Psalms 107

1 Alleluia. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy [endures] for ever.

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

2 Let them say [so] who have been redeemed by the Lord, 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 them out of the countries, from the east, and west, and 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 They wandered in the wilderness in a dry land; they found no way to a city of habitation.

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 affliction, 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 And he guided them into a straight path, that they might go to a city of habitation.

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

8 Let them acknowledge to the Lord his mercies, and his wonderful works 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 empty soul, and fills the hungry [soul] with good things,

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

10 [even] them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death, fettered in poverty 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 provoked 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 So their heart was brought low with troubles; they were weak, and there was no helper.

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 affliction, 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 And he brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their bonds asunder.

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

15 Let them acknowledge to the Lord his mercies, and his wonders 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 broke to pieces the brazen gates, and crushed the iron bars.

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

17 He helped them out of the way of their iniquity; for they were brought low because of their iniquities.

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

18 Their soul abhorred all meat; and they 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 to the Lord in their affliction, and he saved 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 sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them out of their destructions.

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

21 Let them acknowledge to the Lord his mercies, and his wonderful works 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 And let them offer to him the sacrifice of praise, and proclaim this works with exultation.

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

23 They that go down to the sea in ships, doing business in many waters;

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

24 these [men] have seen 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 He speaks, and the stormy wind arises, and its waves are lifted up.

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

26 They go up to the heavens, and go down to the depths; their soul melts because of troubles.

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

27 They are troubled, they stagger as a drunkard, and all their wisdom is swallowed up.

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 affliction, and he brings 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.

29 And he commands the storm, and it is calmed into a gentle breeze, and its waves are still.

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

30 And they are glad, because they are quiet; and he guides them to their desire haven.

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

31 Let them acknowledge to the Lord his mercies, and his wonderful works 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!

32 Let them exalt him in the congregation 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, and streams of water into a dry land;

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

34 a fruitful land into saltness, for the wickedness of them that 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 wilderness into pools of water, and a dry land into streams of water.

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

36 And there he causes the hungry to dwell, and they establish for themselves cities of habitation.

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

37 And they sow fields, and plant vineyards, and they yield fruit of increase.

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

38 And he blesses them, and they multiply exceedingly, and he diminishes not the number of their cattle.

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

39 Again they become few, and are brought low, by the pressure of evils and pain.

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

40 Contempt is poured upon their princes, and he causes them to wander in a desert and trackless land.

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 helps the poor out of poverty, and makes [him] families as a flock.

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

42 The upright shall see and rejoice; and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.

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

43 Who is wise, and will observe these things, and understand the mercies of the Lord?

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