« | Psalm 104 | » |
1 Bless the LORD, my soul! LORD, my God, you are great indeed! You are clothed with majesty and glory,
2 robed in light as with a cloak. You spread out the heavens like a tent;
3 you raised your palace upon the waters. You make the clouds your chariot; you travel on the wings of the wind.
4 You make the winds your messengers; flaming fire, your ministers.
5 You fixed the earth on its foundation, never to be moved.
6 The ocean covered it like a garment; above the mountains stood the waters.
7 At your roar they took flight; at the sound of your thunder they fled.
8 They rushed up the mountains, down the valleys to the place you had fixed for them.
9 You set a limit they cannot pass; never again will they cover the earth.
10 You made springs flow into channels that wind among the mountains.
11 They give drink to every beast of the field; here wild asses quench their thirst.
12 Beside them the birds of heaven nest; among the branches they sing.
13 You water the mountains from your palace; by your labor the earth abounds.
14 You raise grass for the cattle and plants for our beasts of burden. You bring bread from the earth,
15 and wine to gladden our hearts, Oil to make our faces gleam, food to build our strength.
16 The trees of the LORD drink their fill, the cedars of Lebanon, which you planted.
17 There the birds build their nests; junipers are the home of the stork.
18 The high mountains are for wild goats; the rocky cliffs, a refuge for badgers.
19 You made the moon to mark the seasons, the sun that knows the hour of its setting.
20 You bring darkness and night falls, then all the beasts of the forest roam abroad.
21 Young lions roar for prey; they seek their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they steal away and rest in their dens.
23 People go forth to their work, to their labor till evening falls.
24 How varied are your works, LORD! In wisdom you have wrought them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
25 Look at the sea, great and wide! It teems with countless beings, living things both large and small.
26 Here ships ply their course; here Leviathan, your creature, plays.
27 All of these look to you to give them food in due time.
28 When you give to them, they gather; when you open your hand, they are well filled.
29 When you hide your face, they are lost. When you take away their breath, they perish and return to the dust from which they came.
30 When you send forth your breath, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.
31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD be glad in these works!
32 If God glares at the earth, it trembles; if God touches the mountains, they smoke!
33 I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I live.
34 May my theme be pleasing to God; I will rejoice in the LORD.
35 May sinners vanish from the earth, and the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, my soul! Hallelujah!
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU)
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU) is a highly respected English translation of the Bible known for its rigorous adherence to the original languages of Scripture. First published in 1995 by the Lockman Foundation, the NASU is an update of the New American Standard Bible (NASB), which was originally completed in 1971. The NASU seeks to improve upon the NASB by enhancing readability and modernizing the language while maintaining the translation’s reputation for being one of the most literal translations available. This makes the NASU a preferred choice for serious Bible study, preaching, and teaching.
A key feature of the NASU is its commitment to formal equivalence, or a word-for-word translation philosophy. The translators aimed to produce a text that is as close as possible to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. This approach ensures that the NASU captures the precise meaning and structure of the original texts, providing readers with a highly accurate and reliable representation of the Scriptures. The use of formal equivalence makes the NASU particularly valuable for those who desire a deep and detailed understanding of the Bible, including scholars, theologians, and students of the Word.
In updating the NASB, the NASU made several important changes to improve clarity and readability. While maintaining the accuracy and literalness of the translation, the NASU incorporates modern English expressions and smoother sentence structures. This makes the text more accessible to contemporary readers without compromising the precision that the NASB is known for. The NASU also includes updated cross-references and footnotes, which provide additional context and insights, further aiding in the study and understanding of the biblical text.
Despite its many strengths, the NASU has faced some criticism. Some readers and scholars argue that the translation’s emphasis on literalness can sometimes result in a text that feels stiff or less fluid than more dynamic translations. Additionally, while the NASU’s updated language makes it more accessible, some feel that it could go further in adapting to contemporary usage without losing its accuracy. Nevertheless, the New American Standard Updated Version remains a highly esteemed translation, valued for its fidelity to the original texts and its usefulness for in-depth study and precise interpretation of the Bible.