Praise to the Sovereign Lord for His Creation and Providence
1 BlesstheLord, O my soul!
OLordmy God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
2 Who coverYourselfwith light aswitha garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.
3 He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,
Who makes the clouds His chariot,
Who walks on the wings of the wind,
4 Who makes His angels spirits,
His ministers a flame of fire.
5 Youwholaid the foundations of the earth,
Sothatit should not be moved forever,
6 Youcovered it with the deep aswitha garment;
The waters stood above the mountains.
7 At Your rebuke they fled;
At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away.
8 They went up over the mountains;
They went down into the valleys,
To the place which You founded for them.
9 You haveset a boundary that they may not pass over,
# That they may not return to cover the earth.
10 He sends the springs into the valleys;
They flow among the hills.
11 They give drink to every beast of the field;
The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 By them the birds of the heavens have their home;
They sing among the branches.
13 He waters the hills from His upper chambers;
# The earth is satisfied withthe fruit of Your works.
14 He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,
And vegetation for the service of man,
# That he may bring forthfood from the earth,
15 Andwinethatmakes glad the heart of man,
Oil to makehisface shine,
And breadwhichstrengthens man’s heart.
16 The trees of theLordare fullofsap,
The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,
17 Where the birds make their nests;
The stork has her home in the fir trees.
18 The high hillsarefor the wild goats;
# The cliffs are a refuge for therock badgers.
19 He appointed the moon for seasons;
# Thesun knows its going down.
20 You make darkness, and it is night,
In which all the beasts of the forest creep about.
21 The young lions roar after their prey,
And seek their food from God.
22 Whenthe sun rises, they gather together
And lie down in their dens.
23 Man goes out tohis work
And to his labor until the evening.
24 OLord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
# The earth is full of Yourpossessions—
25 This great and wide sea,
In whichareinnumerable teeming things,
Living things both small and great.
26 There the ships sail about;
# ThereisthatLeviathan
Which You have made to play there.
27 These all wait for You,
That You may givethemtheir food in due season.
28 WhatYou give them they gather in;
You open Your hand, they are filled with good.
29 You hide Your face, they are troubled;
# You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
30 You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the earth.
31 May the glory of theLordendure forever;
# May theLordrejoice in His works.
32 He looks on the earth, and ittrembles;
# He touches the hills, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to theLordas long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
34 May mymeditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in theLord.
35 Maysinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.
Bless theLord, O my soul!
Praise theLord!