Psalms107 Give thanks to the Lord for He is good! His loving-kindness lasts forever! 2 Let the people who have been saved say so. He has bought them and set them free from the hand of those who hated them. 3 He gathered them from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. 4 Some traveled through the desert wastes. They did not find a way to a city where they could live. 5 They were hungry and thirsty. Their souls became weak within them. 6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble. And He took them out of their suffering. 7 He led them by a straight path to a city where they could live. 8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for His loving-kindness and His great works to the children of men! 9 For He fills the thirsty soul. And He fills the hungry soul with good things. 10 Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death. They suffered in prison in iron chains. 11 Because they had turned against the Words of God. They hated what the Most High told them to do. 12 So He loaded them down with hard work. They fell and there was no one to help. 13 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble. And He saved them from their suffering. 14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death. And He broke their chains. 15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for His loving-kindness and His great works to the children of men! 16 For He has broken gates of brass and cut through walls of iron. 17 Some were fools because of their wrong-doing. They had troubles because of their sins. 18 They hated all kinds of food. And they came near the gates of death. 19 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble. And He saved them from their suffering. 20 He sent His Word and healed them. And He saved them from the grave. 21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for His loving-kindness and His great works to the children of men! 22 Let them give Him gifts of thanks and tell of His works with songs of joy. 23 Some went out to sea in ships to buy and sell on the great waters. 24 They have seen what the Lord can do and His great works on the sea. 25 For He spoke and raised up a storm that lifted up the waves of the sea. 26 They went up to the heavens and down to the deep. Their strength of heart left them in their danger. 27 They could not walk straight but went from side to side like a drunk man. They did not know what to do. 28 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble. And He took them out of all their problems. 29 He stopped the storm, and the waves of the sea became quiet. 30 Then they were glad because the sea became quiet. And He led them to the safe place they wanted. 31 Let them give thanks to the Lord for His loving-kindness and His great works to the children of men! 32 Let them honor Him in the meeting of the people and praise Him in the meeting of the leaders. 33 He changes rivers into a desert and wells of water into a thirsty ground. 34 He changes a land of much fruit into a salt waste because of the sin of those who live in it. 35 He changes a desert into a pool of water and makes water flow out of dry ground. 36 And He makes the hungry go there so they may build a city to live in. 37 They plant seeds in the fields and plant grape-vines and gather much fruit. 38 He lets good come to them and they become many in number. And He does not let the number of their cattle become less. 39 When the number of people becomes less and they are put to shame under a bad power and trouble and sorrow, 40 He pours anger on rulers. He makes them walk in the waste places where there is no path. 41 But He lifts those in need out of their troubles. He makes their families grow like flocks. 42 Those who are right see it and are glad. But all the sinful shut their mouths. 43 Let the wise man think about these things. And may he think about the loving-kindness of the Lord.
Whatever the circumstances under which the psalm was written, there can be no doubt as to the great lesson which it communicates – that God watches over men, and his ear is open to their prayers.
