Psalms
Psalms 107
Hallelujah.
1 Give thanks to the Lord, because he is kind, because his mercy lasts forever.
2 Let those the Lord ransomed say so—those he ransomed from an enemy’s hand.
3 He gathered them from the lands, from east and west, north and sea.
4 They wandered in the wilderness, in a waterless land; they found no road to an inhabited city.
5 Hungry and thirsty, their souls failed within them.
6 Then they cried to the Lord in their affliction, and he rescued them from their distress.
7 He guided them onto a straight road, so they might go to an inhabited city.
8 May they give thanks to the Lord for his mercies and for his wonders toward human beings,
9 because he satisfied an empty soul and filled a hungry soul with good things.
10 They sat in darkness and death’s shadow, prisoners in poverty and iron,
11 because they provoked God’s sayings and angered the counsel of the Most High.
12 Their hearts were humbled with labor; they grew weak, and no one helped.
13 Then they cried to the Lord in their affliction, and he saved them from their distress.
14 He led them out of darkness and death’s shadow and tore their bonds apart.
15 May they give thanks to the Lord for his mercies and for his wonders toward human beings,
16 because he shattered bronze gates and broke iron bars.
17 He helped them away from the path of their lawlessness, because they were humbled by their lawlessness.
18 Their souls detested every food, and they came near the gates of death.
19 Then they cried to the Lord in their affliction, and he saved them from their distress.
20 He sent his word and healed them, and he rescued them from their decay.
21 May they give thanks to the Lord for his mercies and for his wonders toward human beings.
22 May they offer a sacrifice of praise and proclaim his works with rejoicing.
23 Those who go down to the sea in ships, doing business in deep waters—
24 they saw the Lord’s works and his wonders in the depths.
25 He spoke, and a storm wind arose and lifted up its waves.
26 They rise to the heavens and descend to the depths; their souls melted in misery.
27 They were troubled and staggered like a drunk person, and all their wisdom was swallowed up.
28 Then they cried to the Lord in their affliction, and he brought them out of their distress.
29 He commanded the storm, and it became a breeze, and its waves became quiet.
30 They rejoiced because the waves were quiet, and he guided them to their desired harbor.
31 May they give thanks to the Lord for his mercies and for his wonders toward human beings.
32 May they exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the elders’ seat.
33 He turned rivers into a wilderness and channels of water into thirsty ground,
34 a fruitful land into salt flats because of the evil of those living in it.
35 He turned a wilderness into pools of water and waterless land into channels of water.
36 There he settled the hungry, and they established an inhabited city.
37 They sowed fields, planted vineyards, and produced fruit from their crops.
38 He blessed them, and they multiplied greatly, and he did not reduce their cattle.
39 Then they became few and suffered from affliction, evils, and pain.
40 Contempt was poured upon rulers, and he made them wander in a trackless place with no road.
41 He helped a needy person out of poverty and made families like flocks of sheep.
42 The upright will see and rejoice, and every lawless mouth will be stopped.
43 Who is wise and will keep these things? They will understand the Lord’s mercies.