Psalm 107

1  Give thanks to the Lord because he is good, 

because his mercy endures forever. 

2  Let the people the Lord defended repeat these words. 

They are the people he defended from the power of their enemies 

3  and gathered from other countries, 

from the east and from the west, 

from the north and from the south. 

4  They wandered around the desert on a deserted road 

without finding an inhabited city. 

5  They were hungry and thirsty. 

They began to lose hope. 

6  In their distress they cried out to the Lord. 

He rescued them from their troubles. 

7  He led them on a road that went straight to an inhabited city. 

8  Let them give thanks to the Lord because of his mercy. 

He performed his miracles for Adam’s descendants. 

9  He gave plenty to drink to those who were thirsty. 

He filled those who were hungry with good food. 

10  Those who lived in the dark, in death’s shadow 

were prisoners in misery. 

They were held in iron chains 

11  because they had rebelled against God’s words 

and had despised the advice given by the Most High. 

12  So he humbled them with hard work. 

They fell down, but no one was there to help them. 

13  In their distress they cried out to the Lord. 

He saved them from their troubles. 

14  He brought them out of the dark, out of death’s shadow. 

He broke apart their chains. 

15  Let them give thanks to the Lord because of his mercy. 

He performed his miracles for Adam’s descendants. 

16  He shattered bronze gates 

and cut iron bars in two. 

17  Fools suffered because of their disobedience 

and because of their crimes. 

18  All food was disgusting to them, 

and they came near death’s gates. 

19  In their distress they cried out to the Lord. 

He saved them from their troubles. 

20  He sent his message and healed them. 

He rescued them from the grave. 

21  Let them give thanks to the Lord because of his mercy. 

He performed his miracles for Adam’s descendants. 

22  Let them bring songs of thanksgiving as their sacrifice. 

Let them tell in joyful songs what he has done. 

23  Those who sail on the sea in ships, 

who do business on the high seas, 

24  have seen what the Lord can do, 

the miracles he performed in the depths of the sea. 

25  He spoke, and a storm began to blow, 

and it made the waves rise high. 

26  The sailors aboard ship rose toward the sky. 

They plunged into the depths. 

Their courage melted in ⸤the face of⸥ disaster. 

27  They reeled and staggered like drunks, 

and all their skills as sailors became useless. 

28  In their distress they cried out to the Lord. 

He led them from their troubles. 

29  He made the storm calm down, 

and the waves became still. 

30  The sailors were glad that the storm was quiet. 

He guided them to the harbor they had longed for. 

31  Let them give thanks to the Lord because of his mercy. 

He performed his miracles for Adam’s descendants. 

32  Let them glorify him when the people are gathered for worship. 

Let them praise him in the company of respected leaders. 

33  He changes rivers into a desert, 

springs into thirsty ground, 

34  and fertile ground into a layer of salt 

because of the wickedness of the people living there. 

35  He changes deserts into lakes 

and dry ground into springs. 

36  There he settles those who are hungry, 

and they build cities to live in. 

37  They plant in fields and vineyards 

that produce crops. 

38  He blesses them, and their numbers multiply, 

and he does not allow a shortage of cattle. 

39  They became few in number and were humiliated 

because of oppression, disaster, and sorrow. 

40  He poured contempt on their influential people 

and made them stumble around in a pathless desert. 

41  But now he lifts needy people high above suffering 

and makes their families like flocks. 

42  Decent people will see this and rejoice, 

but all the wicked people will shut their mouths. 

43  Let those who ⸤think⸥ they are wise 

pay attention to these things 

so that they may understand the Lord’s blessings.