Psalm 107

¹Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, *and his mercy endures for ever.

²Let all those whom the Lord has redeemed proclaim *that he redeemed them from the hand of the foe.

³He gathered them out of the lands; *from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

⁴Some wandered in desert wastes; *they found no way to a city where they might dwell.

⁵They were hungry and thirsty; *their spirits languished within them.

⁶Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, *and he delivered them from their distress.

⁷He put their feet on a straight path *to go to a city where they might dwell.

⁸Let them give thanks to the Lord for his mercy *and the wonders he does for his children.

⁹For he satisfies the thirsty *and fills the hungry with good things.

¹⁰Some sat in darkness and deep gloom, *bound fast in misery and iron;

¹¹Because they rebelled against the words of God *and despised the counsel of the Most High.

¹²So he humbled their spirits with hard labor; *they stumbled, and there was none to help.

¹³Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, *and he delivered them from their distress.

¹⁴He led them out of darkness and deep gloom *and broke their bonds asunder.

¹⁵Let them give thanks to the Lord for his mercy *and the wonders he does for his children.

¹⁶For he shatters the doors of bronze *and breaks in two the iron bars.

¹⁷Some were fools and took to rebellious ways; *they were afflicted because of their sins.

¹⁸They abhorred all manner of food *and drew near to death’s door.

¹⁹Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, *and he delivered them from their distress.

²⁰He sent forth his word and healed them *and saved them from the grave.

²¹Let them give thanks to the Lord for his mercy *and the wonders he does for his children.

²²Let them offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving *and tell of his acts with shouts of joy.

²³Some went down to the sea in ships *and plied their trade in deep waters;

²⁴They beheld the works of the Lord *and his wonders in the deep.

²⁵Then he spoke, and a stormy wind arose, *which tossed high the waves of the sea.

²⁶They mounted up to the heavens and fell back to the depths; *their hearts melted because of their peril.

²⁷They reeled and staggered like drunkards *and were at their wits’ end.

²⁸Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, *and he delivered them from their distress.

²⁹He stilled the storm to a whisper *and quieted the waves of the sea.

³⁰Then were they glad because of the calm, *and he brought them to the harbor they were bound for.

³¹Let them give thanks to the Lord for his mercy *and the wonders he does for his children.

³²Let them exalt him in the congregation of the people *and praise him in the council of the elders.

³³The Lord changed rivers into deserts, *and water-springs into thirsty ground,

³⁴A fruitful land into salt flats, *because of the wickedness of those who dwell there.

³⁵He changed deserts into pools of water *and dry land into water-springs.

³⁶He settled the hungry there, *and they founded a city to dwell in.

³⁷They sowed fields, and planted vineyards, *and brought in a fruitful harvest.

³⁸He blessed them, so that they increased greatly; *he did not let their herds decrease.

³⁹Yet when they were diminished and brought low, *through stress of adversity and sorrow,

⁴⁰(He pours contempt on princes *and makes them wander in trackless wastes)

⁴¹He lifted up the poor out of misery *and multiplied their families like flocks of sheep.

⁴²The upright will see this and rejoice, *but all wickedness will shut its mouth.

⁴³Whoever is wise will ponder these things, *and consider well the mercies of the Lord.