Add parallel Print Page Options

BOOK V (Psalms 107-150)

Gratitude for God’s Deliverance

107 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
    His gracious love exists forever.
Let those who have been redeemed by the Lord declare it—
    those whom he redeemed
        from the power[a] of the enemy,
those whom he gathered from other lands—
    from the east, west, north, and south.[b]

They wandered in desolate wilderness;
    they found no road to a city where they could live.
Hungry and thirsty,
    their spirits[c] failed.
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress.
He led them in a straight way
    to find a city where they could live.
Let them give thanks to the Lord
    for his gracious love
        and his awesome deeds for mankind.
He has satisfied the one who thirsts,
    filling the hungry with what is good.

10 Some sat in deepest darkness,
    shackled with cruel iron,
11 because they had rebelled against the command of God,
    despising the advice of the Most High.
12 He humbled them[d] through suffering,
    as they stumbled without a helper.
13 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble;
    he delivered them from their distress.
14 And he[e] brought them out from darkness and the shadow of death,[f]
    shattering their chains.

15 Let them give[g] thanks to the Lord for his gracious love,
    and for his awesome deeds to mankind.
16 For he shattered bronze gates
    and cut through iron bars.

17 Because of their rebellious ways,
    fools suffered for their iniquities.
18 They[h] loathed all food,
    and even reached the gates of death.
19 Yet when they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
    he delivered them from certain destruction.
20 He issued his command[i] and healed them;
    he delivered them from their destruction.
21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his gracious love,
    and for his awesome deeds for mankind.
22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving
    and talk about his works with shouts of joy.

23 Those who go down to the sea in ships,
    who work in the great waters,
24 witnessed the works of the Lord
    his awesome deeds in the ocean’s depth.
25 He spoke and stirred up a windstorm
    that made its waves surge.
26 The people[j] ascended skyward and descended to the depths,
    their courage[k] melting away in their peril.
27 They reeled and staggered like a drunkard,
    as all their wisdom became useless.
28 Yet when they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
    the Lord brought them out of their distress.
29 He calmed the storm
    and its waves[l] quieted down.
30 So they rejoiced that the waves[m] became quiet,
    and he led them to their desired haven.

31 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his gracious love
    and for his awesome deeds on behalf of mankind.
32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people
    and praise him in the counsel of the elders.

33 He turns rivers into a desert,
    springs of water into dry ground,
34 and a fruitful land into a salty waste,
    due to the wickedness of its inhabitants.
35 He turns a desert into a pool of water,
    dry land into springs of water.
36 There he settled the hungry,
    where they built a city to live in.
37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards
    that yielded a productive harvest.
38 Then he blessed them, and they became numerous;
    he multiplied their cattle.[n]

39 But they became few in number, and humiliated
    by continued oppression, agony, and sorrow.
40 Having poured contempt on their nobles,
    causing them to err aimlessly in the way.
41 Yet he lifted the needy from affliction
    and made them families like a flock.

42 The upright see it and rejoice,
    but the mouth of an evil person is shut.
43 Let whoever is wise observe these things,
    that they may comprehend the gracious love of the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 107:2 Lit. hand
  2. Psalm 107:3 Lit. and the sea; i.e. the Reed Sea
  3. Psalm 107:5 Lit. soul
  4. Psalm 107:12 Lit. humbled their hearts
  5. Psalm 107:14 So LXX DSS 4QPsf; MT reads He
  6. Psalm 107:14 So LXX; MT reads and gloom
  7. Psalm 107:15 So MT LXX; DSS 4QPsf reads Give
  8. Psalm 107:18 Lit. their souls
  9. Psalm 107:20 Lit. word
  10. Psalm 107:26 Lit. They
  11. Psalm 107:26 Lit. souls
  12. Psalm 107:29 So MT LXX; DSS 4QPsf reads and the waves of the sea; cf. Psa 107:25
  13. Psalm 107:30 Lit. they
  14. Psalm 107:38 Or he didn’t let their cattle become few

BOOK V

Psalms 107–150

Psalm 107

Give thanks to the Lord,(A) for he is good;(B)
    his love endures forever.

