have appointed the winds as your messengers
and flames of fire as your ministers.
5 You established the earth on its foundations
so that it will remain unshaken forever.
6 You covered it with the deep like a cloak;
the waters rose above the mountains.
7 At your rebuke the waters took to flight;
at the sound of your thunder they fled in terror.
8 They rose up to the mountains
and flowed down to the valleys,
to the place that you had designated for them.
9 You established a boundary that they were not to cross
so that they would never again cover the earth.
10 You made springs gush forth in the valleys
and flow between the mountains.
11 They supply water to every beast of the field,
and from them the wild asses quench their thirst.
12 On the banks the birds of the air build nests
and sing among the branches.
13 From your dwelling you water the mountains,
enriching the earth with the fruit of your labor.
14 You provide grass for the cattle,
and the plants for man to cultivate.
You bring forth food from the earth
15 and wine to gladden the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine
and bread to strengthen his body.
16 The trees of the Lord have fruit in abundance,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17 In them the birds build their nests;
in the fir trees the stork makes its home.
18 The high mountains are inhabited by the wild goats;
in the rocky crags the badgers find refuge.
19 You created the moon that marks the seasons
and the sun that knows its time for setting.
20 You bring on darkness, and it is night,
when all the beasts of the forests go on the prowl.
21 The young lions roar for their prey,
seeking their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they steal away
and return to their lairs to rest.
23 People go forth to their work
and to their labor until darkness descends.
24 How countless are your works, O Lord;
by your wisdom you have made them all;
the earth abounds with your creatures.
25 There is the sea, vast and broad,
filled with numberless species,
living creatures both great and small.
26 There the ships sail forth,
and the Leviathan that you formed to play therein.
27 All of them look to you
to give them their food at the appropriate time.
28 When you provide it for them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are filled with good things.
29 When you turn away your face,
they are dismayed;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.
30 When you send forth your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
31 May the glory of the Lord abide forever,
and may the Lord rejoice in his works.
32 When he looks at the earth, it quakes;
when he touches the mountains, they smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have life.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
for I find my joy in the Lord.
35 May sinners be banished from the earth,
and may the wicked no longer exist.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Alleluia.
Footnotes
- Psalm 104:1
- Psalm 104:2
- Psalm 104:3
- Psalm 104:4
- Psalm 104:5
- Psalm 104:7
- Psalm 104:8
- Psalm 104:10
- Psalm 104:13
- Psalm 104:15
- Psalm 104:16
- Psalm 104:18
- Psalm 104:19
- Psalm 104:21
- Psalm 104:24
- Psalm 104:26
- Psalm 104:27
- Psalm 104:27
- Psalm 104:28
- Psalm 104:29
- Psalm 104:30
- Psalm 104:31
- Psalm 104:31
- Psalm 104:32
- Psalm 104:33
- Psalm 104:35
