In Praise of the Creator (PSA 104:1-35)

[104:1] Praise the Lord, my soul! O Lord, my God, how great you are! You are clothed with majesty and glory;

[104:2] you cover yourself with light. You have spread out the heavens like a tent

[104:3] and built your home on the waters above. You use the clouds as your chariot and ride on the wings of the wind.

[104:4] You use the winds as your messengers and flashes of lightning as your servants.

[104:5] You have set the earth firmly on its foundations, and it will never be moved.

[104:6] You placed the ocean over it like a robe, and the water covered the mountains.

[104:7] When you rebuked the waters, they fled; they rushed away when they heard your shout of command.

[104:8] They flowed over the mountains and into the valleys, to the place you had made for them.

[104:9] You set a boundary they can never pass, to keep them from covering the earth again.

[104:10] You make springs flow in the valleys, and rivers run between the hills.

[104:11] They provide water for the wild animals; there the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

[104:12] In the trees near by, the birds make their nests and sing.

[104:13] From the sky you send rain on the hills, and the earth is filled with your blessings.

[104:14] You make grass grow for the cattle and plants for us to use, so that we can grow our crops

[104:15] and produce wine to make us happy, olive oil to make us cheerful, and bread to give us strength.

[104:16] The cedars of Lebanon get plenty of rain— the Lord's own trees, which he planted.

[104:17] There the birds build their nests; the storks nest in the fir trees.

[104:18] The wild goats live in the high mountains, and the rock badgers hide in the cliffs.

[104:19] You created the moon to mark the months; the sun knows the time to set.

[104:20] You made the night, and in the darkness all the wild animals come out.

[104:21] The young lions roar while they hunt, looking for the food that God provides.

[104:22] When the sun rises, they go back and lie down in their dens.

[104:23] Then people go out to do their work and keep working until evening.

[104:24] Lord, you have made so many things! How wisely you made them all! The earth is filled with your creatures.

[104:25] There is the ocean, large and wide, where countless creatures live, large and small alike.

[104:26] The ships sail on it, and in it plays Leviathan, that sea monster which you made.

[104:27] All of them depend on you to give them food when they need it.

[104:28] You give it to them, and they eat it; you provide food, and they are satisfied.

[104:29] When you turn away, they are afraid; when you take away your breath, they die and go back to the dust from which they came.

[104:30] But when you give them breath, they are created; you give new life to the earth.

[104:31] May the glory of the Lord last forever! May the Lord be happy with what he has made!

[104:32] He looks at the earth, and it trembles; he touches the mountains, and they pour out smoke.

[104:33] I will sing to the Lord all my life; as long as I live I will sing praises to my God.

[104:34] May he be pleased with my song, for my gladness comes from him.

[104:35] May sinners be destroyed from the earth; may the wicked be no more. Praise the Lord, my soul! Praise the Lord!