Psalm 107–109

BOOK V

Psalms 107–150

Psalm 107

¹Give thanks to the Lord,^f for he is good;^g

his love endures forever.

²Let the redeemed^h of the Lord tell their story—

those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,

³those he gatheredⁱ from the lands,

from east and west, from north and south.^a

⁴Some wandered in desert^j wastelands,

finding no way to a city^k where they could settle.

⁵They were hungry^l and thirsty,^m

and their lives ebbed away.

⁶Then they cried outⁿ to the Lord in their trouble,

and he delivered them from their distress.

⁷He led them by a straight way^o

to a city^p where they could settle.

⁸Let them give thanks^q to the Lord for his unfailing love^r

and his wonderful deeds^s for mankind,

⁹for he satisfies^t the thirsty

and fills the hungry with good things.^u

¹⁰Some sat in darkness,^v in utter darkness,

prisoners suffering^w in iron chains,^x

¹¹because they rebelled^y against God’s commands

and despised^z the plans^a of the Most High.

¹²So he subjected them to bitter labor;

they stumbled, and there was no one to help.^b

¹³Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

and he saved them^c from their distress.

¹⁴He brought them out of darkness,^d the utter darkness,^e

and broke away their chains.^f

¹⁵Let them give thanks^g to the Lord for his unfailing love^h

and his wonderful deedsⁱ for mankind,

¹⁶for he breaks down gates of bronze

and cuts through bars of iron.

¹⁷Some became fools^j through their rebellious ways^k

and suffered affliction^l because of their iniquities.

¹⁸They loathed all food^m

and drew near the gates of death.ⁿ

¹⁹Then they cried^o to the Lord in their trouble,

and he saved them^p from their distress.

²⁰He sent out his word^q and healed them;^r

he rescued^s them from the grave.^t

²¹Let them give thanks^u to the Lord for his unfailing love^v

and his wonderful deeds^w for mankind.

²²Let them sacrifice thank offerings^x

and tell of his works^y with songs of joy.^z

²³Some went out on the sea^a in ships;^b

they were merchants on the mighty waters.

²⁴They saw the works of the Lord,^c

his wonderful deeds in the deep.

²⁵For he spoke^d and stirred up a tempest^e

that lifted high the waves.^f

²⁶They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;

in their peril^g their courage melted^h away.

²⁷They reeledⁱ and staggered like drunkards;

they were at their wits’ end.

²⁸Then they cried^j out to the Lord in their trouble,

and he brought them out of their distress.^k

²⁹He stilled the storm^l to a whisper;

the waves^m of the sea^b were hushed.ⁿ

³⁰They were glad when it grew calm,

and he guided them^o to their desired haven.

³¹Let them give thanks^p to the Lord for his unfailing love^q

and his wonderful deeds^r for mankind.

³²Let them exalt^s him in the assembly^t of the people

and praise him in the council of the elders.

³³He turned rivers into a desert,^u

flowing springs^v into thirsty ground,

³⁴and fruitful land into a salt waste,^w

because of the wickedness of those who lived there.

³⁵He turned the desert into pools of water^x

and the parched ground into flowing springs;^y

³⁶there he brought the hungry to live,

and they founded a city where they could settle.

³⁷They sowed fields and planted vineyards^z

that yielded a fruitful harvest;

³⁸he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,^a

and he did not let their herds diminish.^b

³⁹Then their numbers decreased,^c and they were humbled^d

by oppression, calamity and sorrow;

⁴⁰he who pours contempt on nobles^e

made them wander in a trackless waste.^f

⁴¹But he lifted the needy^g out of their affliction

and increased their families like flocks.^h

⁴²The upright see and rejoice,ⁱ

but all the wicked shut their mouths.^j

⁴³Let the one who is wise^k heed these things

and ponder the loving deeds^l of the Lord.

Psalm 108^a

108:1–5pp—Ps 57:7–11 108:6–13pp—Ps 60:5–12

A song. A psalm of David.

¹My heart, O God, is steadfast;^m

I will singⁿ and make music with all my soul.

²Awake, harp and lyre!^o

I will awaken the dawn.

³I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;

I will sing of you among the peoples.

⁴For great is your love,^p higher than the heavens;

your faithfulness^q reaches to the skies.^r

⁵Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;^s

let your glory be over all the earth.^t

⁶Save us and help us with your right hand,^u

that those you love may be delivered.

⁷God has spoken^v from his sanctuary:^w

“In triumph I will parcel out Shechem^x

and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.^y

⁸Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine;

Ephraim is my helmet,

Judah^z is my scepter.

⁹Moab^a is my washbasin,

on Edom^b I toss my sandal;

over Philistia^c I shout in triumph.”

¹⁰Who will bring me to the fortified city?

Who will lead me to Edom?

¹¹Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us

and no longer go out with our armies?^d

¹²Give us aid against the enemy,

for human help is worthless.^e

¹³With God we will gain the victory,

and he will trample down^f our enemies.

Psalm 109

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

¹My God, whom I praise,^g

do not remain silent,^h

²for people who are wicked and deceitfulⁱ

have opened their mouths against me;

they have spoken against me with lying tongues.^j

³With words of hatred^k they surround me;

they attack me without cause.^l

⁴In return for my friendship they accuse me,

but I am a man of prayer.^m

⁵They repay me evil for good,ⁿ

and hatred for my friendship.

⁶Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy;

let an accuser^o stand at his right hand.

⁷When he is tried, let him be found guilty,^p

and may his prayers condemn^q him.

⁸May his days be few;^r

may another take his place^s of leadership.

⁹May his children be fatherless

and his wife a widow.^t

¹⁰May his children be wandering beggars;^u

may they be driven^a from their ruined homes.

¹¹May a creditor^v seize all he has;

may strangers plunder^w the fruits of his labor.^x

¹²May no one extend kindness to him

or take pity^y on his fatherless children.

¹³May his descendants be cut off,^z

their names blotted out^a from the next generation.

¹⁴May the iniquity of his fathers^b be remembered before the Lord;

may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.

¹⁵May their sins always remain before^c the Lord,

that he may blot out their name^d from the earth.

¹⁶For he never thought of doing a kindness,

but hounded to death the poor

and the needy^e and the brokenhearted.^f

¹⁷He loved to pronounce a curse—

may it come back on him.^g

He found no pleasure in blessing—

may it be far from him.

¹⁸He wore cursing^h as his garment;

it entered into his body like water,ⁱ

into his bones like oil.

¹⁹May it be like a cloak wrapped^j about him,

like a belt tied forever around him.

²⁰May this be the Lord’s payment^k to my accusers,

to those who speak evil^l of me.

²¹But you, Sovereign Lord,

help me for your name’s sake;^m

out of the goodness of your love,ⁿ deliver me.^o

²²For I am poor and needy,

and my heart is wounded within me.

²³I fade away like an evening shadow;^p

I am shaken off like a locust.

²⁴My knees give^q way from fasting;^r

my body is thin and gaunt.^s

²⁵I am an object of scorn^t to my accusers;

when they see me, they shake their heads.^u

²⁶Help me,^v Lord my God;

save me according to your unfailing love.

²⁷Let them know^w that it is your hand,

that you, Lord, have done it.

²⁸While they curse,^x may you bless;

may those who attack me be put to shame,

but may your servant rejoice.^y

²⁹May my accusers be clothed with disgrace

and wrapped in shame^z as in a cloak.

³⁰With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord;

in the great throng^a of worshipers I will praise him.

³¹For he stands at the right hand^b of the needy,

to save their lives from those who would condemn them.