Psalms 107

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

Alleluia. Confess to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy is with every generation.

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

Let those who have been redeemed by the Lord say so: those whom he redeemed from the hand of the enemy and gathered from the regions,

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

from the rising of the sun and its setting, from the north and from the sea.

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

They wandered into solitude in a waterless place. They did not find the way of the city to be their dwelling place.

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

They were hungry, and they were thirsty. Their soul fainted within them.

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

And they cried out to the Lord in tribulation, and he rescued them in their necessity.

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

And he led them in the right way, so that they might go forth to a city of habitation.

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

Let his mercies confess to the Lord, and let his miracles confess to the sons of men.

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

For he has satisfied the empty soul, and he has satisfied the hungry soul with good things:

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

those sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, shackled by extreme poverty and by iron.

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

For they exasperated the eloquence of God, and they irritated the deliberation of the Most High.

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

And their heart was brought low with hardships. They were weakened, and there was no one to help them.

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

And they cried out to the Lord in their tribulation, and he freed them from their distress.

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

And he led them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and he broke apart their chains.

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

Let his mercies confess to the Lord, and let his miracles confess to the sons of men.

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

For he has crushed the gates of brass and broken the iron bars.

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

He has taken them up, from the way of their iniquity. For they were brought low, because of their injustices.

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

Their soul abhorred all food, and they drew near even to the gates of death.

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

And they cried out to the Lord in their tribulation, and he delivered them in their necessity.

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

He sent his word, and he healed them, and he rescued them from their utter destruction.

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

Let his mercies confess to the Lord, and let his miracles confess to the sons of men.

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

And let them offer sacrifice with the sacrifice of praise, and let them announce his works in exultation.

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

Those who descend to the sea in ships, making their livelihood in the great waters:

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

these have seen 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.

He spoke: and a windstorm stood up, and its waves were exalted.

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

They ascend even to the heavens, and they descend even to the abyss. Their soul will waste away in distress.

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

They were troubled, and they moved like a drunkard, and all their wisdom was consumed.

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

And they cried out to the Lord in their tribulation, and he led them out of their distress.

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

And he replaced the storm with a breeze, and its waves were stilled.

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

And they were joyful that it was stilled, and he led them into the haven that they desired.

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

Let his mercies confess to the Lord, and let his miracles confess to the sons of men.

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

And let them exalt him in the Church of the people, and praise him in the chair of the elders.

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

He has placed rivers in the desert and sources of water in dry places,

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

a fruit-bearing land in the midst of brine, before the malice of those who dwell in it.

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

He has placed a desert in the midst of pools of waters, and a land without water in the midst of sources of water.

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

And he has gathered the hungry together there, and they constructed a city of habitation.

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

And they sowed fields and planted vineyards, and they produced the fruit of nativity.

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

And he blessed them, and they were multiplied exceedingly. And he did not diminish their beasts of burden.

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

And they became few, and they were afflicted by the tribulation of evils and of sorrow.

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

Contempt was poured over their leaders, and he caused them to wander in an impassable place, and not on the way.

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

And he helped the poor out of destitution, and he stationed families like sheep.

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

The upright will see, and they will rejoice. And every iniquity will block its mouth.

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

Who is wise and will keep these things? And who will understand the mercies of the Lord?