Psalm 107

¹ O give praise to the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy is unchanging for ever.

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;

³ 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 were wandering in the waste places; they saw no way to a resting-place.

⁵ Their souls became feeble for need of food and drink.

⁶ Then they sent up their cry to the Lord in their sorrow, and he gave them salvation out of all their troubles;

⁷ Guiding them in the right way, so that they might come into the town of their resting-place.

⁸ Let men give praise to the Lord for his mercy, and for the wonders which he does for the children of men!

⁹ He gives its desire to the unresting soul, so that it is full of good things.

¹⁰ Those who were in the dark, in the black night, in chains of sorrow and iron;

¹¹ Because they went against the words of God, and gave no thought to the laws of the Most High:

¹² So that he made their hearts weighted down with grief; they were falling, and had no helper.

¹³ Then they sent up their cry to the Lord in their sorrow, and he gave them salvation out of all their troubles.

¹⁴ He took them out of the dark and the black night, and all their chains were broken.

¹⁵ Let men give praise to the Lord for his mercy, and for the wonders which he does for the children of men!

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;

¹⁸ They are disgusted by all food, and they come near to the doors of death.

¹⁹ 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 made them well, and kept them safe from the underworld.

²¹ 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 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 the great waters;

²⁴ They see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.

²⁵ For at his word comes up the storm-wind, lifting high the waves.

²⁶ The sailors go up to heaven, and down into the deep; their souls are wasted because of their trouble.

²⁷ 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 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 into a calm, so that the waves are at peace.

³⁰ Then they are glad, because the sea is quiet, and he takes them to the harbour of their desire.

³¹ 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 give glory to him in the meeting of the people, and praise among the chiefs.

³³ He makes rivers into waste places, and springs of water into a dry land;

³⁴ He makes a fertile country into a salt waste, because of the sins of those who are living there.

³⁵ He makes a waste land into a place of water, and a dry land into water-springs.

³⁶ And there he gives the poor a resting-place, so that they may make themselves a town;

³⁷ And put seed in the fields and make vine-gardens, to give them fruit.

³⁸ He gives them his blessing so that they are increased greatly, and their cattle do not become less.

³⁹ And when they are made low, and crushed by trouble and sorrow,

⁴⁰ 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 puts the poor man on high from his troubles, and gives him families like a flock.

⁴² The upright see it and are glad: the mouth of the sinner is stopped.

⁴³ Let the wise give thought to these things, and see the mercies of the Lord.