Psalm 104

Psalm 104

1 Let all that I am praise the LORD.
O LORD my God, how great you are!
You are robed with honor and majesty.2 You are dressed in a robe of light.
You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens;3 you lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds.
You make the clouds your chariot;
you ride upon the wings of the wind.4 The winds are your messengers;
flames of fire are your servants.t5 You placed the world on its foundation
so it would never be moved.6 You clothed the earth with floods of water,
water that covered even the mountains.7 At your command, the water fled;
at the sound of your thunder, it hurried away.8 Mountains rose and valleys sank
to the levels you decreed.9 Then you set a firm boundary for the seas,
so they would never again cover the earth.10 You make springs pour water into the ravines,
so streams gush down from the mountains.11 They provide water for all the animals,
and the wild donkeys quench their thirst.12 The birds nest beside the streams
and sing among the branches of the trees.13 You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home,
and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor.14 You cause grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for people to use.
You allow them to produce food from the earth—15 wine to make them glad,
olive oil to soothe their skin,
and bread to give them strength.16 The trees of the LORD are well cared for—
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.17 There the birds make their nests,
and the storks make their homes in the cypresses.18 High in the mountains live the wild goats,
and the rocks form a refuge for the hyraxes.t19 You made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows when to set.20 You send the darkness, and it becomes night,
when all the forest animals prowl about.21 Then the young lions roar for their prey,
stalking the food provided by God.22 At dawn they slink back
into their dens to rest.23 Then people go off to their work,
where they labor until evening.24 O LORD, what a variety of things you have made!
In wisdom you have made them all.
The earth is full of your creatures.25 Here is the ocean, vast and wide,
teeming with life of every kind,
both large and small.26 See the ships sailing along,
and Leviathan,t which you made to play in the sea.27 They all depend on you
to give them food as they need it.28 When you supply it, they gather it.
You open your hand to feed them,
and they are richly satisfied.29 But if you turn away from them, they panic.
When you take away their breath,
they die and turn again to dust.30 When you give them your breath,t life is created,
and you renew the face of the earth.31 May the glory of the LORD continue forever!
The LORD takes pleasure in all he has made!32 The earth trembles at his glance;
the mountains smoke at his touch.33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live.
I will praise my God to my last breath!34 May all my thoughts be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the LORD.35 Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth;
let the wicked disappear forever.
Let all that I am praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD!

PSALMS 104

The [Lord] Takes Care //of His Creation

1 I praise you, [Lord] God,
with all my heart.
You are glorious and majestic,
dressed in royal robes

2 and surrounded by light.
You spread out the sky
like a tent,

3 and you built your home
over the mighty ocean.
The clouds are your chariot
with the wind as its wings.

4  t The winds are your messengers,
and flames of fire
are your servants.

5 You built foundations
for the earth, and it
will never be shaken.

6 You covered the earth
with the ocean that rose
above the mountains.

7 Then your voice thundered!
And the water flowed

8 down the mountains
and through the valleys
to the place you prepared.

9 Now you have set boundaries,
so that the water will never
flood the earth again.

10 You provide streams of water
in the hills and valleys,

11 so that the donkeys
and other wild animals
can satisfy their thirst.

12 Birds build their nests nearby
and sing in the trees.

13 From your home above
you send rain on the hills
and water the earth.

14 You let the earth produce
grass for cattle,
plants for our food,

15 wine to cheer us up,
olive oil for our skin,
and grain for our health.

16 Our [Lord], your trees
always have water,
and so do the cedars
you planted in Lebanon.

17 Birds nest in those trees,
and storks make their home
in the fir trees.

18 Wild goats find a home
in the tall mountains,
and small animals can hide
between the rocks.

19 You created the moon
to tell us the seasons.
The sun knows when to set,

20 and you made the darkness,
so the animals in the forest
could come out at night.

21 Lions roar as they hunt
for the food you provide.

22 But when morning comes,
they return to their dens,

23 then we go out to work
until the end of day.

24 Our [Lord], by your wisdom
you made so many things;
the whole earth is covered
with your living creatures.

25 But what about the ocean
so big and wide?
It is alive with creatures,
large and small.

26  t And there are the ships,
as well as Leviathan, t
the monster you created
to splash in the sea.

27 All of these depend on you
to provide them with food,

28 and you feed each one
with your own hand,
until they are full.

29 But when you turn away,
they are terrified;
when you end their life,
they die and rot.

30 You created all of them
by your Spirit,
and you give new life
to the earth.

31 Our [Lord], we pray
that your glory
will last forever
and that you will be pleased
with what you have done.

32 You look at the earth,
and it trembles.
You touch the mountains,
and smoke goes up.

33 As long as I live,
I will sing and praise you,
the [Lord] God.

34 I hope my thoughts
will please you,
because you are the one
who makes me glad.

35 Destroy all wicked sinners
from the earth
once and for all.
With all my heart
I praise you, [Lord]!
I praise you!