Psalms 107

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.

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

2 Let the redeemed by the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the adversary,

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 out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the 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 They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way. They found no city to live in.

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

5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.

Their souls became feeble for need of food and drink.

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

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 also by a straight way, that they might go to a city to live in.

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

8 Let them praise the LORD for his loving kindness, for his wonderful deeds to the children 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 longing soul. He fills the hungry soul with good.

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, being bound in affliction and iron,

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 condemned 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 Therefore he brought down their heart with labour. They fell down, 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 to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.

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 praise the LORD for his loving kindness, for his wonderful deeds to the children 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 the gates of bronze, and cut through bars of iron.

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

17 Fools are afflicted because of their disobedience, and because of their iniquities.

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

18 Their soul abhors all kinds of food. They draw near to the gates of death.

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

19 Then they cry to the LORD in their trouble, and he saves them out of their distresses.

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

20 He sends his word, and heals them, and delivers them from their graves.

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

21 Let them praise the LORD for his loving kindness, for his wonderful deeds to the children 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 the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his deeds with singing.

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

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

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

24 these see the LORD’s deeds, and his wonders in the deep.

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

25 For he commands, and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up its waves.

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

26 They mount up to the sky; they go down again to the depths. Their soul melts away because of trouble.

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

27 They reel back and forth, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.

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 cry to the LORD in their trouble, and he brings 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 makes the storm a calm, so that its waves are still.

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

30 Then they are glad because it is calm, so he brings them to their desired haven.

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

31 Let them praise the LORD for his loving kindness, for his wonderful deeds for the children 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 also in the assembly of the people, and praise him in the seat 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 a desert, water springs into a thirsty ground,

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

34 and a fruitful land into a salt waste, for the wickedness of those who dwell in it.

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 a pool of water, and a dry land into water springs.

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

36 There he makes the hungry live, that they may prepare a city to live in,

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

37 sow fields, plant vineyards, and reap the fruits of increase.

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

38 He blesses them also, so that they are multiplied greatly. He doesn’t allow their livestock to decrease.

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

39 Again, they are diminished and bowed down through oppression, trouble, and sorrow.

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

40 He pours contempt on princes, and causes them to wander in a trackless waste.

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

41 Yet he lifts the needy out of their affliction, and increases their families like a flock.

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

42 The upright will see it, and be glad. All the wicked will shut their mouths.

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

43 Whoever is wise will pay attention to these things. They will consider the loving kindnesses of the LORD.

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