Psalms 104

 

בָּרֲכִי נַפְשִׁי אֶת־יְהוָה יְהוָה אֱלֹהַי גָּדַלְתָּ מְּאֹד הוֹד וְהָדָר לָבָשְׁתָּ׃   104:1

Psal. 104:1   Bless the Lord, O my soul.

                               Lord, my God, You are exceedingly great;

                        You wear majesty and honor,

This psalm seems to follow the last one very nicely.  A psalmist meditates on God and all His creations, the universe and everything in it.  In glorious word pictures he depicts every creation as dependent on the Lord for its place, its sustenance, and its well-being.  An intricate picture of the harmony of nature as ordained by God!

עֹטֶה־אוֹר כַּשַּׂלְמָה נוֹטֶה שָׁמַיִם כַּיְרִיעָה׃   104:2

Psal. 104:2   a covering of light like a garment,

                                stretching out of the heavens like a curtain.

הַמְקָרֶה בַמַּיִם עֲלִיּוֹתָיו הַשָּׂם־עָבִים רְכוּבוֹ הַמְהַלֵּךְ עַל־כַּנְפֵי־רוּחַ׃   104:3

Psal. 104:3   He is the builder with water of His roof chambers,

                                Who makes the clouds His chariot,

                        Who moves on wings of wind,

עֹשֶׂה מַלְאָכָיו רוּחוֹת מְשָׁרְתָיו אֵשׁ לֹהֵט׃   104:4

Psal. 104:4   making His messengers spirits,

                                His ministers blazing fire,

יָסַד־אֶרֶץ עַל־מְכוֹנֶיהָ בַּל־תִּמּוֹט עוֹלָם וָעֶד׃   104:5

Psal. 104:5   fixing the earth on its foundations

                                 immovable for ever and ever.

תְּהוֹם כַּלְּבוּשׁ כִּסִּיתוֹ עַל־הָרִים יַעַמְדוּ־מָיִם׃   104:6

Psal. 104:6   Deep, like raiment, He concealed it;

                                 above the mountains the waters would stand.

מִן־גַּעֲרָתְךָ יְנוּסוּן מִן־קוֹל רַעַמְךָ יֵחָפֵזוּן׃   104:7

Psal. 104:7   Because of Your rebuke they would recede;

                                 from the sound of Your thunder they would flee

יַעֲלוּ הָרִים יֵרְדוּ בְקָעוֹת אֶל־מְקוֹם זֶה יָסַדְתָּ לָהֶם׃   104:8

Psal. 104:8   (mountains would rise, valleys would drop)

                                 to the place that You had established for them.

גְּבוּל־שַׂמְתָּ בַּל־יַעֲבֹרוּן בַּל־יְשׁוּבוּן לְכַסּוֹת הָאָרֶץ׃   104:9

Psal. 104:9   You set borders they could not cross;

                                 they could not return to cover the earth,

הַמְשַׁלֵּחַ מַעְיָנִים בַּנְּחָלִים בֵּין הָרִים יְהַלֵּכוּן׃   104:10

Psal. 104:10   sending forth springs into the valleys.

                                 They could proceed between the mountains.

יַשְׁקוּ כָּל־חַיְתוֹ שָׂדָי יִשְׁבְּרוּ פְרָאִים צְמָאָם׃   104:11

Psal. 104:11   They could water every beast of His of the field

                                  -- wild asses could quench their thirst.

עֲלֵיהֶם עוֹף־הַשָּׁמַיִם יִשְׁכּוֹן מִבֵּין עֳפָאיִם יִתְּנוּ־קוֹל׃   104:12

Psal. 104:12   The fowl of the skies could dwell about them;

                                  from among the foliage they would give voice.

מַשְׁקֶה הָרִים מֵעֲלִיּוֹתָיו מִפְּרִי מַעֲשֶׂיךָ תִּשְׂבַּע הָאָרֶץ׃   104:13

Psal. 104:13   Waterer of mountains from His roof chambers!

                                 The earth can be satiated from the fruit of Your works.

מַצְמִיחַ חָצִיר לַבְּהֵמָה וְעֵשֶׂב לַעֲבֹדַת הָאָדָם לְהוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן־הָאָרֶץ׃   104:14

Psal. 104:14   Maker of green grass to spring up for cattle,

                                 and of herb for the service of humankind,

                          bringing forth bread from the earth,

וְיַיִן יְשַׂמַּח לְבַב־אֱנוֹשׁ לְהַצְהִיל פָּנִים מִשָּׁמֶן וְלֶחֶם לְבַב־אֱנוֹשׁ יִסְעָד׃   104:15

Psal. 104:15   and of wine -- it can gladden the heart of anyone,

                                  making the face shinier than oil

                           -- and of bread -- it can sustain the heart of anyone.

יִשְׂבְּעוּ עֲצֵי יְהוָה אַרְזֵי לְבָנוֹן אֲשֶׁר נָטָע׃   104:16

Psal. 104:16   Trees can be satisfied of the Lord,

                                  cedars of Lebanon that He established,

אֲשֶׁר־שָׁם צִפֳּרִים יְקַנֵּנוּ חֲסִידָה בְּרוֹשִׁים בֵּיתָהּ׃   104:17

Psal. 104:17   there where birds can make nests

                                  -- the stork, fir trees are its home.