Let the redeemed(C) of the Lord tell their story—
    those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
those he gathered(D) from the lands,
    from east and west, from north and south.[a]

Some wandered in desert(E) wastelands,
    finding no way to a city(F) where they could settle.
They were hungry(G) and thirsty,(H)
    and their lives ebbed away.
Then they cried out(I) to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress.
He led them by a straight way(J)
    to a city(K) where they could settle.
Let them give thanks(L) to the Lord for his unfailing love(M)
    and his wonderful deeds(N) for mankind,
for he satisfies(O) the thirsty
    and fills the hungry with good things.(P)

10 Some sat in darkness,(Q) in utter darkness,
    prisoners suffering(R) in iron chains,(S)
11 because they rebelled(T) against God’s commands
    and despised(U) the plans(V) of the Most High.
12 So he subjected them to bitter labor;
    they stumbled, and there was no one to help.(W)
13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he saved them(X) from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness,(Y) the utter darkness,(Z)
    and broke away their chains.(AA)
15 Let them give thanks(AB) to the Lord for his unfailing love(AC)
    and his wonderful deeds(AD) for mankind,
16 for he breaks down gates of bronze
    and cuts through bars of iron.

17 Some became fools(AE) through their rebellious ways(AF)
    and suffered affliction(AG) because of their iniquities.
18 They loathed all food(AH)
    and drew near the gates of death.(AI)
19 Then they cried(AJ) to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he saved them(AK) from their distress.
20 He sent out his word(AL) and healed them;(AM)
    he rescued(AN) them from the grave.(AO)
21 Let them give thanks(AP) to the Lord for his unfailing love(AQ)
    and his wonderful deeds(AR) for mankind.
22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings(AS)
    and tell of his works(AT) with songs of joy.(AU)

23 Some went out on the sea(AV) in ships;(AW)
    they were merchants on the mighty waters.
24 They saw the works of the Lord,(AX)
    his wonderful deeds in the deep.
25 For he spoke(AY) and stirred up a tempest(AZ)
    that lifted high the waves.(BA)
26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
    in their peril(BB) their courage melted(BC) away.
27 They reeled(BD) and staggered like drunkards;
    they were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried(BE) out to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he brought them out of their distress.(BF)
29 He stilled the storm(BG) to a whisper;
    the waves(BH) of the sea[b] were hushed.(BI)
30 They were glad when it grew calm,
    and he guided them(BJ) to their desired haven.
31 Let them give thanks(BK) to the Lord for his unfailing love(BL)
    and his wonderful deeds(BM) for mankind.
32 Let them exalt(BN) him in the assembly(BO) of the people
    and praise him in the council of the elders.

33 He turned rivers into a desert,(BP)
    flowing springs(BQ) into thirsty ground,
34 and fruitful land into a salt waste,(BR)
    because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
35 He turned the desert into pools of water(BS)
    and the parched ground into flowing springs;(BT)
36 there he brought the hungry to live,
    and they founded a city where they could settle.
37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards(BU)
    that yielded a fruitful harvest;
38 he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,(BV)
    and he did not let their herds diminish.(BW)

39 Then their numbers decreased,(BX) and they were humbled(BY)
    by oppression, calamity and sorrow;
40 he who pours contempt on nobles(BZ)
    made them wander in a trackless waste.(CA)
41 But he lifted the needy(CB) out of their affliction
    and increased their families like flocks.(CC)
42 The upright see and rejoice,(CD)
    but all the wicked shut their mouths.(CE)

43 Let the one who is wise(CF) heed these things
    and ponder the loving deeds(CG) of the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 107:3 Hebrew north and the sea
  2. Psalm 107:29 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text / their waves