Psalm 104

1    Bless the Lord, O my soul.  

O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!

2    You are clothed with majesty and honour,  

wrapped in light as in a garment.

3    You spread out the heavens like a curtain  

and lay the beams of your dwelling place in the waters above.

4    You make the clouds your chariot  

and ride on the wings of the wind.

5    You make the winds your messengers  

and flames of fire your servants.

6    You laid the foundations of the earth,  

that it never should move at any time.

7    You covered it with the deep like a garment;  

the waters stood high above the hills.

8    At your rebuke they fled;  

at the voice of your thunder they hastened away.

   They rose up to the hills and flowed down to the valleys beneath,  

to the place which you had appointed for them.

10  You have set them their bounds that they should not pass,  

nor turn again to cover the earth.

11  You send the springs into the brooks,  

which run among the hills.

12  They give drink to every beast of the field,  

and the wild asses quench their thirst.

13  Beside them the birds of the air make their nests  

and sing among the branches.

14  You water the hills from your dwelling on high;  

the earth is filled with the fruit of your works.

15  You make grass to grow for the cattle  

and plants to meet our needs,

16  Bringing forth food from the earth  

and wine to gladden our hearts,

17  Oil to give us a cheerful countenance  

and bread to strengthen our hearts.

18  The trees of the Lord are full of sap,  

the cedars of Lebanon which he planted,

19  In which the birds build their nests,  

while the fir trees are a dwelling for the stork.

20  The mountains are a refuge for the wild goats  

and the stony cliffs for the conies.

21  You appointed the moon to mark the seasons,  

and the sun knows the time for its setting.

22  You make darkness that it may be night,  

in which all the beasts of the forest creep forth.

23  The lions roar for their prey  

and seek their food from God.

24  The sun rises and they are gone  

to lay themselves down in their dens.

25  People go forth to their work  

and to their labour until the evening.

26  O Lord, how manifold are your works!  

In wisdom you have made them all;

    the earth is full of your creatures.

27  There is the sea, spread far and wide,  

and there move creatures beyond number, both small and great.

28  There go the ships, and there is that Leviathan  

which you have made to play in the deep.

29  All of these look to you  

to give them their food in due season.

30  When you give it them, they gather it;  

you open your hand and they are filled with good.

31  When you hide your face they are troubled;  

when you take away their breath,

    they die and return again to the dust.

32  When you send forth your spirit, they are created,  

and you renew the face of the earth.

33  May the glory of the Lord endure for ever;  

may the Lord rejoice in his works;

34  He looks on the earth and it trembles;  

he touches the mountains and they smoke.

35  I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;  

I will make music to my God while I have my being.

36  So shall my song please him  

while I rejoice in the Lord.

37  Let sinners be consumed out of the earth

    and the wicked be no more.  

Bless the Lord, O my soul.

    Alleluia.

 

Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, material from which is included here,
is copyright © The Archbishops' Council 2000 and published by Church House Publishing.

Download the Reflections on the Psalms app