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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 104

Psalm 104 is read especially through the theme of creation, within Book IV (Psalms 90–106). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

CreationPraiseWisdom
Old Testament

Psalm 104

1Bless the LORD, my soul. The LORD, my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty.

2He covers himself with light as with a garment. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain.

3He lays the beams of his rooms in the waters. He makes the clouds his chariot. He walks on the wings of the wind.

4He makes his messengers winds, and his servants flames of fire.

5He laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be moved forever.

6You covered it with the deep as with a cloak. The waters stood above the mountains.

7At your rebuke they fled. At the voice of your thunder they hurried away.

8The mountains rose, the valleys sank down, to the place which you had assigned to them.

9You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, that they don’t turn again to cover the earth.

10He sends springs into the valleys. They run among the mountains.

11They give drink to every animal of the field. The wild donkeys quench their thirst.

12The birds of the sky nest by them. They sing among the branches.

13He waters the mountains from his rooms. The earth is filled with the fruit of your works.

14He causes the grass to grow for the livestock, and plants for man to cultivate, that he may produce food out of the earth:

15wine that makes the heart of man glad, oil to make his face to shine, and bread that strengthens man’s heart.

16The LORD’s trees are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon, which he has planted,

17where the birds make their nests. The stork makes its home in the cypress trees.

18The high mountains are for the wild goats. The rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.

19He appointed the moon for seasons. The sun knows when to set.

20You make darkness, and it is night, in which all the animals of the forest prowl.

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

22The sun rises, and they steal away, and lie down in their dens.

23Man goes out to his work, to his labor until the evening.

24LORD, how many are your works! In wisdom, you have made them all. The earth is full of your riches.

25There is the sea, great and wide, in which are innumerable living things, both small and large animals.

26There the ships go, and leviathan, whom you formed to play there.

27These all wait for you, that you may give them their food in due season.

28You give to them; they gather. You open your hand; they are satisfied with good.

29You hide your face; they are troubled. You take away their breath; they die and return to the dust.

30You send out your Spirit and they are created. You renew the face of the ground.

31Let the LORD’s glory endure forever. Let the LORD rejoice in his works.

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

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

34Let my meditation be sweet to him. I will rejoice in the LORD.

35Let sinners be consumed out of the earth. Let the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, my soul. Praise the LORD!

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 104

Psalm 104 is read especially through the theme of creation, within Book IV (Psalms 90–106). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book IV (Psalms 90–106). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Creation, Praise, Wisdom. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 104

Psalm 104 contains 35 verses and about 556 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “Bless the LORD, my soul. The LORD, my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 35 closes: “Let sinners be consumed out of the earth. Let the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, my soul. Praise the LORD!” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include earth, mountains, makes, waters, away, give. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 104

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 104:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes creation, with related themes of Creation, Praise, Wisdom. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

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