Psalm 107

New International Version

BOOK V

Psalms 107–150

Psalm 107

¹Give thanks to the Lord,^(A) for he is good;^(B)
his love endures forever.

²Let the redeemed^(C) of the Lord tell their story—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
³those he gathered^(D) from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.^[a]

⁴Some wandered in desert^(E) wastelands,
    finding no way to a city^(F) where they could settle.
⁵They were hungry^(G) and thirsty,^(H)
    and their lives ebbed away.
⁶Then they cried out^(I) to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress.
⁷He led them by a straight way^(J)
    to a city^(K) where they could settle.
⁸Let them give thanks^(L) to the Lord for his unfailing love^(M)
    and his wonderful deeds^(N) for mankind,
⁹for he satisfies^(O) the thirsty
    and fills the hungry with good things.^(P)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Footnotes

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

Galatians 4

New International Version

4 What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. ²The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. ³So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery^(A) under the elemental spiritual forces^[a] of the world.^(B) ⁴But when the set time had fully come,^(C) God sent his Son,^(D) born of a woman,^(E) born under the law,^(F) ⁵to redeem^(G) those under the law, that we might receive adoption^(H) to sonship.^[b]^(I) ⁶Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son^(J) into our hearts,^(K) the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,^[c] Father.”^(L) ⁷So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.^(M)

Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

⁸Formerly, when you did not know God,^(N) you were slaves^(O) to those who by nature are not gods.^(P) ⁹But now that you know God—or rather are known by God^(Q)—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces^[d]? Do you wish to be enslaved^(R) by them all over again?^(S) ¹⁰You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!^(T) ¹¹I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.^(U)

¹²I plead with you, brothers and sisters,^(V) become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. ¹³As you know, it was because of an illness^(W) that I first preached the gospel to you, ¹⁴and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.^(X) ¹⁵Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?^(Y)

¹⁷Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them.^(Z) ¹⁸It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.^(AA) ¹⁹My dear children,^(AB) for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,^(AC) ²⁰how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!

Hagar and Sarah

²¹Tell me, you who want to be under the law,^(AD) are you not aware of what the law says? ²²For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman^(AE) and the other by the free woman.^(AF) ²³His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh,^(AG) but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.^(AH)

²⁴These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. ²⁵Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶But the Jerusalem that is above^(AI) is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷For it is written:

“Be glad, barren woman,
    you who never bore a child;
shout for joy and cry aloud,
    you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
    than of her who has a husband.”^[e]^(AJ)

²⁸Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.^(AK) ²⁹At that time the son born according to the flesh^(AL) persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit.^(AM) It is the same now. ³⁰But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”^[f]^(AN) ³¹Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman,^(AO) but of the free woman.^(AP)

Footnotes

Galatians 4:3 Or under the basic principles
Galatians 4:5 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a legal term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture.
Galatians 4:6 Aramaic for Father
Galatians 4:9 Or principles
Galatians 4:27 Isaiah 54:1
Galatians 4:30 Gen. 21:10