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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)

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