Day 20 — Psalm 104

HEBREW

PSALM 104

The glories of creation

Bless Yahweh, my soul,

Yahweh my God, how great You are!

Clothed in majesty and glory,

wrapped in a robe of light!

You stretch the heavens out like a tent,

You build Your palace on the waters above;

using the clouds as Your chariot,

You advance on the wings of the wind;

You use the winds as messengers

and fiery flames as servants.

You fixed the earth on its foundations,

unshakable for ever and ever;

You wrapped it with the deep as with a robe,

the waters overtopping the mountains.

At Your reproof the waters took to flight,

they fled at the sound of Your thunder,

cascading over the mountains, into the valleys,

down to the reservoir You made for them;

You imposed the limits they must never cross again,

or they would once more flood the land.

You set springs gushing in ravines,

running down between the mountains,

supplying water for wild animals,

attracting the thirsty wild donkeys;

near there the birds of the air make their nests

and sing among the branches.

From Your palace You water the uplands

until the ground has had all

that Your heavens have to offer;

You make fresh grass grow for cattle

and those plants made use of by man,

for them to get food from the soil:

wine to make them cheerful,

oil to make them happy

and bread to make them strong.

The trees of Yahweh get rain enough,

those cedars of Lebanon He planted;

here the little birds build their nest

and, on the highest branches,

the stork has its home.

For the wild goats there are the mountains,

in the crags rock badgers hide.

You made the moon to tell the seasons,

the sun knows when to set:

You bring darkness on, night falls,

all the forest animals come out:

savage lions roaring for their prey,

claiming their food from God.

The sun rises, they retire,

going back to lie down in their lairs,

and man goes out to work,

and to labor until dusk.

Yahweh, what variety You have created,

arranging everything so wisely!

Earth is completely full of the things You have made:

among them vast expanse of ocean,

teeming with countless creatures,

creatures large and small,

with the ships going to and fro

and Leviathan whom You made to amuse You.

All creatures depend on You

to feed them throughout the year;

You provide the food they eat,

with generous hand You satisfy their hunger.

You turn Your face away, they suffer,

You stop their breath, they die

and revert to dust.

You give breath, fresh life begins,

You keep renewing the world.

Glory for ever to Yahweh!

May Yahweh find joy in what He creates,

at whose glance the earth trembles,

at whose touch the mountains smoke!

I mean to sing to Yahweh all my life,

I mean to play for my God as long as I live.

May these reflections of mine give Him pleasure,

as much as Yahweh gives me!

May sinners vanish from the earth

and the wicked exist no more!

Bless Yahweh, my soul!

Next… Day 21 — Psalm 105