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Thanksgiving to Yahweh for His of Deliverance

107 Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,
for his loyal love is forever.
Let the redeemed of Yahweh declare[a] it,
those whom he has redeemed from the hand of the enemy
and gathered from the lands,
from east and from west, from north and from south.[b]
They wandered in the wilderness, in a desert.
They could find no way[c] to a city to inhabit.
Hungry and thirsty,
their soul grew faint within them.
Then they cried out to Yahweh in their trouble.
He delivered them from their distresses
and led them by a straight way
to get to a city to inhabit.
Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his loyal love,
and his wonderful deeds for the children of humankind,
for he satisfies the longing soul,[d]
and the hungry soul he fills with good.
10 Those who sat in darkness and gloom,
prisoners of misery and iron—
11 because they rebelled against the words of God
and spurned the counsel of the Most High,
12 he therefore humbled their heart with trouble.
They stumbled and there was no helper.
13 Then they called to Yahweh for help in their trouble;
he saved them from their distresses.
14 He brought them out of darkness and gloom,
and tore off their bonds.
15 Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his loyal love
and his wonderful deeds for the children of humankind,
16 for he shatters the doors of bronze,
and cuts through the bars of iron.
17 Fools, because of their rebellious way
and their iniquities, were afflicted.
18 Their soul abhorred all food,
and they approached the gates of death.
19 Then they called to Yahweh for help in their trouble.
He saved them from their distresses.
20 He sent his word and healed them,
and he delivered them from their pits.[e]
21 Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his loyal love,
and his wonderful deeds for the children of humankind,
22 and let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and tell of his works with rejoicing.
23 Those who went down to the sea into ships,
doing business on the high seas,[f]
24 they saw the works of Yahweh,
and his wonderful deeds in the deep.
25 For he spoke and raised up a stormy wind,
and it whipped up its waves.
26 They rose to the heavens; they plunged to the depths.
Their soul melted in their calamity.
27 They reeled and staggered like a drunkard,
and they were at their wits’ end.[g]
28 Then they cried out to Yahweh in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distresses.
29 He made the storm be still
and their waves became calm.
30 Then they were glad because they grew silent,
so he guided them to their desired harbor.
31 Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his loyal love
and his wonderful deeds for the children of humankind,
32 and let them exalt him in the congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
33 He turns rivers into a wilderness
and springs of water into thirsty ground,
34 a fruitful land into a salty place,
because of the evil of its inhabitants.
35 He turns a wilderness into a pool of water
and a dry land into springs of water.
36 And he settles the hungry there,
so that they may establish a city to inhabit,
37 and sow fields and plant vineyards,
that they may yield fruit at harvest.[h]
38 And he blesses them and they multiply greatly,
and he does not let their cattle become few.
39 When they become few and they are bent down
from the oppression of calamity and grief,
40 he pours contempt on princes
and causes them to wander in a trackless waste.
41 But he protects[i] the needy from misery,
and he makes their families like a flock.
42 The upright see it and are glad,
and all wickedness shuts its mouth.
43 Whoever is wise, then let him observe these things,
and let them consider Yahweh’s acts of loyal love.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 107:2 Hebrew “say”
  2. Psalm 107:3 Hebrew “sea” (yam), which usually means “west” in a listing of directions. The word “south” is expected (Hebrew yamin). Either the MT was corrupted early (along with Isa 49:12; the LXX reads “sea” in both) or it looks to the bodies of waters to the south (see also the Targum)
  3. Psalm 107:4 The MT reads “way” with the previous line.
  4. Psalm 107:9 Thirst is perhaps in view
  5. Psalm 107:20 This word is only found elsewhere in Lam 4:20 with the sense of “traps”
  6. Psalm 107:23 Literally “many waters”
  7. Psalm 107:27 Literally “all their wisdom was swallowed up”
  8. Psalm 107:37 Hebrew “and make a fruit of produce”
  9. Psalm 107:41 The sense is that of making something inaccessibly high, like a fortress

BOOK V

(Psalms 107–150)

Psalm 107

Thanksgiving for God’s Deliverance

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his faithful love endures forever.(A)
Let the redeemed of the Lord proclaim
that he has redeemed them from the power of the foe(B)
and has gathered them from the lands—
from the east and the west,
from the north and the south.(C)

Some wandered in the desolate wilderness,
finding no way to a city where they could live.(D)
They were hungry and thirsty;
their spirits failed[a] within them.(E)
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble;
he rescued them from their distress.(F)
He led them by the right path
to go to a city where they could live.(G)
Let them give thanks to the Lord
for his faithful love
and his wondrous works for all humanity.(H)
For he has satisfied the thirsty
and filled the hungry with good things.(I)

10 Others sat in darkness and gloom[b]
prisoners in cruel chains(J)
11 because they rebelled against God’s commands
and despised the counsel of the Most High.(K)
12 He broke their spirits[c] with hard labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.(L)
13 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble;
he saved them from their distress.(M)
14 He brought them out of darkness and gloom
and broke their chains apart.(N)
15 Let them give thanks to the Lord
for his faithful love
and his wondrous works for all humanity.(O)
16 For he has broken down the bronze gates
and cut through the iron bars.(P)

17 Fools suffered affliction
because of their rebellious ways and their iniquities.(Q)
18 They loathed all food
and came near the gates of death.(R)
19 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble;
he saved them from their distress.(S)
20 He sent his word and healed them;
he rescued them from their traps.
21 Let them give thanks to the Lord
for his faithful love
and his wondrous works for all humanity.(T)
22 Let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices
and announce his works with shouts of joy.(U)

23 Others went to sea in ships,
conducting trade on the vast water.(V)
24 They saw the Lord’s works,
his wondrous works in the deep.(W)
25 He spoke and raised a stormy wind
that stirred up the waves of the sea.[d](X)
26 Rising up to the sky, sinking down to the depths,
their courage[e] melting away in anguish,(Y)
27 they reeled and staggered like a drunkard,
and all their skill was useless.(Z)
28 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.(AA)
29 He stilled the storm to a whisper,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.(AB)
30 They rejoiced when the waves grew quiet.
Then he guided them to the harbor they longed for.(AC)
31 Let them give thanks to the Lord
for his faithful love
and his wondrous works for all humanity.(AD)
32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people
and praise him in the council of the elders.(AE)

33 He turns rivers into desert,
springs into thirsty ground,(AF)
34 and fruitful land into salty wasteland,
because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.(AG)
35 He turns a desert into a pool,
dry land into springs.(AH)
36 He causes the hungry to settle there,
and they establish a city where they can live.(AI)
37 They sow fields and plant vineyards
that yield a fruitful harvest.(AJ)
38 He blesses them, and they multiply greatly;(AK)
he does not let their livestock decrease.(AL)

39 When they are diminished and are humbled
by cruel oppression and sorrow,(AM)
40 he pours contempt on nobles(AN)
and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.(AO)
41 But he lifts the needy out of their suffering(AP)
and makes their families multiply like flocks.(AQ)
42 The upright see it and rejoice,(AR)
and all injustice shuts its mouth.(AS)

43 Let whoever is wise pay attention to these things
and consider the Lord’s acts of faithful love.(AT)

Footnotes

  1. 107:5 Lit their soul fainted
  2. 107:10 Or the shadow of death, also in v. 14
  3. 107:12 Lit hearts
  4. 107:25 Lit of it
  5. 107:26 Lit souls