Psalms 104

Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

1I will praise the LORD with all my heart. LORD my God, you are very great. You are dressed in beauty and greatness.

2Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:

2You wrap yourself in light like a coat. You spread out the sky like a tent.

3Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:

3You build your high rooms on the waters above. You ride the clouds like a chariot. You walk on the wings of the wind.

4Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:

4You make the winds your messengers. You make flames of fire your servants.

NoteThe old King James wording says "his angels spirits." The Hebrew word means both "wind" and "spirit," and here it means the winds. God sends wind and fire to do his work, the way a king sends messengers and servants.

5Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.

5You set the earth on its base. It will never be moved.

6Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.

6You covered the earth with deep water like a blanket. The water stood higher than the mountains.

7At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.

7Then you spoke sharply, and the water ran away. Your thunder sounded, and it hurried off.

8They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.

8The mountains rose up and the valleys sank down. The water went to the place you picked for it.

9Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.

9You drew a line the water may not cross. It will never cover the whole earth again.

10He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.

10God sends springs of water into the valleys. They flow between the hills.

11They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst.

11Every wild animal comes and drinks. Even the wild donkeys drink until they are not thirsty.

12By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.

12Birds live near the water. They sing in the tree branches.

13He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.

13God waters the mountains with rain from his high rooms. The earth gets all it needs from his work.

14He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;

14He makes grass grow for the cows and sheep. He grows plants for people to farm. So food comes out of the ground.

15And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.

15There is wine to make people glad. There is oil to make faces shine. There is bread to make people strong.

16The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;

16The LORD's trees get all the water they need. He planted the tall cedar trees in Lebanon.

17Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house.

17Birds build their nests in those trees. The stork, a tall bird, makes her home in the fir trees.

18The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.

18The high mountains are a safe place for wild goats. The rocks are a safe place for rock badgers.

NoteThe King James Bible says "conies." That old word means rock badgers, small furry animals that live in the cliffs.

19He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.

19God made the moon to mark the times of the year. The sun knows just when to go down.

20Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.

20You bring the dark, and it becomes night. Then all the forest animals come out.

21The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.

21The young lions roar as they hunt. They are asking God for their food.

22The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.

22When the sun comes up, they go away. They lie down in their dens to sleep.

23Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.

23Then people go out to their work. They work until evening comes.

24O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.

24LORD, you have made so many things! You made them all with wisdom. The earth is full of your living creatures.

25So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.

25Here is the sea, huge and wide. It is full of creatures too many to count, big ones and small ones.

26There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.

26Ships sail across it. And there is Leviathan, the great sea creature you made to play in it.

NoteLeviathan is the name for a huge creature that lives in the sea.

27These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.

27All of them look to you. They wait for you to give them food at the right time.

28That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.

28You give it, and they gather it up. You open your hand, and they get plenty of good things.

29Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

29When you turn your face away, they are afraid. When you take their breath away, they die and go back to dust.

30Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

30When you send your Spirit, new life is made. You make the earth fresh and new again.

31The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works.

31May the greatness of the LORD last forever. May the LORD be glad about all he has made.

32He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.

32He looks at the earth, and it shakes. He touches the mountains, and they smoke.

33I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

33I will sing to the LORD my whole life. I will sing to my God as long as I live.

34My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.

34I hope my thoughts about him please him. I am glad because of the LORD.

35Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.

35May sinners be gone from the earth. May people who do evil be here no more. I will praise the LORD with all my heart. Praise the LORD!