Psalms 107
1 O give praise to the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy is unchanging for ever.
Give thanks to Yahweh, because he always does good [things for us] His faithful love [for us] lasts forever!
2 Let those whose cause the Lord has taken up say so, his people whom he has taken out of the hands of their haters;
Those whom Yahweh has saved should tell others that he has rescued them from their enemies.
3 Making them come together out of all the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
He has gathered [those of you] who were [(exiled/taken forcefully)] to many lands; [he has gathered you together from] the east and the west, from the north and from the south.
4 They were wandering in the waste places; they saw no way to a resting-place.
Some of those [who returned from those countries] wandered in the desert; they were lost and had no homes to live in.
5 Their souls became feeble for need of food and drink.
They were hungry and thirsty, and they were very discouraged.
6 Then they sent up their cry to the Lord in their sorrow, and he gave them salvation out of all their troubles;
When they were in trouble, they called out to Yahweh, and he rescued them from (being distressed/their difficulties).
7 Guiding them in the right way, so that they might come into the town of their resting-place.
He led them along a straight road [where they walked safely] to cities [in Canaan] where they could live.
8 Let men give praise to the Lord for his mercy, and for the wonders which he does for the children of men!
They should praise/thank Yahweh for loving them faithfully and for the wonderful things that he does for people.
9 He gives its desire to the unresting soul, so that it is full of good things.
He gives thirsty people plenty [of water] to drink, and he gives hungry people plenty of good things [to eat].
10 Those who were in the dark, in the black night, in chains of sorrow and iron;
Some of them were in very dark [HEN] (places [in Babylonia/other countries]); they were prisoners, suffering because of chains [fastened to their hands and feet].
11 Because they went against the words of God, and gave no thought to the laws of the Most High:
They were in prison because they had (rebelled against/not obeyed) the message of God; they were there because they had despised the advice given by God, who is greater than all other gods.
12 So that he made their hearts weighted down with grief; they were falling, and had no helper.
[That is why] their bodies were worn out from hard labor; when they fell down, there was no one who would help them.
13 Then they sent up their cry to the Lord in their sorrow, and he gave them salvation out of all their troubles.
In their troubles, they called out to Yahweh, and he rescued them from their being distressed.
14 He took them out of the dark and the black night, and all their chains were broken.
He broke the chains that were on their hands and feet; and brought them out of those very dark [prisons].
15 Let men give praise to the Lord for his mercy, and for the wonders which he does for the children of men!
He broke down the [prison] gates that were made of bronze, and cut through the [prison] bars that were made of iron. [So they also] should praise/thank Yahweh for faithfully loving [them], and for [all] the wonderful things that he does for people.
16 The doors of brass are broken by his arm, and the bands of iron are cut in two.
17 Foolish men, because of their sins, and because of their wrongdoing, are troubled;
Some of them foolishly rebelled [against God], so they suffered for their sins.
18 They are disgusted by all food, and they come near to the doors of death.
They did not want to eat any food, and they almost died.
19 Then they send up their cry to the Lord in their sorrow, and he gives them salvation out of all their troubles.
In their troubles, they [also] called out to Yahweh, and he rescued them from their being distressed.
20 He sent his word and made them well, and kept them safe from the underworld.
When he commanded that they be healed, they were healed; he saved them from dying.
21 Let men give praise to the Lord for his mercy, and for the wonders which he does for the children of men!
They [also] should praise/thank Yahweh for faithfully loving them, and for [all] the wonderful things that he does for people.
22 Let them make offerings of praise, giving news of his works with cries of joy.
They should give offerings to him to show that they are thankful, and they should sing joyfully about the miracles that he has performed.
23 Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business in the great waters;
Some of them sailed in ships; they were selling things [in ports] throughout the world.
24 They see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.
[As they were sailing], they also saw the miracles that Yahweh performed, the wonderful things that he did [when they were] on very deep seas.
25 For at his word comes up the storm-wind, lifting high the waves.
He commanded the winds, and they became strong and (stirred up high waves/caused waves to rise high).
26 The sailors go up to heaven, and down into the deep; their souls are wasted because of their trouble.
The ships [in which they were sailing] were tossed high in the air, and [then] they sank into the (troughs/low places) [between the high waves]; then the sailors were terrified.
27 They are turned here and there, rolling like a man who is full of wine; and all their wisdom comes to nothing.
They stumbled about and staggered like drunken men, and they did not know what to do.
28 Then they send up their cry to the Lord in their sorrow, and he gives them salvation out of all their troubles.
In their troubles, they [also] called out to Yahweh, and he rescued them from their distresses.
29 He makes the storm into a calm, so that the waves are at peace.
He (calmed the storm/caused the wind to stop blowing), and he caused the waves to completely subside.
30 Then they are glad, because the sea is quiet, and he takes them to the harbour of their desire.
They were [very] glad when it became calm; and Yahweh brought them safely into a harbor.
31 Let men give praise to the Lord for his mercy, and for the wonders which he does for the children of men!
They [also] should praise/thank Yahweh for faithfully loving [them], and for [all] the wonderful things that he does for people.
32 Let them give glory to him in the meeting of the people, and praise among the chiefs.
They should praise him among the [Israeli] people when they have gathered together, and they should praise him in front of the leaders [of the country].
33 He makes rivers into waste places, and springs of water into a dry land;
[Sometimes] Yahweh causes rivers [to become dry], [with the result that the land] becomes a desert, and springs of water become dry land.
34 He makes a fertile country into a salt waste, because of the sins of those who are living there.
[Sometimes] he causes land that has produced lots of crops to become salty wastelands, [with the result that they do not produce crops]. He does that because the people who live there are [very] wicked.
35 He makes a waste land into a place of water, and a dry land into water-springs.
[But sometimes] he causes pools of water to appear in deserts, and he causes springs to flow in very dry ground.
36 And there he gives the poor a resting-place, so that they may make themselves a town;
He brings hungry [people] into that land, to live there and build cities [there].
37 And put seed in the fields and make vine-gardens, to give them fruit.
They plant seeds in their fields, and they plant grapevines that produce big crops [of grapes].
38 He gives them his blessing so that they are increased greatly, and their cattle do not become less.
He blesses the people, and the women give birth to many children, and they have large herds of cattle.
39 And when they are made low, and crushed by trouble and sorrow,
When the number of people becomes smaller and they have been humiliated [by their enemies] by being oppressed and caused to suffer [DOU],
40 He puts an end to the pride of kings, and sends them wandering in the waste lands where there is no way.
Yahweh shows contempt for the leaders who oppress them, and causes them to wander in deserts where there are no roads.
41 But he puts the poor man on high from his troubles, and gives him families like a flock.
But he rescues poor [people] from (being in misery/suffering), and causes their families [to increase in number] like flocks of sheep.
42 The upright see it and are glad: the mouth of the sinner is stopped.
Godly/Righteous [people will (see/hear about)] these things, and they will rejoice, and wicked people [will hear about these things, too], [but] they will have nothing to say in reply.
43 Let the wise give thought to these things, and see the mercies of the Lord.
Those who are wise should think carefully about those things; they should consider [all the things] that Yahweh [has done to show that he] faithfully loves [them].
