Psalms 107

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.

O give praise to the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy is unchanging for ever.

2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy

Let those whose cause the Lord has taken up say so, his people whom he has taken out of the hands of their haters;

3 and gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.

Making them come together out of all the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

4 Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no path to a city in which to dwell.

They were wandering in the waste places; they saw no way to a resting-place.

5 They were hungry and thirsty; their soul fainted within them.

Their souls became feeble for need of food and drink.

6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress.

Then they sent up their cry to the Lord in their sorrow, and he gave them salvation out of all their troubles;

7 He led them on a straight path to reach a city where they could live.

Guiding them in the right way, so that they might come into the town of their resting-place.

8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and His wonders to the sons of men.

Let men give praise to the Lord for his mercy, and for the wonders which he does for the children of men!

9 For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

He gives its desire to the unresting soul, so that it is full of good things.

10 Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and chains,

Those who were in the dark, in the black night, in chains of sorrow and iron;

11 because they rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High.

Because they went against the words of God, and gave no thought to the laws of the Most High:

12 He humbled their hearts with hard labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help.

So that he made their hearts weighted down with grief; they were falling, and had no helper.

13 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.

Then they sent up their cry to the Lord in their sorrow, and he gave them salvation out of all their troubles.

14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke away their chains.

He took them out of the dark and the black night, and all their chains were broken.

15 Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and His wonders to the sons of men.

Let men give praise to the Lord for his mercy, and for the wonders which he does for the children of men!

16 For He has broken down the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron.

The doors of brass are broken by his arm, and the bands of iron are cut in two.

17 Fools, in their rebellious ways, and through their iniquities, suffered affliction.

Foolish men, because of their sins, and because of their wrongdoing, are troubled;

18 They loathed all food and drew near to the gates of death.

They are disgusted by all food, and they come near to the doors of death.

19 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.

Then they send up their cry to the Lord in their sorrow, and he gives them salvation out of all their troubles.

20 He sent forth His word and healed them; He rescued them from the Pit.

He sent his word and made them well, and kept them safe from the underworld.

21 Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and His wonders to the sons of men.

Let men give praise to the Lord for his mercy, and for the wonders which he does for the children of men!

22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare His works with rejoicing.

Let them make offerings of praise, giving news of his works with cries of joy.

23 Others went out to sea in ships, conducting trade on the mighty waters.

Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business in the great waters;

24 They saw the works of the LORD, and His wonders in the deep.

They see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.

25 For He spoke and raised a tempest that lifted the waves of the sea.

For at his word comes up the storm-wind, lifting high the waves.

26 They mounted up to the heavens, then sunk to the depths; their courage melted in their anguish.

The sailors go up to heaven, and down into the deep; their souls are wasted because of their trouble.

27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards, and all their skill was useless.

They are turned here and there, rolling like a man who is full of wine; and all their wisdom comes to nothing.

28 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress.

Then they send up their cry to the Lord in their sorrow, and he gives them salvation out of all their troubles.

29 He calmed the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed.

He makes the storm into a calm, so that the waves are at peace.

30 They rejoiced in the silence, and He guided them to the harbor they desired.

Then they are glad, because the sea is quiet, and he takes them to the harbour of their desire.

31 Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and His wonders to the sons of men.

Let men give praise to the Lord for his mercy, and for the wonders which he does for the children of men!

32 Let them exalt Him in the assembly of the people and praise Him in the council of the elders.

Let them give glory to him in the meeting of the people, and praise among the chiefs.

33 He turns rivers into deserts, springs of water into thirsty ground,

He makes rivers into waste places, and springs of water into a dry land;

34 and fruitful land into fields of salt, because of the wickedness of its dwellers.

He makes a fertile country into a salt waste, because of the sins of those who are living there.

35 He turns a desert into pools of water and a dry land into flowing springs.

He makes a waste land into a place of water, and a dry land into water-springs.

36 He causes the hungry to settle there, that they may establish a city in which to dwell.

And there he gives the poor a resting-place, so that they may make themselves a town;

37 They sow fields and plant vineyards that yield a fruitful harvest.

And put seed in the fields and make vine-gardens, to give them fruit.

38 He blesses them, and they multiply greatly; He does not let their herds diminish.

He gives them his blessing so that they are increased greatly, and their cattle do not become less.

39 When they are decreased and humbled by oppression, evil, and sorrow,

And when they are made low, and crushed by trouble and sorrow,

40 He pours out contempt on the nobles and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.

He puts an end to the pride of kings, and sends them wandering in the waste lands where there is no way.

41 But He lifts the needy from affliction and increases their families like flocks.

But he puts the poor man on high from his troubles, and gives him families like a flock.

42 The upright see and rejoice, and all iniquity shuts its mouth.

The upright see it and are glad: the mouth of the sinner is stopped.

43 Let him who is wise pay heed to these things and consider the loving devotion of the LORD.

Let the wise give thought to these things, and see the mercies of the Lord.