Psalms 107

1 BOOK V 'O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever.'

Thank the Lord, for he is good! His trustworthy love continues forever!

2 So let the redeemed of the LORD say, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the adversary;

Let those the Lord has saved say that they are saved; those he has rescued from the power of the enemy.

3 And gathered them out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the sea.

He has gathered them together from distant lands, from the east and the west, the north and the south.

4 They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way; they found no city of habitation.

They wandered in the desert wilderness, unable to find a way to a city where they could live.

5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.

Hungry and thirsty, they became very discouraged.

6 Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses.

Then they cried out to the Lord to help them in their troubles, and he saved them from their suffering.

7 And He led them by a straight way, that they might go to a city of habitation.

He led them along a straight way to a city where they could live.

8 Let them give thanks unto the LORD for His mercy, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!

Let them praise the Lord for his trustworthy love, and for all the wonderful things he does for people.

9 For He hath satisfied the longing soul, and the hungry soul He hath filled with good.

For he gives drink to those who are thirsty, and food to those who are hungry.

10 Such as sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron —

Some sat in complete darkness, prisoners of misery and bound with iron chains,

11 Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the Most High.

for they had rebelled against what God had said; they had rejected the guidance of the Most High.

12 Therefore He humbled their heart with travail, they stumbled, and there was none to help —

So he humbled their pride with the troubles of life; they tripped over and no one was there to stop them falling.

13 They cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses.

Then they called out to the Lord for help in their troubles, and he saved them from their suffering.

14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their bands in sunder.

He brought them out of complete darkness, he broke their chains to pieces.

15 Let them give thanks unto the LORD for His mercy, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!

Let them praise the Lord for his trustworthy love, and for all the wonderful things he does for people.

16 For He hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.

For he breaks down the bronze doors, and cuts through the iron bars.

17 Crazed because of the way of their transgression, and afflicted because of their iniquities —

They were stupid because they rebelled; they suffered for their sins.

18 Their soul abhorred all manner of food, and they drew near unto the gates of death —

They didn't want to eat; they were at death's door.

19 They cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses;

Then they called out to the Lord for help in their troubles, and he saved them from their suffering.

20 He sent His word, and healed them, and delivered them from their graves.

He gave the command and he healed them; he saved them from the grave.

21 Let them give thanks unto the LORD for His mercy, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!

Let them praise the Lord for his trustworthy love, and for all the wonderful things he does for people.

22 And let them offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with singing.

Let them present thank offerings and sing with joy about what he has done.

23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters —

Those who set sail in ships, crossing the seas to earn their living,

24 These saw the works of the LORD, and His wonders in the deep;

they have seen the Lord's incredible power at work—the wonderful things he did in the deepest oceans.

25 For He commanded, and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves thereof;

He only had to speak to cause a stormy wind that stirred up towering waves,

26 They mounted up to the heaven, they went down to the deeps; their soul melted away because of trouble;

lifting the ships high in the air and then plunging them down. The sailors were so terrified that their courage melted away.

27 They reeled to and fro, and staggered like a drunken man, and all their wisdom was swallowed up —

They staggered around, falling from side to side like drunks—all their seamanship skills were useless.

28 They cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distresses.

Then they cried out to the Lord to help them in their troubles, and he saved them from their suffering.

29 He made the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof were still.

He calmed the storm, the waves were quiet.

30 Then were they glad because they were quiet, and He led them unto their desired haven.

The sailors were so happy when it all calmed down, and he brought them to the harbor they wanted.

31 Let them give thanks unto the LORD for His mercy, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!

Let them praise the Lord for his trustworthy love, and for all the wonderful things he does for people.

32 Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, and praise Him in the seat of the elders.

Let them say how wonderful he is in front of the whole congregation and the elders.

33 He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and watersprings into a thirsty ground;

He dries up rivers and turns the land into a desert; the water springs stop flowing and the earth turns dry and dusty.

34 A fruitful land into a salt waste, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

Fruitful ground becomes a salty wasteland because of the wickedness of those living there.

35 He turneth a wilderness into a pool of water, and a dry land into watersprings.

But he also turns around and makes pools of water in the desert, and makes water springs flow in a dry and dusty land.

36 And there He maketh the hungry to dwell, and they establish a city of habitation;

He brings hungry people to live there—a place they can build their cities.

37 And sow fields, and plant vineyards, which yield fruits of increase.

They sow their fields and plant their vineyards, producing a good harvest.

38 He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly, and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.

He takes care of them, and their numbers increase dramatically—their cattle too!

39 Again, they are minished and dwindle away through oppression of evil and sorrow.

When they become few, brought low by oppression, misery, and sorrow,

40 He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the waste, where there is no way.

He pours out his contempt on their leaders, making them wander, lost in the wilderness.

41 Yet setteth He the needy on high from affliction, and maketh his families like a flock.

But he lifts the poor out of their troubles, and makes their families as big as flocks.

42 The upright see it, and are glad; and all iniquity stoppeth her mouth.

Those who live right will observe what is happening and be glad, but the wicked will be silenced.

43 Whoso is wise, let him observe these things, and let them consider the mercies of the LORD.

Those who are wise will pay attention to all this, and thoughtfully reflect on the Lord's trustworthy love.