Aa

Psalm 104

1I will praise the Lord.

Lord my God, you are very great.
You are dressed in glory and majesty.
2The Lord wraps himself in light as if it were a robe.
He spreads out the heavens like a tent.
3He builds his palace high in the heavens.
He makes the clouds serve as his chariot.
He rides on the wings of the wind.
4He makes the winds serve as his messengers.
He makes flashes of lightning serve him.

5He placed the earth on its foundations.
It can never be moved.
6You, Lord, covered it with the oceans like a blanket.
The waters covered the mountains.
7But you commanded the waters, and they ran away.
At the sound of your thunder they rushed off.
8They flowed down the mountains.
They went into the valleys.
They went to the place you appointed for them.
9You drew a line they can’t cross.
They will never cover the earth again.

10The Lord makes springs pour water into the valleys.
It flows between the mountains.
11The springs give water to all the wild animals.
The wild donkeys satisfy their thirst.
12The birds in the sky build nests by the waters.
They sing among the branches.
13The Lord waters the mountains from his palace high in the clouds.
The earth is filled with the things he has made.
14He makes grass grow for the cattle
and plants for people to take care of.
That’s how they get food from the earth.
15There is wine to make people glad.
There is olive oil to make their skin glow.
And there is bread to make them strong.
16The cedar trees of Lebanon belong to the Lord.
He planted them and gave them plenty of water.
17There the birds make their nests.
The stork has its home in the juniper trees.
18The high mountains belong to the wild goats.
The cliffs are a safe place for the rock badgers.

19The Lord made the moon to mark off the seasons.
The sun knows when to go down.
20You, Lord, bring darkness, and it becomes night.
Then all the animals of the forest prowl around.
21The lions roar while they hunt.
All their food comes from God.
22The sun rises, and they slip away.
They return to their dens and lie down.
23Then people get up and go to work.
They keep working until evening.

24 Lord, you have made so many things!
How wise you were when you made all of them!
The earth is full of your creatures.
25Look at the ocean, so big and wide!
It is filled with more creatures than people can count.
It is filled with living things, from the largest to the smallest.
26Ships sail back and forth on it.
Leviathan, the sea monster you made, plays in it.

27All creatures depend on you
to give them their food when they need it.
28When you give it to them,
they eat it.
When you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.
29When you turn your face away from them,
they are terrified.
When you take away their breath,
they die and turn back into dust.
30When you send your Spirit,
you create them.
You give new life to the ground.

31May the glory of the Lord continue forever.
May the Lord be happy with what he has made.
32When he looks at the earth, it trembles.
When he touches the mountains, they pour out smoke.

33I will sing to the Lord all my life.
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34May these thoughts of mine please him.
I find my joy in the Lord.
35But may sinners be gone from the earth.
May evil people disappear.

I will praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.