Psalm 104 (NASB2020)

Psalm 104

The Lord’s Care over All His Works.

1Bless the Lord, my soul!

Lord my God, You are very great;

You are clothed with splendor and majesty,

2Covering Yourself with light as with a cloak,

Stretching out heaven like a tent curtain.

3 104:3 Lit The one whoHe lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters;

104:3 Lit The one whoHe makes the clouds His chariot;

104:3 Lit The one whoHe walks on the wings of the wind;

4 104:4 Lit WhoHe makes 104:4 Or His angels, spiritsthe winds His messengers,

104:4 Or His ministers flames of fireFlaming fire His ministers.

5¶He established the earth upon its foundations,

So that it will not 104:5 Or move out of placetotter forever and ever.

6You covered it with the deep sea as with a garment;

The waters were standing above the mountains.

7They fled from Your rebuke,

At the sound of Your thunder they hurried away.

8The mountains rose; the valleys sank down

To the place which You established for them.

9You set a boundary so that they will not pass over,

So that they will not return to cover the earth.

10¶104:10 Lit The one who sendsHe sends forth springs in the valleys;

They flow between the mountains;

11They give drink to every animal of the field;

The wild donkeys quench their thirst.

12The birds of the sky dwell 104:12 Or over; or abovebeside them;

They 104:12 Lit give forthlift up their voices from among the branches.

13 104:13 Lit WhoHe waters the mountains from His upper chambers;

The earth is satisfied with the fruit of His works.

14¶104:14 Lit WhoHe causes the grass to grow for the 104:14 Or animalscattle,

And vegetation for the labor of mankind,

So that 104:14 Or Hethey may produce 104:14 Lit breadfood from the earth,

15And wine, which makes a human heart cheerful,

So that he makes his face gleam with oil,

And 104:15 Lit breadfood, which sustains a human heart.

16The trees of the Lord 104:16 Lit are satisfieddrink their fill,

The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,

17Where the birds build their nests,

And the stork, whose home is the juniper trees.

18¶The high mountains are for the wild goats;

The cliffs are a refuge for the rock hyrax.

19He made the moon for the seasons;

The sun knows the place of its setting.

20You appoint darkness and it becomes night,

In which all the animals of the forest 104:20 Lit crawlprowl about.

21The young lions roar for their prey

104:21 Lit And to seekAnd seek their food from God.

22 When the sun rises they withdraw,

And they lie down in their dens.

23A person goes out to his work

And to his labor until evening.

24¶Lord, how many are Your works!

104:24 Or WithIn wisdom You have made them all;

The earth is full of Your 104:24 Or creaturespossessions.

25 104:25 Or ThisThere is the sea, great and 104:25 Or broad of dimensions; lit handsbroad,

In which are swarms without number,

Animals both small and great.

26The ships move along there,

And 104:26 Or a sea monsterLeviathan, which You have formed to have fun in it.

27¶They all wait for You

To give them their food in 104:27 Lit its appointed timedue season.

28You give to them, they gather it up;

You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good.

29You hide Your face, they are terrified;

You take away their breath, they perish

And return to their dust.

30You send forth Your 104:30 Or breathSpirit, they are created;

And You renew the face of the ground.

31¶May the glory of the Lord endure forever;

May the Lord rejoice in His works;

32 104:32 Lit The one whoHe looks at the earth, and it trembles;

He touches the mountains, and they smoke.

33 104:33 Or Let me singI will sing to the Lord 104:33 Lit in my lifetimeas long as I live;

104:33 Or Let me singI will sing praise to my God 104:33 Lit while I still amwhile I have my being.

34May my praise be pleasing to Him;

As for me, I shall rejoice in the Lord.

35May sinners be removed from the earth

And may the wicked be no more.

Bless the Lord, my soul.

104:35 Or Hallelujah!Praise 104:35 Heb Yahthe Lord!

Understand Psalm 104

A verse-by-verse study of Psalm 104: what the chapter is doing, and what three commentaries say about it. Written to be readable if this is new to you.

Read the Psalm 104 commentary