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Psalm 104
Contemporary English Version
Psalm 104
Contemporary English Version
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 (A) 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 (B) And there are the ships,
as well as Leviathan,[a]
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!
Footnotes
- 104.26 Leviathan: See the note at 74.14.
Psalm 104
New International Version
Psalm 104
New International Version
Psalm 104
1 Praise the Lord, my soul.(A)
Lord my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.(B)
2 The Lord wraps(C) himself in light(D) as with a garment;
he stretches(E) out the heavens(F) like a tent(G)
3 and lays the beams(H) of his upper chambers on their waters.(I)
He makes the clouds(J) his chariot(K)
and rides on the wings of the wind.(L)
4 He makes winds his messengers,[a](M)
flames of fire(N) his servants.
5 He set the earth(O) on its foundations;(P)
it can never be moved.
6 You covered it(Q) with the watery depths(R) as with a garment;
the waters stood(S) above the mountains.
7 But at your rebuke(T) the waters fled,
at the sound of your thunder(U) they took to flight;
8 they flowed over the mountains,
they went down into the valleys,
to the place you assigned(V) for them.
9 You set a boundary(W) they cannot cross;
never again will they cover the earth.
10 He makes springs(X) pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
11 They give water(Y) to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys(Z) quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the sky(AA) nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.(AB)
13 He waters the mountains(AC) from his upper chambers;(AD)
the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.(AE)
14 He makes grass grow(AF) for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food(AG) from the earth:
15 wine(AH) that gladdens human hearts,
oil(AI) to make their faces shine,
and bread that sustains(AJ) their hearts.
16 The trees of the Lord(AK) are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon(AL) that he planted.
17 There the birds(AM) make their nests;
the stork has its home in the junipers.
18 The high mountains belong to the wild goats;(AN)
the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.(AO)
19 He made the moon to mark the seasons,(AP)
and the sun(AQ) knows when to go down.
20 You bring darkness,(AR) it becomes night,(AS)
and all the beasts of the forest(AT) prowl.
21 The lions roar for their prey(AU)
and seek their food from God.(AV)
22 The sun rises, and they steal away;
they return and lie down in their dens.(AW)
23 Then people go out to their work,(AX)
to their labor until evening.(AY)
24 How many are your works,(AZ) Lord!
In wisdom you made(BA) them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.(BB)
25 There is the sea,(BC) vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.(BD)
26 There the ships(BE) go to and fro,
and Leviathan,(BF) which you formed to frolic(BG) there.(BH)
27 All creatures look to you
to give them their food(BI) at the proper time.
28 When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied(BJ) with good things.
29 When you hide your face,(BK)
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.(BL)
30 When you send your Spirit,(BM)
they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the Lord(BN) endure forever;
may the Lord rejoice in his works(BO)—
32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,(BP)
who touches the mountains,(BQ) and they smoke.(BR)
33 I will sing(BS) to the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice(BT) in the Lord.
35 But may sinners vanish(BU) from the earth
and the wicked be no more.(BV)
Praise the Lord, my soul.
Footnotes
- Psalm 104:4 Or angels
- Psalm 104:35 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; in the Septuagint this line stands at the beginning of Psalm 105.
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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