Psalms 103 a nd 104
Psalm 103
For David himself. Bless the Lord, O my soul: O Lord my God, thou art
exceedingly great. Thou hast put on praise and beauty: And art
clothed with light as with a garment. Who stretchest out the heaven
like a pavilion: Who coverest the higher rooms thereof with water. Who
makest the clouds thy chariot: who walkest upon the wings of the winds.
Who makest thy angels spirits: and thy ministers a burning fire. Who
hast founded the earth upon its own bases: it shall not be moved for
ever and ever.
The deep like a garment is its clothing: above the mountains shall the
waters stand. At thy rebuke they shall flee: at the voice of thy
thunder they shall fear. The mountains ascend, and the plains descend
into the place which thou hast founded for them. Thou hast set a bound
which they shall not pass over; neither shall they return to cover the
earth. Thou sendest forth springs in the vales: between the midst of
the hills the waters shall pass.
All the beasts of the field shall drink: the wild asses shall expect in
their thirst. Over them the birds of the air shall dwell: from the
midst of the rocks they shall give forth their voices. Thou waterest
the hills from thy upper rooms: the earth shall be filled with the
fruit of thy works: Bringing forth grass for cattle, and herb for the
service of men. That thou mayst bring bread out of the earth: And that
wine may cheer the heart of man. That he may make the face cheerful
with oil: and that bread may strengthen man's heart.
The trees of the field shall be filled, and the cedars of Libanus which
he hath planted: There the sparrows shall make their nests. The highest
of them is the house of the heron. The high hills are a refuge for the
harts, the rock for the irchins. He hath made the moon for seasons: the
sun knoweth his going down. Thou hast appointed darkness, and it is
night: in it shall all the beasts of the woods go about:
The young lions roaring after their prey, and seeking their meat from
God. The sun ariseth, and they are gathered together: and they shall
lie down in their dens. Man shall go forth to his work, and to his
labour until the evening. How great are thy works, O Lord? thou
hast made all things in wisdom: the earth is filled with thy riches. So
is this great sea, which stretcheth wide its arms: there are creeping
things without number: Creatures little and great.
There the ships shall go. This sea dragon which thou hast formed to
play therein. All expect of thee that thou give them food in season.
What thou givest to them they shall gather up: when thou openest thy
hand, they shall all be filled with good. But if thou turnest away thy
face, they shall be troubled: thou shalt take away their breath, and
they shall fail, and shall return to their dust. Thou shalt send forth
thy spirit, and they shall be created: and thou shalt renew the face of
the earth.
May the glory of the Lord endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in
his works. He looketh upon the earth, and maketh it tremble: he
toucheth the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing to the Lord as long
as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. Let my
speech be acceptable to him: but I will take delight in the Lord.
Let sinners be consumed out of the earth, and the unjust, so that they
be no more: O my soul, bless thou the Lord.
Psalm 104
Alleluia. Give glory to the Lord, and call upon his name: declare his
deeds among the Gentiles. Sing to him, yea sing praises to him: relate
all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of
them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek ye the Lord, and be strengthened:
seek his face evermore. Remember his marvellous works which he hath
done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth.
O ye seed of Abraham his servant; ye sons of Jacob his chosen. He is
the Lord our God: his judgments are in all the earth. He hath
remembered his covenant for ever: the word which he commanded to a
thousand generations. Which he made to Abraham; and his oath to Isaac:
And he appointed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an
everlasting testament:
Saying: To thee will I give the land of Chanaan, the lot of your
inheritance. When they were but a small number: yea very few, and
sojourners therein: And they passed from nation to nation, and from one
kingdom to another people. He suffered no man to hurt them: and he
reproved kings for their sakes. Touch ye not my anointed: and do no
evil to my prophets.
And he called a famine upon the land: and he broke in pieces all the
support of bread. He sent a man before them: Joseph, who was sold for a
slave. They humbled his feet in fetters: the iron pierced his soul,
Until his word came. The word of the Lord inflamed him. The king sent,
and he released him: the ruler of the people, and he set him at liberty.
He made him master of his house, and ruler of all his possession. That
he might instruct his princes as himself, and teach his ancients
wisdom. And Israel went into Egypt: and Jacob was a sojourner in the
land of Cham. And he increased his people exceedingly: and strengthened
them over their enemies, He turned their heart to hate his people: and
to deal deceitfully with his servants.
He sent Moses his servant: Aaron the man whom he had chosen. He gave
them power to shew his signs, and his wonders in the land of Cham. He
sent darkness, and made it obscure: and grieved not his words. He
turned their waters into blood, and destroyed their fish. Their land
brought forth frogs, in the inner chambers of their kings.
He spoke, and there came divers sorts of flies and sciniphs1
in all
their coasts. He gave them hail for rain, a burning fire in the land.
And he destroyed their vineyards and their fig trees: and he broke in
pieces the trees of their coasts. He spoke, and the locust came, and
the bruchus, of which there was no number. And they devoured all
the grass in their land, and consumed all the fruit of their ground.
And he slew all the firstborn in their land: the firstfruits of all
their labour. And he brought them out with silver and gold: and there
was not among their tribes one that was feeble.
Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them lay upon them.
He spread a cloud for their protection, and fire to give them light in
the night. They asked, and the quail came: and he filled them with the
bread of heaven.
He opened the rock, and waters flowed: rivers ran down in the dry land.
Because he remembered his holy word, which he had spoken to his servant
Abraham. And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with
gladness. And he gave them the lands of the Gentiles: and they
possessed the labours of the people: That they might observe his
justifications, and seek after his law.
Footnotes
1 A sciniph is a stinging or biting insect
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