הָרִים הַגְּבֹהִים לַיְּעֵלִים סְלָעִים מַחְסֶה לַשְׁפַנִּים׃   104:18

Psal. 104:18   High mountains are for wild goats,

                                  crags are a shelter for conies.

עָשָׂה יָרֵחַ לְמוֹעֲדִים שֶׁמֶשׁ יָדַע מְבוֹאוֹ׃   104:19

Psal. 104:19   Ordaining the moon should be for seasons,

                                  the sun should know its setting,

תָּשֶׁת־חֹשֶׁךְ וִיהִי לָיְלָה בּוֹ־תִרְמֹשׂ כָּל־חַיְתוֹ־יָעַר׃   104:20

Psal. 104:20   You can appoint darkness, and it would be night,

                                  every creature of His of the forest can move about in it.

הַכְּפִירִים שֹׁאֲגִים לַטָּרֶף וּלְבַקֵּשׁ מֵאֵל אָכְלָם׃   104:21

Psal. 104:21   The young lions can be roaring for prey

                                  and for seeking their food from God.

תִּזְרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ יֵאָסֵפוּן וְאֶל־מְעוֹנֹתָם יִרְבָּצוּן׃   104:22

Psal. 104:22   The sun would rise; they would remove themselves

                                  and in their lairs would stretch out.

יֵצֵא אָדָם לְפָעֳלוֹ וְלַעֲבֹדָתוֹ עֲדֵי־עָרֶב׃   104:23

Psal. 104:23   A man can go forth to his work or to his service until evening.

מָה־רַבּוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ יְהוָה כֻּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ קִנְיָנֶךָ׃   104:24

Psal. 104:24   How plentiful are Your products, O Lord!

                                  You have made them all with wisdom;

                           the earth is full of Your creatures.

זֶה הַיָּם גָּדוֹל וּרְחַב יָדָיִם שָׁם־רֶמֶשׂ וְאֵין מִסְפָּר חַיּוֹת קְטַנּוֹת עִם־גְּדֹלוֹת׃   104:25

Psal. 104:25   That is the sea, great and broad of hands.

                                  Moving things are there that are without number,

                           small animals, with large.

שָׁם אֳנִיּוֹת יְהַלֵּכוּן לִוְיָתָן זֶה־יָצַרְתָּ לְשַׂחֶק־בּוֹ׃   104:26

Psal. 104:26   Ships could move there;

                                   leviathan, that You formed, to play in it.

כֻּלָּם אֵלֶיךָ יְשַׂבֵּרוּן לָתֵת אָכְלָם בְּעִתּוֹ׃   104:27

Psal. 104:27   All of them must wait for You to give their food in its time.

תִּתֵּן לָהֶם יִלְקֹטוּן תִּפְתַּח יָדְךָ יִשְׂבְּעוּן טוֹב׃   104:28

Psal. 104:28   You would give to them, they can gather;

                                  You would open Your “hand,”

                           they would be satisfied; it is good.

תַּסְתִּיר פָּנֶיךָ יִבָּהֵלוּן תֹּסֵף רוּחָם יִגְוָעוּן וְאֶל־עֲפָרָם יְשׁוּבוּן׃   104:29

Psal. 104:29   You might hide Your “face,”

                                   they would be dismayed;

                          You might withdraw their breath,

                                   they would perish and to their dust return.

תְּשַׁלַּח רוּחֲךָ יִבָּרֵאוּן וּתְחַדֵּשׁ פְּנֵי אֲדָמָה׃   104:30

Psal. 104:30   You could send forth Your spirit,

                                   they would be recreated,

                           and You could renew the surface of the earth.

יְהִי כְבוֹד יְהוָה לְעוֹלָם יִשְׂמַח יְהוָה בְּמַעֲשָׂיו׃   104:31

Psal. 104:31   The glory of the Lord shall endure forever.

                                   Let the Lord rejoice in His works.

הַמַּבִּיט לָאָרֶץ וַתִּרְעָד יִגַּע בֶּהָרִים וְיֶעֱשָׁנוּ׃   104:32

Psal. 104:32   It is He Who looks toward the earth and it would tremble;

                                  He might reach to the mountains and they would smoke.

אָשִׁירָה לַיהוָה בְּחַיָּי אֲזַמְּרָה לֵאלֹהַי בְּעוֹדִי׃   104:33

Psal. 104:33   I will sing to the Lord throughout my life,

                                   I will sing praises to my God while I am still me.

יֶעֱרַב עָלָיו שִׂיחִי אָנֹכִי אֶשְׂמַח בַּיהוָה׃   104:34

Psal. 104:34   Let my musing be pleasing for Him,

                                   I will rejoice in the Lord.

יִתַּמּוּ חַטָּאִים מִן־הָאָרֶץ וּרְשָׁעִים עוֹד אֵינָם בָּרֲכִי נַפְשִׁי אֶת־יְהוָה הַלְלוּ־יָהּ׃   104:35

Psal. 104:35   May sinners cease from the earth, and the wicked,

                                   none of them be anymore.

                          Bless the Lord, O my soul.

                                   Hallelujah!

 

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