Psalm 104: A Choral Reading for 10 FIVE: you make the winds your messengers,

The chorus stands in the front . For the first half THREE: fire and flame your ministers.

lin e, th e sp eak ers b eg in sp eak in g alo n e, as if

Pause.
sp eak in g to th em selv es. In d iv id u als jo in u n til a

lo u d caco p h o n y is h eard . T h en , th e read in g SIX: Y o u set th e earth o n its fo u n d atio n s, so th at it

resu m es. shall never be shaken.

T h e fo llo w in g lin es sp eed u p , g ain in g m o m en tu m , SEVEN: Y o u co v er it w ith th e d eep as w ith a

excitement, and volume, and suddenly slowing garment; the waters stood above the mountains.

d o w n at th e en d . T h is d y n am ic, rh y th m ic ch an g e

o ccu rs after each p au se.

EIGHT: At your rebuke they flee; at the sound of

your thunder they take to flight.

ONE, ad d in g u n til ALL are sp eak in g

NINE: T h ey ro se u p to th e m o u n tain s, ran d o w n to
[d iso rg an ized , rep eatin g ]: Bless the Lord, Omy

soul.
the valleys to the place that you appointed for

them.

ALL: OLord my God, you are very great .

TEN: Y o u set a b o u n d ary th at th ey m ay n o t p ass, so

that they might not again cover the earth.

TWO: You are clothed with honor and majesty,

Pause.
THREE: w rap p ed in lig h t as w ith a g arm en t.

ONE: Y o u m ak e sp rin g s g u sh fo rth in th e v alley s;

FOUR: Y o u stretch o u t th e h eav en s lik e a ten t,
they flow between the hills, giving drink to every

FIVE: you set the beams of your chambers on the wild animal; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

w aters,
THREE: By the streams the birds of the air have their

TWO: you make the clouds your chariot, habitation; they sing among the branches.

FOUR: you ride on the wings of the wind,

NINE: Fromyour lofty abode you water the ONE: Y o u m ak e d ark n ess, an d it is n ig h t, w h en all

mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of the animals of the forest come creeping out.

your work.
SEVEN: T h e y o u n g lio n s ro ar fo r th eir p rey ,

FIVE: Y o u cau se th e g rass to g ro w fo r th e cattle, seeking their food from God.

SIX: and plants for people to use, to bring forth EIGHT: W

hen the sun rises, they withdrawand lie

food from the earth, down in their dens.

SEVEN: and wine to gladden the human heart, FOUR: People go out to their work and to their

labor until the evening.

EIGHT: oil to make the face shine,

NINE: and bread to strengthen the human heart.

ONE, TWO, TEN: OLord, howmanifold are your works!

ONE, TWO, FOUR, EIGHT, TEN: In w isd o m y o u

Pause.
have made them all;

TWO: T h e trees o f th e L o rd are w atered ab u n d an tly ,

the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.

ONE, TWO, FOUR, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE,

T E N : the earth is full of your creatures.

Small pause.
FOUR: In them the birds build their nests;

SIX: the stork has its home in the fir trees.

SIX: Y o n d er is th e sea,

FIVE: T h e h ig h m o u n tain s are fo r th e w ild g o ats;

SIX, SEVEN: great and wide,

THREE: T h e ro ck s are a refu g e fo r th e h y rax .

SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT: creeping things

Pause. innumerable are there,

TEN: Y o u h av e m ad e th e m o o n to m ark th e seaso n s; FIVE: living things both small

the sun knows its time for setting.

FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE: and great.

NINE: T h ere g o th e sh ip s,
TEN: and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it. NINE: May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I

rejoice in the Lord.

TWO, THREE: T h ese all lo o k to y o u to g iv e th em th eir

food in due season; TEN: Let sinners be consumed fromthe earth, and let the

wicked be no more.
FOUR: when you give to them, they gather it up;

when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. ALL(quietly, meditatively): Bless the Lord, Omy soul .

(louder) Praise the Lord!

ONE: When you hide your face, they are dismayed;

TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE: when you take

FIVE: away their breath, they die and return to

their dust.

SIX: When you send forth your spirit,

ONE, SIX, TEN: they are created;

TEN: and you renew the face of the ground.

ONE, TWO: M
ay the glory of the Lord endure

forever;

THREE, FOUR: may the Lord rejoice in his works—

FIVE: w h o lo o k s o n th e earth an d it trem b les, w h o

touches the mountains and they smoke.

SIX, SEVEN: I w ill sin g to th e L o rd as lo n g as I

live;

SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT: I w ill sin g p raise to m y

God while I have being.